Holy Thursday

“Look Up, To Get a Glimpse of Heaven”

Text: Exodus 24:1–11 Supporting: 1 Corinthians 11:23–28; John 13:1–15, 34

Goal

That we would look up from our sin and guilt to see how we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus and welcomed to His table, where He gives us a glimpse of heaven.

Malady

Our sin leaves us burdened, guilty, and uncertain of where we stand with God. We either try to prove ourselves worthy or shrink back in fear, knowing we have not done what the Lord has commanded. Instead of looking up to God’s promise, we look down at our failures and wonder if we belong anywhere near Him.

Means

God brings us near through the shedding of blood—fulfilled perfectly in Jesus, whose body and blood are given for the forgiveness of our sins. In the Lord’s Supper, Christ Himself comes to us, assuring us that we belong at His table. Here we receive not only forgiveness, but a foretaste of the heavenly feast to come.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Introduction

There are moments in life when you suddenly realize…

“I don’t belong here.”

Maybe it’s walking into a room where everyone else seems more qualified, more put together, more deserving.

Maybe it’s standing in a place where you feel exposed—like you don’t measure up.

Now imagine something even more overwhelming:

You are standing at the foot of a mountain…

The mountain is shaking.

Thunder crashes.

Fire burns at the top.

And you are told:

“God is here.”

That’s Exodus 24.

And the question that hangs over everything is this:

Where do we stand with God?

Do we belong near Him?

Or should we stay far away?

“Everything the Lord Has Said We Will Do”

In Exodus 24, the people say something bold:

“Everything the Lord has said, we will do.”

They say it twice.

And at first, it sounds impressive.

Faithful. Committed. Strong.

But we know how that story goes.

Because we know our own story.

We say the same things:

“I’ll do better.” “I’ll try harder.” “I’ll be more faithful.”

And then?

We fail.

Just like they did.

And deep down, we know it.

Which brings us back to that question:

Where do we stand with God?

Because if it depends on us…

If it depends on our obedience…

If it depends on doing “everything the Lord has said”…

Then we do not belong on that mountain.

We do not belong at that table.

We should stay at a distance.

And that’s exactly what the Old Covenant showed.

There was separation.

Only certain people could go up. The rest had to stay back.

Because sinners do not belong in the presence of a holy God.

And we feel that.

We feel it in our guilt. We feel it in our shame. We feel it in that quiet question:

“Do I really belong with God?”

Brought Near by Blood

And then comes one of the most striking moments in Exodus:

Moses takes the blood…

And sprinkles it on the people.

And says:

“This is the blood of the covenant.”

That changes everything.

Now the question is no longer: “Have you done everything the Lord has said?”

Now the answer is: You are covered in blood. And that blood—given by God Himself— changes your standing with Him.

The text says (Ex. 24:11)

They saw God… And they ate and drank.

That should not happen.

Sinners in the presence of God… Eating a meal with Him…

That is a glimpse of heaven.

And it only happens by God’s gracious decision and provision, all due to the blood Jesus Christ that was shed for the sins of the world.

Fulfilled in Christ

Now fast forward to the Upper Room.

Jesus takes the cup.

And what does He say?

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood.”

Now we see it clearly.

Every drop of blood in Exodus 24 was pointing here.

To Jesus.

To His cross.

Because that old covenant blood… Could only point forward. But it could not finally remove sin. Only Jesus can do that.

He is the One who does what Israel promised but failed to do.

He is the One who keeps every word of the Lord.

And then—

He gives His blood.

Not sprinkled on you from a distance—

But given to you to drink.

For the forgiveness of your sins.

The Table: A Glimpse of Heaven

And now, everything changes.

You don’t stand at a distance.

You are invited in.

To the table.

And this is not just a symbol.

As Paul says (1 Cor 11:26):

Whenever we eat and drink… We proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

Brothers and Sisters, Jesus is present. Coming to you. Feeding you. Forgiving you.

This is not us going up to God… This is God coming down to us in the meal .

The same Jesus who will feed us in the heavenly feast is already feeding us here with His very body and blood.

And what is this meal? It is more than bread and wine. It is a glimpse of heaven. Because in heaven— We will eat with God. We will be in His presence.

We will belong.

And here…

Already…

You are given a foretaste.

The same Jesus who will one day welcome you to the marriage feast of the Lamb already welcomes you here. The feast to come is glorious; this feast is the same Lord, the same body, the same blood— given now under bread and wine.

Connection to John 13

And then, in that same upper room, Jesus does something unexpected.

He gets up from the table. He takes off His outer garment. He wraps a towel around His waist. He kneels down. And He washes feet.

Peter is shocked. “This is not what a king does.” Servants wash feet. Not the Son of God.

But Jesus is showing exactly what His love looks like.

The hands that will soon be pierced are the hands that wash dirty feet. The Lord of glory bends down to serve sinners.

John says,

“Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

To the end— to the cross, to the shedding of His blood, to the giving of His body and blood in the Supper, to this very night, where He still serves you.

At this table, the same Jesus who knelt with a towel stoops down to feed you with His own body and blood. He is not asking you to serve Him first. He is serving you.

And it’s only after He has washed and fed His disciples that He says,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.”

The love He commands is the love He first gives.

Climax

So where do you stand with God?

Not at a distance.

Not uncertain.

Not trying to earn your place.

You stand— Washed in the blood of Christ. Invited to His table. Welcomed into His presence.

Application: Look Up

So tonight—

Look up from Sinai’s terror to the sprinkled blood.

Look up from your own sin to the crucified and risen Christ.

Look up from the altar rail to the heavenly feast we anticipate.

As you come to the altar tonight, don’t look down at your worthiness; look up to the One who says, “Given and shed for you.”

Look up—

To the table He has prepared for you.

Look up—

And see:

You belong here.

Conclusion

There was a time when sinners could not come near.

There was a time when the mountain shook…

And people stood at a distance.

But not anymore.

Because Jesus has come.

Because His blood has been shed.

Because He now says to you:

“Take, eat. Take, drink.”

This is My body. This is My blood. Given… For you.

And in that meal— You are given a glimpse of heaven.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.