The Last Evening
Notes
Transcript
The Last Evening....
The Last Evening....
Good morning everyone, i hope and pray you are well.
We are just a week away from the start of our Youth Sports Camp, I would ask that you pray each day this coming week for the camp, and in particular...
Pray for the children.
Pray for those serving, safe journey here and through the week as they minister, teach and engage with each child.
For the word of God to enter the children’s heart and that they act in faith in what they hear and believe.
Pray for safety. Each morning at drop off and pick up, and for the kids through the week.
Pray for the churches that are participating, thank God that they caught the vision to reach children for the Lord.
Thank you for talking the time and committing to pray, it is so important. The future of our community children can be enriched, blessed and their future changed ( both physically and spiritually).
Today we come back to the 26th chapter of Matthew, and we are gong to look at verses 14 through 30. this is at the last day before the crucifixion of our Lord
It is here that we see a couple different things taking place, one horrible, and one with a promise. We will break these down and see what the Word of God tells us.
Lets begin with verses 14-16 as we consider this first topic this morning.
1. An Unspeakable Offense...
If you remember last week we were looking at Jesus as He was in the home of Simon of Leper.
As He was there with many different people, we know that Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus came up from behind Jesus and applied a very costly ointment upon his head and feet.
And as this event took place, we know that some there were upset, indigent at the amount of waste. For some, and we think Judas by the way, thought this vile of ointment could have been sold to feed the poor and oppressed.
Now we are not sure why this event is so upsetting , but it is to Judas for He becomes distant, disenchanted with the type of Messiah God has prepared the Son to be in the world. So Judas loses this ability to walk with Jesus. Lets look at verses 14-16 Matthew 26:14-16
14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Wow, the saddest thing we see here is that He has walked with Jesus for 3.5 years now. Ultimately, Judas doesn’t really believe....
But I want to encourage you my friends, walking, being around the godly or holy in our families is not enough. You have to make a personal decision about Jesus. You either believe and ask him into your heart as Savior or you do not believe.
Judas, didn’t believe.
So He goes to Caiaphas the High Priest with a question, what will you give me if I can hand him over to you…?
And verse 15 says they gave him 30 pieces of silver. Now that is about 7500.00 in today’s terms.
Now 30 pieces of silver has some meaning as you look at the entire scope of Scripture. Let me share two thoughts with you about this amount...
A. First off....... It reminds us of another who was sold for monetary gain. There was a young son whom the Father loved dearly, but his brothers hated . Instead of murdering him, they sold him into slavery to Egypt for a mere 30 pieces of silver. Joseph was the picture of a savior for he saved many through God’s plan during a time of famine.
B. Second, 30 pieces of silver was the value of a slave who was killed. In Exodus 21, if your oxen gored a slave you were to pay the other owner 30 pieces of silver for the loss of His slave.
Here Jesus is seen of no value by the religious leaders, so much so that they believe him to be only the value of a slave.
So my friends, they paid Judas an amount which was nothing more than “blood money,” and verse 16 says… from that moment on, He sought an opportunity to betray him...
My friends I cannot imagine the offense one commits when they seek to betray the Son of God. Judas did this, but ultimately he stood judged before God for not listen and truly following the Son with his whole heart.
You see we each are called to make a decision about the Son, but heaven help us if we lie against, mislead or cause others to not believe.
Instead, the world is called to believe in Jesus!
Now we come to a second thought...
2. A Needed Space....
Here on the night of Jesus arrest we see some of the best pictures of what Jesus did that night with His disciples.
I would encourage you to read the Gospel of John beginning at chapter 13 through the end of chapter 17, it is here you will see the most detail about that evening and night as they met with Jesus to celebrate the passover, the feast of the unleavened Bread
So let’s open the text and see what Jesus is doing.... verses 17-19
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
So here we find ourselves on Thursday most, I would speculate late morning or early afternoon possibly.
The Passover celebration is starting to get underway, but officially will not start until 6pm on Friday. Remember, in Jewish life days ran 6pm to 6pm...
Now even though the Passover over would not start till Friday technically, people began making preparations to celebrate it on Thursday.
Remember the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was a time were they could not eat any bread with yeast in it, what the Bible refers to as leaven. These two times coincided with each other, one is the event and the other is the preparation and celebration of the greater whole.
So they would celebrate by making sure there was no type of yeast of leaven in the homes.
So, like a family Jesus and his disciples would prepare to celebrate together with the time they have left together, but Jesus isn’t telling them just how quickly the hour of his time is approaching.
So the disciples come to Jesus asking where they were to celebrate the feast… the holiday.
Verses 18 and 19 tell us
18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’ ” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
The city we know, it is Jerusalem itself. As far as the man whom Jesus has identified for them to approach, we do not know his particular name but from church history we do know that this house, the place of the Upper Room was the home of a young man we know as John Mark. This is the same Mark from the gospel of Mark.
We see him at times in the Scriptures at different events around Jesus life, His arrest and in places after his resurrection.
And verse 19 tells us simply, they did as Jesus told them and they prepared the Passover meal there in the upper room.
In much the same way that Jesus acquired the donkey and colt for his entry into the city just 4 days before, so now the upper room is prepared.
In both cases as the Lord directed, people responded willing to serve the Lord.
I would just ask you right now… Are you willing to serve as the Lord has directed you?
It is up to you.....
3. A New Covenant ...
Now we know the disciples did what the Lord requested, they went and secured the place, the upper room of John Mark’s home.
And it is here that Jesus will begin to talk with them, this last night together, teaching them about the work He was about to finish.
Lets look at our text....
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
As Jesus and the disciples gather in the upper room, some very remarkable things happen.
Now I would encourage you to go and read the Gospel of John in particular and from John 13 till the end of the gospel, John gives the most detailed account of that evening.
One of my favorite portions is Jesus washing the disciples feet when none of them would do so…So it is a very rich account of that, his encouragement to them in John 14 and His high priestly prayer in 17.
But here at the table, the last supper event, Jesus reclining with the disciples, Jesus drops a bombshell
A. Betrayal..... Jesus says he is about to be betrayed, and one of the 12 is the one doing it.
One of you will betray me…verse 21.
Can you imagine the horror some of them felt hearing those words. Oh no, who would do such a thing… they even ask Is it I? Jesus will only tell them, it is one who has dipped his hand in the cup with them.
I would imagine Judas even thinking “…how does He know this, does he know it is me....”
And please understand, Jesus isn’t being fooled, He will willingly give himself over to sinful men to fulfill the Father’s plan. Jesus says this in verse 24...
24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
“The Son of man Goes as it is written of him....
And yet Jesus places a warning here… But “woe” to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed....
The “woe” reminds us that Judas stands judged. He is called the “Son of Perdition, the Scriptures remind us that he is doomed to destruction. Punishment in the life to come is foretold here, in simple words Judas deserves and will obtain hell.
Judas even asks “Rabbi… is it I? Jesus replies, “You have said so...”
He knew his failure, and he understands that Jesus, the eternal one knows as well.
I cannot imagine the suffering, the disappointment and the truth knowing you did this, you led to his suffering and death…
And then Jesus loves forward...
As Jesus is with the 12, He tells them a second thought I want you to see in this last section...
B. Memorial is Set in Place....
As Jesus is at the table, Jesus tells them a little more information, and will remind them that what he is about to teach them they will hold to and remember His love and care for them...
Look at verses 26-30
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
So as Jesus took the bread and the cup and told them this was his body and blood, what is he saying to them?
1. The Bread… The bread that was served at the table would have been unleavened bread (flat bread, no yeast)... It originally symbolized the haste with which the Israelites departed Egypt.
But here Jesus gives the bread new meaning… The bread will symbolize his body that will be beaten, broken down figuratively and literally killed as he will soon be put to death on the cross.
Jesus is creating the greatest object lesson… The bread symbolizes, stands for, and points to his body, as He lays His life down for all mankind.
By His stripes we are healed… Isa 53:5...
2. The Cup.... Through the passover celebration and remembrance, the cup was drunk from 4 times during the passover meal.
It was a common cup most likely passed around for all to take part in, it wasn’t optional. It was this time when God’s words were remembered,
Let me share with you a passage form Exodus...
6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Verse 6 is so rich especially.. I am the Lord, I will bring you out , I will deliver you and I will redeem you...
Jesus will take the cup and tell them, and us for all time, I am the Lord. I will bring you out, I will delver you and I will redeem you.
Listen to what He says to his disciples… Verses 27-28
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus says..... Take it and drink it, calling them to remember the words of the Father during the passover..
And Jesus says this is my blood of the covenant. Now remember, His blood is symbolic, His blood would soon be shed, poured out… given as a sacrifice if you will, but it is his life laid down voluntarily for the sins of mankind, past, present and future.
So just as the Father gave the Israelites acts to remember, to hold on to and celebrate how he worked on their behalf, Jesus says remember what I am about to do to remove your sins, to save you and give you eternal life.
Remember that your life is precious, so much so that I gave my life for you that you might have life...
Do you remember daily His tremendous sacrifice ?
We should, especially when we partake of the bread and juice.
The scriptures tell us “For as often as you do it, you proclaim, tell about, remember His death for sinful man until He comes again, my paraphrase of I Cor 11:26 .
How wonderful my friends, Jesus loves us! Not only did he show us, but He reminds us in times of worship.
Now as we close out this passage, Jesus tells them on additional thought...
Jesus tells them, I will not eat or drink of this with you until I see you....and you see me again...
Look at verses 29-30… Matthew 26:29-30
29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
You see my friends, there is a day coming when we will gather around the table of God and there we will commemorate this banquet table fresh and anew, because, we will be with the Lord in heaven.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Remember the words of the old hymn my friends.....
What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon his face the one who faced me by His grace, when he takes me by the hands and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day it will be...
The Scriptures tell us that when they were done ..... they sung a hymn and then departed for the Mount of Olives
He loves you so much my friends, I hope you love him as well
He gave his life for you, will you live for Him??
lets pray