If you have your Bibles this morning, please take them and turn to Luke 22:7. I want to share a message with you entitled, “Remember the Lord’s Sacrifice and Those That Came After Him!”
We have now made it to Thursday morning of Passion Week in our study of Luke’s Gospel. On Sunday, Jesus entered Jesus on a donkey colt. On Monday, He cleared and cleansed the temple. On Tuesday, He spent most of the day in the temple teaching and answering questions. On Wednesday, Judas made plans to betray Jesus giving the chief priests and scribes the insider they longed for.
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 the Passover for us, that we may eat.” 9 So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”
10 And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. 11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ 12 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”
13 So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
Again, in verse 7, we have arrived at Thursday. As I said two weeks ago, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover had morphed into one.
The Passover would come first as it began at sundown on Thursday night. It would end at sundown on Friday.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread would follow and was multiple days in duration. It was like our Independence Day followed by Thanksgiving.
Jesus’ closest disciples were Peter and John. In verse 8, He instructed them to go into Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover Meal.
When they asked where, Jesus gave them some very specific instructions. According to John’s Gospel, they were most likely staying in Bethany.
Jesus told them to into Jerusalem, and they would find a man carrying a pitcher of water. This may seem benign, but would have been highly unusual, and he would have stuck out like a sore thumb even from the thousands of people in Jerusalem at this time.
BTW…God primarily speaks to us through His word, the Bible. He also speaks to us through godly counsel. He also speaks through circumstances or events, and He even speaks to us through unusual or strange circumstances or events like this one.
When they saw this unique situation, they were to follow this man into the house where they were to prepare for the Passover Meal. In light of verses 11-12, it seems that Jesus had prearranged this meeting and location.
Peter and John found it exactly as they had been told. They would be in an upper room in Jerusalem on Thursday night for the Passover Meal.
This is will be somewhat lengthy, but I really think we need to understand again what were talking about when we talk about the Passover. Turn to Exodus 12:1-51.
BTW…The Passover is only for Jews and not foreigners. The Lord’s Supper is only for Christians and not non-Christians
Also, you must be circumcised to eat it. Related, you should be baptized to take the Lord’s Supper.
14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Notice how verse 14 begins. When the hour had come means a definitive hour and a specific plan.
Going back to the previous section, I said that I thought Jesus had made arrangements in advance with the homeowner and his upper room. However, He had not made the disciples aware. Why?
Judas was going to betray Jesus, but not on his time. It was going to be according to God’s plan. Jesus made these secret arrangements to keep Judas from betraying Him prematurely.
BTW…God is in charge of every detail of your life. He is in charge of event in your schedule. Nothing happens without His approval or permission. For me, that is comforting.
When the Passover Meal began, Jesus voiced His knowledge that He would soon suffer according to God’s plan. However, He also knew that it was God’s plan for His kingdom to be fulfilled at the end of verse 16.
He then took the cup for the Passover Meal and affirmed God’s plan again. Verse 18 says that Jesus wouldn’t share this meal again until the kingdom of God would come. We believe this to be Jesus’ second coming after the tribulation and before Jesus’ earthly reign.
19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
Acts 2:42 calls it the breaking of bread. Those churches of the liturgical persuasion use the name Eucharist, a word that we often translate as thanksgiving, from 1 Corinthians 11.
Most Baptists call it the Lord’s Supper from 1 Corinthians 11:20. The KJV of 1 Corinthians 10:16 calls it Communion.
Jesus went beyond the Passover Meal and originated or began the Lord’s Supper or Communion here on Thursday night before His betrayal.
He took the unleavened bread and held it up and said, “This is my body.” Obviously, He wasn’t speaking literally. The bread symbolized His body.
In the same way, He took the cup full of wine, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” The wine symbolized His blood.
This new covenant would be one where the Perfect Lamb was sacrificed once and for all. He offers remission or forgiveness of sins: past, present, and future for all who believe.
Jesus concluded the supper by saying He wouldn’t take this meal again until His Second Coming and His Father’s Kingdom. Then they sang a hymn and left.
Conclusions
He is the big idea of today’s sermon. It is found in two words in verse 19 and two words in verse 20.
Everything that Jesus did, He did FOR YOU. He came for you. He lived for you. He died for you. He was raised for you.
We remember today those men and women who sacrificed their lives in our armed forces for you. Long before them, Jesus sacrificed His life for you! Will you receive Him today?