Introduction:

1.       Judas seeks to betray Jesus (v.1-6)

a)        Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover:

1)        The time is significant, because at Passover not only was there a great expectation of the Messiah, but Jerusalem was also crowded with Messiah-expecting multitudes. 

(a)      Because it was a major feast, many of the people who had heard and seen Jesus in the region of Galilee were in Jerusalem, with great respect and great expectation for Jesus and His ministry. 

b)        For they feared the people (v.2)

1)        The chief priests and the scribes did not fear God, but they did fear the people. They are not afraid to kill the Son of God; they just had to find a way to do it in a politically wise manner. 

c)         Satan entered Judas (v.3)

1)        Not that this diminishes Judas’ personal responsibility (God allowed what Judas, in his corrupt heart, wanted), but it shows that the real enemy of Jesus was Satan, even more than Judas was an enemy. 

(a)      Many have wondered about the motives of Judas; some have even said that he might have had a noble motive, such as wanted to “force” Jesus to show Himself as Messiah. The Bible indicates no such praiseworthy intention.

(b)      It may well be that Judas followed Jesus from selfish motives, expecting to receive a position of great status and prestige when Jesus came triumphantly to Jerusalem as Messiah. When Jesus came, and it was evident that He was not going to be the Messiah Judas hoped for, he may have lashed out against Jesus and opened this door to Satan out of spite. Jesus didn’t give Judas what his selfish heart wanted, so Judas felt his ties to Jesus were broken. In essence, Judas may have said, “You betrayed me by not being the kind of Messiah I wanted. So I will betray you.” 

(c)      But what about Satan’s motive? The death of Jesus on the cross was the great defeat of Satan; why is he steering things towards that course? Satan is not all knowing; perhaps he did not know how these events would turn against him - but he reads the Bible, so he should have! 

(d)      A better explanation is that Satan is not all-wise; even if he did know that the death of Jesus would crush his head, his hatred got the best of him. Since Satan is the great deceiver, he has no doubt deceived himself - and may actually believe that he could win over Jesus. 

(e)      But it all plays into God’s plan - this was the appointed time for Jesus to go to the cross, but before Judas’ treachery, the leaders were not going to do it then, out of a fear of the people. 

2.       Preparations for the Passover (7-13)

a)        A man . . . carrying a pitcher (v.10-11a)

1)        This was an unusual sight, because carrying a pitcher was typically a woman’s work, and men carried liquids in animal’s skin containers. This would be a distinctive sign to the disciples. 

b)        The Teacher says to you (v.11b)

1)        The scene here implies secrecy, and Jesus good reason to quietly make arrangements for Passover. He didn’t want Judas to betray Him before He could give a final talk to the disciples.

c)         Eat the Passover with My disciples (v.11c)

1)        There seems to be a difference between the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and John about the Passover. The implication in the synoptic gospels is that Jesus was crucified on the day after Passover, and that this meal was the day before. John seems to say that Jesus was crucified on the day of Passover itself, as a Passover lamb (John 18:28, John 19:14). 

(a)      “Possibly the best explanation is that there were different calendars in use. Jesus died as the Passover victims were being slain according to the official calendar; but he had held the Passover with his followers the previous evening, according to an unofficial calendar.” (Morris)

(b)      None of the synoptic gospels mention a lamb at the Passover meal. This may be because they could not obtain one before the “official” day of Passover. In addition, Jesus may have wanted it this way, to emphasize the idea that He was the Passover sacrifice.

3.       The Last Supper (14-20).

a)        With fervent desire I have desired (v.15)

1)        This was a passionate moment for Jesus. It wasn’t so much that He was saying “goodbye” to His disciples, as much as now He arrived at the central reason why He came to man: to institute a new covenant with men, based on His own sacrifice. This is not the beginning of the end; it is the beginning of the beginning.

(a)      He took the cup . . . He also took the cup after supper (v.17): From Luke, it seems that Jesus took the cup both before and after the bread. According to the customs of a Passover dinner, this was nothing unusual - there would be four different cups of wine ceremonially sipped during the meal.

b)        I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes (v.18)

1)        Jesus Has Not Yet Celebrated A Passover In Heaven. 

(a)      He is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him, then there will be a great supper, known as the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). This is the fulfillment in the kingdom of God Jesus longs for. 

(b)      Beyond all the controversy about what the elements of this supper really are and what they really mean, the command of Jesus to do this in remembrance of Me (v.19) stands out. We must remember who Jesus is, and all He has done for us. 

1.         Every time Jesus is misrepresented, we have forgotten.  Every time we rebel against the One who bought us, we have forgotten. Every time we look to ourselves instead of Jesus Himself, we have forgotten. 

2.         Beyond all the controversy about what the elements of this supper really are and what they really mean, the announcement that Jesus is bringing a new covenant stands out. 

3.         What mere man would have the audacity to institute a new covenant between God and man? But here, Jesus founds a new covenant, sealed with blood, even as the old covenant was sealed with blood (Exodus 24:8). 

4.         What is the new covenant all about? It is all about an inner transformation, that cleanses us from all sin. As Jeremiah 31:34 says, For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. It is about putting God’s Word and will in us, as Jeremiah 31:33 says: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. It is all about a new, close, relationship with God, as Jeremiah 31:33 says (I will be there God, and they shall be My people). 

5.         Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can have a new covenant relationship with God. But many of us live as if there is no inner transformation, as if there is no cleansing from sin, as if there is no word and will of God in our hearts, and as if there is no new and close relationship with God.

4.       Woe to the betrayer (v.21-23).

a)        The Son of Man goes as it has been determined (v.22)

1)        It Was Determined By Prophecy That The Messiah Should Be Betrayed (Psalm 41:9)

(a)      but woe to the one who does it! Judas cannot claim that he “helped” Jesus by fulfilling prophecy. He was and is fully accountable for his sin before God. 

1.         “The fact that God overrules the evil that bad people do as he brings his purposes to pass does not make them any the less evil.” (Morris)

b)        They began to question among themselves, which of them it was (v.23)

1)        Judas had done his job well as a traitor, because none of the other disciples seemed to suspect him.

B.     Final teachings to the disciples.

The fullness of this marvelous discourse must be gathered from all four gospels - especially from John chapters 13-16.

1.       Jesus teaches about true greatness (v.24-27)

a)        A dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest (v.24)

1)        It’s almost frightening to think that after Jesus has poured three years of His life into these men; after they have seen the character of Jesus on display in almost every conceivable circumstance; that now, at the final hours before His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion, they are arguing - about which of them is the greatest! 

(a)      This seems to be a common topic of conversation among the disciples (Matthew 18:1, Matthew 20:20-26, Mark 9:33- 34, Luke 9:46). 

(b)      We might think that Jesus should have settled the issue by saying, “Hey dummies - I’m the greatest!” Instead, Jesus answered their question by what He did. John 13:3-5 tells us that Jesus washed their feet after supper, and He may have spoken these words about true greatness while He was washing their feet, or after He was finished. 

1.         In fact, the supreme patience of Jesus is displayed in His gentle correction of His squabbling disciples. After all - didn’t He have enough on His mind?

b)        The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them (v.25).

1)        The World Exercises Authority And Power With A Certain Style.

(a)      All of it ultimately self-exalting. But Jesus wasn’t like that, and neither should His followers be.

c)         In fact, the greatest should be like the younger (v.26)

1)        The one who didn’t have a stake in the system, the outcast), and the one who governs should be like one who serves.

(a)      The idea of being called benefactors is really the idea of getting credit. Many people only will “serve” if they can be assured of getting proper credit. 

(b)      “In the ancient world it was accepted that age gave privileges; the youngest was, by definition, the lowliest.”  (Morris)

d)        For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table (v.27)?

1)        The world regards the one who is served as greater, but Jesus showed us that true greatness is in serving, more than in being served. 

(a)      Cultures have always envied the person who has many people serving him. In ancient China, the rich grew long, long fingernails, so long they could do nothing for themselves - and this was seen as a sign of status. 

(b)      But the people who are really great in our lives are the servants. If the President took a month off, no one would really miss it; but if all the trash collectors in the country took the month off, we would miss it! Jesus is trying to re-arrange our thinking, our priorities. 

2)        Living as a servant really is the best way to live.

(a)      We are no longer concerned for our own honor and credit; we don’t walk around with hurt feelings and disappointed expectations, because all we want to do is to serve. We can always do what we want to do, because we can always serve somehow. 

1.         Don’t we think that Jesus knew the best way to live? 

2.         Jesus isn’t saying that if you serve in a lowly place, you will be given a great place. He is saying that in God’s eyes, the lowly place is the great place. 

3.         How much of a servant are you? We should measure ourselves against Jesus; but another good indicator is to see how we react when we are treated like a servant.