The Passover Made New -- Luke 22:1-23
The Passover Made New -- Luke 22:1-23
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 8, 2009 AM
There are several terms for the last meal Jesus shared with His followers. Some call it “Communion,” others “the Eucharist,” “the Lord’s Supper” or “the Last Supper.” Each carries with it a perception of what this meal was supposed to mean and what it is supposed to relate to those believers who observe it. The pathos of the meal and what occurs strikes a chord with anyone who happens to understand what is taking place, the characters involved, and the setting. As we look at this meal what Jesus shared, not only with His followers then but with all of us who claim Him as Savior and Lord, we can be renewed in our faith, in its significance for our lives, and what it means.
Luke introduces his section concerning the meal by telling us: “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.” (Luke 22:1-2) Both names, Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover were interchangeably used, but they were two separate celebrations that were interlinked one with the other. Passover came first on Nisan 14-15, while the Feast of Unleavened Bread followed on Nisan 15-21. These dates were set by the phases of the moon and is why Passover is celebrated on different months and days each year. (In the spring in March or April.) Within the observance of the Lord’s Supper we discover three portions of our lives that we can reflect on. Let’s discover what they are…
READ: Luke 22:1-23
We live in a society that loves to think that what we do as individuals is no one else’s business. We use this excuse to justify our ungodly behavior. However, within the body of Christ, each member is responsible to the other in holy community. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) It is therefore extremely important for us to present ourselves as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” as His body. In order for us to join together in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper we are commanded to examine ourselves before we partake of it. (1 Corinthians 11:28) Why? Paul says that “For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:29) How do we do that? We must first look at…
I. Our Preparation for the Supper. (Vv. 7-13)
1. Do you know Jesus as Savior and Lord? Jesus continually asks us to prepare ourselves for Him! Here in Luke we discover a beautiful picture of the believer’s walk with the Lord. Jesus, knowing His time to die is coming quickly, turns to His disciples and tells them to “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” Jesus wanted to celebrate a new Passover and His followers had to make preparations in order to do so. They ask, “Where,” and in doing so are actually asking “how” as well. It is what every believer of Christ is to do in preparation. Jesus then gives them specific instructions that they have to follow: 1) find a man carrying a jar of water, 2) follow him to his house, and 3) they are to tell him that “The Master asks, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” If we want to partake of the Lord’s Supper we too must be willing to find a man, Jesus; we must be willing to follow Him wherever He goes; and we must be willing to ask of Him, “Can I partake of this celebration with You?” Preparation is everything in this meal of the Lord’s. So, just as “they prepared the Passover,” we must as well in our own lives. In order for us to partake of the Lord’s Supper, our preparation is important.
EXAMPLE: A person must recognize the “body of the Lord,” Paul says, because if you do not and partake of something set aside only for those who do, you are drinking “judgment on” yourselves. You must recognize who Jesus is and what He has done and “confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) When a person becomes part of the body of Christ you must continually prepare yourself! Paul writes that “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) We are “to be made new in the attitude of [our] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24) We must be the holy people of God He has called us to be. John reminds us that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,” but “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9) We must prepare by asking ourselves: “Have I trusted Christ with my life, and if I have, am I walking in holy fellowship with Him?” It is our preparation for the Supper.
There is an old saying that states, “What you see is what you get.” You know what? That is true for the Lord’s Supper as well. Let me explain: What do you expect to find at the Supper table of the Lord? A renewal of your spiritual self? A spiritual blessing? Perhaps mercy or a special kind of grace? You may find none of those things, and here is why: It all depends upon…
II. Our Perception of the Supper. (Vv. 14-20)
1. How do you see Jesus? The new covenant is written on the body and in the blood of the Messiah! Each disciple sat down to enjoy a traditional festive Passover meal with their rabbi Jesus. What they were actually participants of was a new contract, a new covenant, of God’s making through His Son Jesus. Perception is everything. Some at that table saw Jesus as a teacher, some saw Him as a Messianic figure who would save Israel from the Romans, and some saw Him as simply a good friend. Few saw Him at that moment as He truly was. Hindsight is always 20/20. None of them understood why Jesus “desired to eat this Passover” with them. “Suffer?” What in the world did Jesus mean, “I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God… I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes”? The bread had signified the Hebrews rush to leave Egypt and a portion would be tucked away, hidden, and taken out at the end of the meal and shared to remind them of the coming Messiah. The cup was the toast to the blessings of God. Now, Jesus placed a new meaning on each. Old perceptions of Jesus were cast aside for the real meaning of who Jesus was: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke 22:19-20) We dare not come to the Lord’s Supper with our own preconceived notions about Jesus. He is more than a friend, a mystic teacher, a good person. He is the Savior of the world, the Messiah, and on His body and in His blood are written the new covenant for us. What is your perception of the Supper?
EXAMPLE: “What do you see? My father asked. I could not see anything but a lot of underbrush. “Look again and notice if there is anything different with the brush,” he replied. And, there, I saw it. A baby deer. A little fawn with spots hiding camouflaged with her mother in the underbrush. There are many who willingly camouflage Jesus. They dress Him up the way they like Him rather than who He truly is. When we observe the Lord’s Supper we dare not camouflage Jesus because if we do our perception of the Supper is as skewed as our view of who Jesus truly is. The Supper becomes sacred when we as His body come together in unity of faith, confessed of our sins, made righteous in Him, realizing what He did for us through His sacrifice on the cross. As Paul rightly put it: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8) What is your perception of the Supper?
We have so many appetites as people. We want what we want when we want it and we want it our way or not at all. While this might be okay for ordering a meal at a fast food restaurant, it is not suitable for the Lord’s Supper. Our faith and where it is placed says a lot about our trust in Christ. In fact in these verses from Luke it should begin to help us look at…
III. Our Proclivity During the Supper (Vv. 3-6, 21-23)
1. Where is your faith? Betrayal is found in misplaced faith! Judas saw Jesus as an means to an end. Perhaps Judas wanted a warrior or an insurrectionist whereby His followers would rise up and crown Him king. More than likely, however, Judas saw Jesus as a means to make some quick coin. What this speaks to is where was Judas’ faith? Judas “consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over” to those who wanted to destroy Him. Do you see Jesus as a means to an end this morning? How do you see Jesus “fitting into” your life? How sad for Jesus to know exactly Judas’ intentions when He related that “the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table!” The deception was known by the Lord as is ours when we have a deceptive faith. We hate Judas for what he did to Jesus, but think nothing of our own hand in His as we are disloyal as well. Jesus sighs, “woe to that [one] who betrays” me! We question among ourselves which one of us might do such a dastardly thing, but just as any at that table so long ago were capable of the deed so are any of us this morning! When we desire our faith to be produced and packaged for us we fall short of the glory of God. We would do well to beware least we fall into the same proclivity of Judas. Where is your heart this morning dear child of the Lord? Are you here ready to worship or are you trying to deceive the Lord that your love is still just as deep as it was when you first came to Him? Partaking of the Supper will not make it so. Come back to Him who eats with you. Where is your faith? What is your proclivity during the Supper?
EXAMPLE: The other night we went out for a good meal. We had saved and managed to set aside enough to go to a little bit better restaurant. We were quickly seated and served. The meal was tasty and well done. We left a nice tip because the service was done well also. We went expecting a good meal and we got what we expected without putting any effort into it at all. After all, that’s why you go out to eat, right? Sadly, there are those who come to worship with the same attitude of heart as in entering a restaurant. They come with a proclivity, and expectation, a tendency to expect to be served, enlightened, uplifted, and taken to the throne of the Lord when they have not prepared themselves at all. They want the good service without the effort of putting any worship into it themselves. They want the worship well done for them. It cannot and it does not happen that way. Perhaps you thought that by participating in the Lord’s Supper this morning you would experience a deeper sense of God, but if you did without first coming into this building wanting to worship the Lord, you entered into the observance with perhaps the wrong attitude and motives. Who would do such a thing? Judas? What is your proclivity during the Supper?
Conclusion:
Today, as you get ready to observe the Lord’s Supper, the Passover made new, have you taken a moment to prepare, to perceive it properly, and to make sure your proclivity of faith is right? Oh, I pray you have!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2009 by Lee Hemen and if you reprint it, reproduce it, or want to use it in any way, you must do so in its entirety or get the written permission of its author.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 8, 2009 AM
There are several terms for the last meal Jesus shared with His followers. Some call it “Communion,” others “the Eucharist,” “the Lord’s Supper” or “the Last Supper.” Each carries with it a perception of what this meal was supposed to mean and what it is supposed to relate to those believers who observe it. The pathos of the meal and what occurs strikes a chord with anyone who happens to understand what is taking place, the characters involved, and the setting. As we look at this meal what Jesus shared, not only with His followers then but with all of us who claim Him as Savior and Lord, we can be renewed in our faith, in its significance for our lives, and what it means.
Luke introduces his section concerning the meal by telling us: “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.” (Luke 22:1-2) Both names, Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover were interchangeably used, but they were two separate celebrations that were interlinked one with the other. Passover came first on Nisan 14-15, while the Feast of Unleavened Bread followed on Nisan 15-21. These dates were set by the phases of the moon and is why Passover is celebrated on different months and days each year. (In the spring in March or April.) Within the observance of the Lord’s Supper we discover three portions of our lives that we can reflect on. Let’s discover what they are…
READ: Luke 22:1-23
We live in a society that loves to think that what we do as individuals is no one else’s business. We use this excuse to justify our ungodly behavior. However, within the body of Christ, each member is responsible to the other in holy community. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) It is therefore extremely important for us to present ourselves as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” as His body. In order for us to join together in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper we are commanded to examine ourselves before we partake of it. (1 Corinthians 11:28) Why? Paul says that “For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:29) How do we do that? We must first look at…
I. Our Preparation for the Supper. (Vv. 7-13)
1. Do you know Jesus as Savior and Lord? Jesus continually asks us to prepare ourselves for Him! Here in Luke we discover a beautiful picture of the believer’s walk with the Lord. Jesus, knowing His time to die is coming quickly, turns to His disciples and tells them to “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” Jesus wanted to celebrate a new Passover and His followers had to make preparations in order to do so. They ask, “Where,” and in doing so are actually asking “how” as well. It is what every believer of Christ is to do in preparation. Jesus then gives them specific instructions that they have to follow: 1) find a man carrying a jar of water, 2) follow him to his house, and 3) they are to tell him that “The Master asks, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” If we want to partake of the Lord’s Supper we too must be willing to find a man, Jesus; we must be willing to follow Him wherever He goes; and we must be willing to ask of Him, “Can I partake of this celebration with You?” Preparation is everything in this meal of the Lord’s. So, just as “they prepared the Passover,” we must as well in our own lives. In order for us to partake of the Lord’s Supper, our preparation is important.
EXAMPLE: A person must recognize the “body of the Lord,” Paul says, because if you do not and partake of something set aside only for those who do, you are drinking “judgment on” yourselves. You must recognize who Jesus is and what He has done and “confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) When a person becomes part of the body of Christ you must continually prepare yourself! Paul writes that “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) We are “to be made new in the attitude of [our] minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24) We must be the holy people of God He has called us to be. John reminds us that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,” but “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9) We must prepare by asking ourselves: “Have I trusted Christ with my life, and if I have, am I walking in holy fellowship with Him?” It is our preparation for the Supper.
There is an old saying that states, “What you see is what you get.” You know what? That is true for the Lord’s Supper as well. Let me explain: What do you expect to find at the Supper table of the Lord? A renewal of your spiritual self? A spiritual blessing? Perhaps mercy or a special kind of grace? You may find none of those things, and here is why: It all depends upon…
II. Our Perception of the Supper. (Vv. 14-20)
1. How do you see Jesus? The new covenant is written on the body and in the blood of the Messiah! Each disciple sat down to enjoy a traditional festive Passover meal with their rabbi Jesus. What they were actually participants of was a new contract, a new covenant, of God’s making through His Son Jesus. Perception is everything. Some at that table saw Jesus as a teacher, some saw Him as a Messianic figure who would save Israel from the Romans, and some saw Him as simply a good friend. Few saw Him at that moment as He truly was. Hindsight is always 20/20. None of them understood why Jesus “desired to eat this Passover” with them. “Suffer?” What in the world did Jesus mean, “I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God… I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes”? The bread had signified the Hebrews rush to leave Egypt and a portion would be tucked away, hidden, and taken out at the end of the meal and shared to remind them of the coming Messiah. The cup was the toast to the blessings of God. Now, Jesus placed a new meaning on each. Old perceptions of Jesus were cast aside for the real meaning of who Jesus was: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke 22:19-20) We dare not come to the Lord’s Supper with our own preconceived notions about Jesus. He is more than a friend, a mystic teacher, a good person. He is the Savior of the world, the Messiah, and on His body and in His blood are written the new covenant for us. What is your perception of the Supper?
EXAMPLE: “What do you see? My father asked. I could not see anything but a lot of underbrush. “Look again and notice if there is anything different with the brush,” he replied. And, there, I saw it. A baby deer. A little fawn with spots hiding camouflaged with her mother in the underbrush. There are many who willingly camouflage Jesus. They dress Him up the way they like Him rather than who He truly is. When we observe the Lord’s Supper we dare not camouflage Jesus because if we do our perception of the Supper is as skewed as our view of who Jesus truly is. The Supper becomes sacred when we as His body come together in unity of faith, confessed of our sins, made righteous in Him, realizing what He did for us through His sacrifice on the cross. As Paul rightly put it: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8) What is your perception of the Supper?
We have so many appetites as people. We want what we want when we want it and we want it our way or not at all. While this might be okay for ordering a meal at a fast food restaurant, it is not suitable for the Lord’s Supper. Our faith and where it is placed says a lot about our trust in Christ. In fact in these verses from Luke it should begin to help us look at…
III. Our Proclivity During the Supper (Vv. 3-6, 21-23)
1. Where is your faith? Betrayal is found in misplaced faith! Judas saw Jesus as an means to an end. Perhaps Judas wanted a warrior or an insurrectionist whereby His followers would rise up and crown Him king. More than likely, however, Judas saw Jesus as a means to make some quick coin. What this speaks to is where was Judas’ faith? Judas “consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over” to those who wanted to destroy Him. Do you see Jesus as a means to an end this morning? How do you see Jesus “fitting into” your life? How sad for Jesus to know exactly Judas’ intentions when He related that “the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table!” The deception was known by the Lord as is ours when we have a deceptive faith. We hate Judas for what he did to Jesus, but think nothing of our own hand in His as we are disloyal as well. Jesus sighs, “woe to that [one] who betrays” me! We question among ourselves which one of us might do such a dastardly thing, but just as any at that table so long ago were capable of the deed so are any of us this morning! When we desire our faith to be produced and packaged for us we fall short of the glory of God. We would do well to beware least we fall into the same proclivity of Judas. Where is your heart this morning dear child of the Lord? Are you here ready to worship or are you trying to deceive the Lord that your love is still just as deep as it was when you first came to Him? Partaking of the Supper will not make it so. Come back to Him who eats with you. Where is your faith? What is your proclivity during the Supper?
EXAMPLE: The other night we went out for a good meal. We had saved and managed to set aside enough to go to a little bit better restaurant. We were quickly seated and served. The meal was tasty and well done. We left a nice tip because the service was done well also. We went expecting a good meal and we got what we expected without putting any effort into it at all. After all, that’s why you go out to eat, right? Sadly, there are those who come to worship with the same attitude of heart as in entering a restaurant. They come with a proclivity, and expectation, a tendency to expect to be served, enlightened, uplifted, and taken to the throne of the Lord when they have not prepared themselves at all. They want the good service without the effort of putting any worship into it themselves. They want the worship well done for them. It cannot and it does not happen that way. Perhaps you thought that by participating in the Lord’s Supper this morning you would experience a deeper sense of God, but if you did without first coming into this building wanting to worship the Lord, you entered into the observance with perhaps the wrong attitude and motives. Who would do such a thing? Judas? What is your proclivity during the Supper?
Conclusion:
Today, as you get ready to observe the Lord’s Supper, the Passover made new, have you taken a moment to prepare, to perceive it properly, and to make sure your proclivity of faith is right? Oh, I pray you have!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2009 by Lee Hemen and if you reprint it, reproduce it, or want to use it in any way, you must do so in its entirety or get the written permission of its author.
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