SECTION 12: THE TRIALS, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION OF THE KING
CHAPTER 61
THE LAST SUPPER
OR
OVERCOMING BEING OFFENDED
Scripture To Consider:
“Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, ‘Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?’ And Jesus 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.'”‘ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.”
“Now as they were eating, Jesus said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, ‘Lord, is it I?’ Then Jesus answered and said, ‘He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 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 good for that man if he had not been born.’“
“Then Judas, who was betraying Jesus, answered and said, ‘Rabbi, is it I?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it.’“ Matthew 26.17-25
Something To Consider:
A place was prepared in which Jesus might meet His followers with no interruption, where He might commune with them alone and give to them the message which would prepare them for their future service. As Jesus offered to come for this purpose to the home of His friend in the holy city, so Jesus promised to enter every heart which is prepared to commune with Him. This preparation may be made by prayer, or by meditation, or by reading some portion of the sacred story, but by some method of our own choosing, the heart must be made ready for His messages of grace and love.
As the story is sketched, the supreme figure is that of Christ. No artist would dream of painting the picture without placing our Lord in the center of the scene. So those who would truly partake of the sacrament must center their thoughts upon the master and must believe that His is a real presence, symbolized indeed by bread and wine, but actual as an unseen, divine Spirit. All disloyal thoughts must be excluded from the mind.
During the Passover meal and before Jesus instituted His supper, He disclosed to Judas the fact that his treachery had been discovered; and there can be little doubt, as the other evangelists declare, that the traitor left the room and was not present when the supper was instituted. It is certain that actual communion with Christ is utterly impossible if sin is cherished and purposes contrary to the will of the Master are retained.
The words addressed to Judas were most solemn. They may warn us of the peril of our own disloyalty which besets all followers of Christ, even as they gather around the table of the Lord in holy communion. Could that be why we are admonished to search our own hearts? And could that be the reason of our requesting from the Lord, for Him to often search our hearts in order to reveal any sin that we may wish not to acknowledge?
More Scripture To Consider:
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then Jesus took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 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.’ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Jesus, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples.” Matthew 26.26-35
Something Else To Consider:
Jesus explained to His disciples the meaning of the sacrament He was establishing. He took bread and broke it, declaring that it was a symbol of His body which was to be broken for them. He declared that the wine was a picture of His blood poured out for many. And it is obvious that those who partake of these symbols must fix their thoughts upon the redemption provided by Christ for those who place their trust in Him. They must believe that He suffered and died that they might be forgiven.
It was at this time also that Jesus promised to His followers a share in the blessedness of His kingdom. He was indeed to die, but He was to rise from the dead and some day He was to return in great power and great glory. He now wishes His followers to keep the feast, cheered by the vision of His return. Therefore, the sacred Supper should point forward our thoughts to a reunion with loved ones, to opening skies, to an age of universal peace and a reigning King of kings and Lord of lords.
According to Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 11.26; the above is to believed. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” And according to our Scripture to consider, they sung a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. It was to be a place of trial and agony, but they went forth with a song of triumph on their lips.
And as we turn from the Lord’s Supper, it should always be with a new consciousness of strength and of hope and of certain victory as we place our trust in Jesus. We should turn from the sacrament with a new confidence that is not to be reliant upon self. It is a time to pledge a new allegiance to the Lord, but it must not be made in pride or in boastfulness.
As Jesus was passing from the Upper Room to the dark scene of trial, the disciples, led by Peter, profess their loyalty to Jesus. They declare absolute willingness to die with Him, but in a short time Peter denied Jesus, and they all forsook Him. There was nothing wrong in their declaration of love. The fault was in their unwillingness to be warned of their weakness and in their future failure to obey the command of their Lord when He instructed them to watch and pray.
The Lord’s Supper should be a time of deepening devotion. It should be a place for the expression of real affection; but it is there we should cast ourselves anew upon Christ’s promised grace by which alone we can pass in triumph through the trials and the gloom of the lonely night, expecting on some brighter morning the reunion which is promised us in the futuristic palace kingdom of the King.
Something More To Consider:
Jesus summed up our Scripture to consider by declaring, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'” Many times, history has proved that some of Jesus’ predictions had both a near and further future importance. Yes, every one of the early disciples was offended and stumbled spiritually and were scattered the night of Jesus’ arrest. But Jesus’ words also take on new significance and future relevancy as well for each of us as we proclaim our undying allegiance to Christ without heeding His words of warning.
Looking back to Matthew 24 and verse 10, Jesus predicted that during the troubling times of the last days, “And then many will be offended [or stumble], will betray one another, and will hate one another.” This being offended, betraying one another, and hating one another; opens the flood gates leading to the fulfillment of another prediction of Jesus found in Matthew 24 verses 11-12. According to Jesus, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
Can we begin to understand how everything pertaining to end time events resembles the lining up of dominos in a long continuous line, ready to be knocked down in a most perfect sequence? Can we also begin to realize the importance of each end time event on other end time events? Can we not clearly see the lawlessness of society and the lawlessness against God’s Word closing in on us in every corner of the globe?
A Few Final Words:
Even after Jesus explained, “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee…”, the disciples were overcome with being offended! But according to Jesus, there is hope beyond the grave! There is hope beyond death! According to Jesus, there is victory over death! According to Jesus, there is glory to be expected and experienced after death because of the resurrection of Jesus as predicted and as promised.
But what about us? Are we like Peter in his fleshly pride who stated, “Even if all are made to stumble [be offended] because of You, I will never be made to stumble [or to be offended].” Have we ever been as guilty of voicing similar words of sentiment only to be later seeking the forgiveness of our heavenly Father?
Human nature causes us to think more highly of ourselves more often than we should or more often than we like to admit. We all are prone to indulge our flesh with prideful and boastful declarations as Christians. The difference between many believers and non-believers is, that we as true enduring to the end believers, we have availed ourselves of the forgiveness of our sin, and unbelievers have not.
In Closing:
The Last Supper established the biblical details for Communion, and the death of Jesus established the atonement all should seek. Yes, the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope, victory, and a promise of future glory, according to Jesus. Have we taken advantage of that glorious and gracious gift of God? At the end of our lives or at the end of this age, will Jesus find us among the faithful few, or among the faithless, offended, and overcome by our sin?
Let’s Pray:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for the written and preserved record of the Last Supper and the glorious, good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the biblical warning of the actual possibility of us humans to be deceived concerning our being made to stumble due to our flesh being weak. Let us remember the words of Jesus, that though our flesh is weak, the Spirit of God within us is willing to reveal to us the overcoming power and enduring to the end power demonstrated in the person of Jesus, God come in the flesh. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 