Sermon Tone Analysis

Passage Guide

If you have your bibles, turn with me, or if you use an electronic device, “click” over to two passages of scripture:

Matthew 26 and John 13.

It is now Thursday in the Passion Week.

The next MAJOR thing we see Jesus doing, although he does many things between his triumphal entry and Maundy Thursday, but the next MAJOR thing he does is the last dinner or the last supper.

As we prepare to take the Eucharist which Jesus himself instituted here next week, Jesus, too, began to prepare for his last meal with his disciples.

Main Text #2

Hopefully you still have your place in Matthew 26.

Notice what it says, beginning in v17:

​Matthew 26:17–30 NASB17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”

’ ” 19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

21 As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22 Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24 “The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

30 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”

19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.20

Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve.

21 And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22 Being deeply grieved, they began saying to Him, each one: “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23 And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.”26

Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and [e]after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the [new] covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”30

And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Passover was a meal that God commanded the Israelites to observe every year on 15 Nissan, like the car.

The Hebrew calendar was tied into the lunar cycle, and 15 Nissan is always a full moon.

In our Gregorian calendar, Easter always occurs after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first full moon that occurs after the vernal equinox, signifying the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere.

Passover commemorated the event of when God delivered the Israelites out of the slavery and bondage in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land of their own.

What happened was that God sent Moses to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and told him to “let his people go.”

Pharaoh refuses, and after nine plagues, God finally had enough.

Have you ever had enough?

Illustration

Comedian and singer Mark Lowry tells the story about how one time his mother “had enough.”

He said:

“One day when I was about 8 years old, I was in the kitchen, minding my own business when my older brother Mike — Mr. Perfect — who was 10 years old came walking through the kitchen.

Now, I was in the kitchen first.

But he came walking into the kitchen and he had that look on his face.

It was a look that said, ‘I need to be slapped.’

Well, what was I to do?

I walked over and SLAPPED him.

Next thing I knew, I was on the floor.

He had me by the throat, and I was pounding him in the face — we were having a wonderful time.

There was only one problem:

Mama was in the kitchen.

She was washing dishes, and just about that time, mama ‘had enough.’

Did your mama ever ‘have enough?’

I wish that God would build on the back of every Mother’s head a little red light, and it would start flashing ten seconds before ‘enough.’

So we’re fighting and all of a sudden, without any warning, mama ‘had enough.’

All of a sudden, she throws herself over the kitchen sink and began wailing:

‘OHHHHH I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED!

LORD FORGIVE ME FOR FAILING WITH THESE BOYS!’

My brother and I stopped fighting and went… [look of surprising interest]

This was a lot better than our fight.

Mama was pitchin’ a fit!

She kept screaming, ‘OHHHHH I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED!

Then, all of a sudden, the phone started ringing.

I looked at mama, looked at my brother, looked at the phone, looked back at mama, looked back at my brother, and I said:

‘I wonder who’s gonna get the phone?’

My brother looked at me and said:

‘Not me.’

That left mama, who’s in absolutely NO condition to answer the phone.

She was still screaming, ‘OHHHHH I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED!’

Then, all of a sudden, mama started heading towards the phone.

I immediately started fasting and praying.

I said,

‘Oh dear Lord…please don’t let that be daddy on the phone…

…I’ll go to Africa, I’ll wear polyester bermuda shorts for the rest of my life, I’ll do anything you want, just please don’t let that be daddy on the phone.’

Mama, still going towards the phone, still screaming, ‘OHHHHH I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED!

I can’t believe the way you boys treat me!

I went through the shadow of the valley of DEATH to give you birth.

Between the two of you, I’ve been in labor HALF MY LIFE!’

She gets to the phone, places her hand on it...

‘OHHHHH I’VE FAILED, I’VE FAILED!’

[Normal voice]: ‘...hello?’

Your mom ever do that?

To this day, I have no Idea how she did that.”

But God had ENOUGH.

So, he said, paraphrased, “let my people go, or I will KILL your first born sons.”

Needless to say, Pharaoh called God’s bluff.

Only God doesn’t “bluff,” does he?

Pharaoh lost his first-born son that night.

But God told the Israeli’s to sacrifice a lamb and paint it’s blood on the doorpost of your homes.

If you do this, I will pass over you.

That’s why it’s called “passover.”

This is a very important event because in the Passion of Christ, it represents a few things:

First, the lamb sacrificed represents Jesus Christ and his “once, for all” sacrifice.

Second, the wooden doorpost, painted with the blood of the lamb represents the cross of crucifixion and Jesus’ blood poured out for sinners upon it.

Third, the “passing over,” or “passover” of God’s judgement on the Egyptians and their firstborn represents the “passing over,” or “passover” of God’s final judgement upon those who have believed.

Today, in the time that we have left, I want to speak to you about three very important things Jesus did at the last supper and why they are important to us.

1. Jesus Gave Us A New Covenant

​Matthew 26:28 NKJV28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

If you look at the Old Testament, everything in it is a giant representation of Jesus and what he would do, so you can see that from the beginning, or at least from the fall of man, God had a redemptive plan in motion.

Passover was a representation of the covenant God made with Israel.