At His Table
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Luke 21:37-22:20
Read Luke 21:37–38
37 And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.
38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.
Locate the scene.
Last week: Jesus described His return and called His hearers to watch and pray.
Luke closes that chapter by describing His daily activity.
Teaching in the temple during the day.
Spending the nights at the Mount of Olives.
People arriving early to hear Him.
Soon, His public teaching will give way to arrest, trial, and crucifixion.
Different hearts hear the same Teacher.
Some people eagerly come to listen.
Religious leaders have also heard Him, but seek an opportunity against Him.
19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
Their response includes hostility, surveillance, and attempts to trap Him.
Jesus continues teaching while opposition grows.
We can hear Scripture regularly.
Become familiar with its language.
Know when to turn the page, bow our heads, or take the elements.
This passage invites us to consider our response to the Person at the center of those practices.
Reserve the strongest searching question for the conclusion.
At this table, Jesus teaches us to remember the sacrifice He willingly made for us.
We see Three actions bring us into the seriousness of this night: Judas betrays, Jesus prepares, and Jesus gives.
I. Judas Betrays
I. Judas Betrays
Luke 22:1–6
A. Among the Twelve
A. Among the Twelve
Read verses 1–3.
The feast approaches; opposition intensifies.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread form the setting.
Chief priests and scribes seek a way to kill Jesus.
Fear of the people affects their method.
Judas will provide an opportunity away from the multitude.
Luke emphasizes Judas’s position.
“Being of the number of the twelve.”
Someone within the closest circle.
Had heard Jesus teach and witnessed His works.
Would share the meal with Him.
Religious proximity had not produced saving faith.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Jesus already knew the unbelief and betrayal.
Judas’s presence had never deceived Christ.
Satan’s involvement is real.
Luke explicitly says Satan entered Judas.
Judas also acts: goes, discusses, agrees, and seeks an opportunity.
Spiritual evil and personal responsibility appear together.
Church attendance, Bible knowledge, ministry participation, and communion participation cannot substitute for faith in Christ.
The issue is whether we are trusting Christ or relying upon our religious association.
A sincere believer’s assurance rests upon Christ and His promises.
B. Agreed for Money
B. Agreed for Money
Read verses Luke 22:4–6
4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
The arrangement precedes the supper.
Judas discusses how to deliver Jesus to His enemies.
The leaders rejoice and agree to pay him.
He seeks an opportunity without the crowd.
He carries out the betrayal later that night.
Money is part of the agreement.
Matthew 26:15: Thirty pieces of silver.
15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Judas agrees to hand over the One he has followed.
The table makes the betrayal more grievous.
The plot is already underway when Judas sits with Jesus.
Luke 22:21: The betrayer’s hand is with Him at the table.
21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
Outward fellowship conceals inward rejection.
While Judas seeks an opportunity to betray Him, Jesus sends His disciples to prepare the Passover.
II. Jesus Prepares
II. Jesus Prepares
Luke 22:7–18
A. The Passover Prepared
A. The Passover Prepared
Read verses Luke 22:7–13
7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
10 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
12 And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
Jesus gives specific directions.
Sends Peter and John.
A man carrying a pitcher of water.
A house and its owner.
A large furnished upper room.
They find everything as He said.
Jesus deliberately prepares for this meal.
His directions prove dependable.
His coming suffering is known to Him.
He prepares a place to share the Passover with His disciples.
Let’s look at the Historical setting
An evening meal in a furnished upstairs room.
Reclining together.
Sharing food and dipping into common dishes.
John 13:23–26 helps explain their closeness at the table.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
25 He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Explain the original Passover from Exodus 12.
Israel enslaved in Egypt.
God announces judgment upon the firstborn.
Each household, or joined households, prepares a lamb.
A male of the first year, without blemish.
The lamb is killed.
Blood applied to the doorposts and lintel.
God promises protection where He sees the blood.
The family eats the roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs.
Key reference: Exodus 12:13
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Emphasis: God provided deliverance, and His people responded to His word.
The meal’s elements.
Lamb
A sacrificed animal at the center of the meal. Its death and blood belong to the account of deliverance.
Unleavened Bread
Bread without leaven; connected with their hurried departure. Deuteronomy 16:3: the bread of affliction.
3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
Bitter Herbs
Bitter edible greens, such as lettuce or endive-type plants. Their bitterness recalled the bitterness of bondage.
Exodus 1:14 describes that bondage.
14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
Cup
Part of the meal Jesus shares with His disciples; Luke calls its contents the fruit of the vine.
The observance in Jesus’ day.
The original Egyptian Passover included blood on household doorways.
By Jesus’ day, the sacrifice was associated with the temple in Jerusalem.
The meal continued to remember the deliverance God had accomplished.
Each generation learned what God had done for His people.
Scripture explicitly connects Christ with the Passover sacrifice.
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
That connection leads toward His explanation of the bread and cup.
Deliverance through sacrifice prepares us to understand His death for us.
B. The Suffering Ahead
B. The Suffering Ahead
14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Jesus desires this meal.
“With desire I have desired.”
In today’s vernacular we might hear him say, “I’ve been looking forward to sharing this meal wiht you.”
His expressed earnestness.
Personal fellowship with His disciples before suffering.
He knows what the approaching hours hold.
He knows the suffering that is ahead, he is looking forward to spending this time of fellowship with His disciples.
Allow the scene its emotional weight.
The disciples share a familiar observance.
Jesus speaks of suffering.
They have not yet grasped everything coming.
He prepares them by explaining what His death will mean.
Hear His love in “for you.”
His sacrifice becomes personal in the words that follow.
His willingness gives struggling believers reason for gratitude and trust.
His love is demonstrated through His willing self-giving.
C. The Kingdom Promised
C. The Kingdom Promised
16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
Jesus looks ahead to fulfillment in God’s kingdom.
His approaching suffering will not defeat God’s purpose.
Death is coming; the kingdom is also coming.
The returning Son of man from last week’s passage is the suffering Saviour at this table.
The cups in Luke’s account.
Verse 17 records a cup before the bread.
Verse 20 identifies the cup after supper.
Jesus connects the cup with both kingdom expectation and His approaching sacrifice.
In this meal of remembrance, Jesus now directs their attention to His own sacrifice.
III. Jesus Gives
III. Jesus Gives
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Before serving the elements:
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
Allow a brief opportunity for examination and prayer.
Paul addresses careless, selfish participation in a divided church.
“Unworthily” concerns the manner of participation.
We come acknowledging our need of Christ and taking His sacrifice seriously.
Examination includes honest confession and a willingness to address wrong relationships.
Paul calls for examination followed by participation.
A. His Body for Us
A. His Body for Us
Read Luke 22:19
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
He takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it.
Simple, visible actions.
Jesus explains their meaning.
His body will be given for them.
Explain the representation.
Jesus is bodily present when He gives them the bread.
The bread represents His body.
Our hope rests in the Saviour whose sacrifice it portrays.
Emphasize “given for you.”
Willing self-giving.
His death benefits those for whom He gives Himself.
He explains the sacrifice behind the suffering they will witness.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Jesus lays down His life willingly.
Human betrayal and injustice are real.
His willing sacrifice remains central.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
There were no bones broken.
Scripture was fulfilled even in the details of His death.
The broken bread directs our remembrance to His body given for us.
Familiarity with the cross can dull our remembrance.
Consider its cost and purpose.
He gave Himself for sinners who could not secure their own forgiveness.
Remember with gratitude the Saviour who willingly suffered for you.
Serve the bread during this section.
Give thanks for His body given for us.
Read Luke 22:19
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Partake according to the church’s practice.
B. His Blood for Us
B. His Blood for Us
Read Luke 22:20
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Explain “new testament.”
Covenant language.
God’s solemn covenant established through Christ’s blood.
Jesus identifies His own sacrifice with the promised new covenant.
Old Testament background
Exodus 24:8: Blood accompanies the establishment of the covenant with Israel.
8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.
Jeremiah 31:31–34: God promises a new covenant.
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For they shall all know me, From the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: For I will forgive their iniquity, And I will remember their sin no more.
His law written within.
A relationship with His people.
Forgiveness of their iniquity.
Jesus connects that promised covenant with His shed blood.
Matthew 26:28
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Explain “remission.”
“To cause to stand away, to release one’s sins from the sinner. Forgiveness, remission. This required Christ’s sacrifice as punishment of sin, hence the putting away of sin and the deliverance of the sinner from the power of sin, although not from its presence, which will come later after the resurrection when our very bodies will be redeemed.”
That means — Release from sin’s guilt.
Forgiveness rests upon Christ’s sacrifice.
The punishment of sin is borne by the Saviour.
God forgives the sinner through Him.
It means Deliverance from sin’s power.
Sin no longer possesses its former mastery over the believer.
Romans 6:6–14: Through Christ, believers can yield themselves to God.
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Forgiveness opens into a changed life of obedience.
It means Future deliverance from sin’s presence.
Believers still face temptation and struggle.
Our full redemption includes the resurrection of our bodies.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
What Christ purchased will reach its complete fulfillment.
So now we can Rest your hope in His sacrifice.
Religious effort cannot erase sin.
The guilty need the forgiveness Christ provides.
The cup reminds us of the blood shed for that forgiveness.
Believers remember gratefully because their acceptance rests upon Him.
Serve the cup during this section.
Give thanks for His blood shed for us.
Read Luke 22:20
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
C. Remembering Him
C. Remembering Him
Luke 22:19 says we are to do this…
“… in remembrance of me.”
Passover remembered deliverance from Egypt.
Jesus commands remembrance of Himself.
His church continues that remembrance.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
Look back: His sacrifice accomplished.
Look ahead: His return promised.
The suffering Saviour is the coming King.
Communion declares the death upon which our hope rests.
What does thoughtful remembrance produce?
Gratitude for His mercy.
Honest confession of sin.
Willingness to repair wrong relationships.
Renewed obedience.
Confidence in His promised return.
The complacent need to consider the seriousness of His sacrifice.
The struggling believer can remember His mercy with confidence.
We gather as people who need the Saviour and are grateful He gave Himself for us.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What Is Our Response
Return briefly to the scene.
People heard Jesus.
Hostile leaders sought His death.
Judas sat at the table with betrayal already arranged.
Jesus willingly gave Himself and commanded remembrance.
We’ve heard His Word, and we may have taken the bread and cup many times—but are we trusting the Saviour that those elements proclaim?
To anyone without Christ.
Forgiveness is found in the Saviour.
He gave Himself for sinners.
Explain the Gospel plainly.
Invite them to turn to Him in repentance and faith.
To believers.
Carry this remembrance into the coming week.
Let gratitude shape your choices.
Respond to His mercy with willing obedience.
Live in expectation of His return.
The bread and cup remind us of what He gave. Now let’s live as people who remember Him.
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