Well, good morning. It's good to see all of you.
I would encourage you to open up your Bibles to Luke chapter 22.
That's where we're going to be this morning, Luke chapter 22.
!
The details that we get from Luke chapter 18, now moving into Luke chapter 22,
we know that those details have helped to fill in a lot of the events that have taken place during this week.
But now we find ourselves in Luke chapter 22,
and what was going slow before will now slow down even more
as we get more of the details of this last 24 hours of Jesus' life.
And here at the beginning of Luke chapter 22,
we're going to find the first part of Jesus' parting words,
His final words to His disciples.
Those parting words will begin in our time this morning,
and will conclude in our time next week.
But our lives are punctuated by parting words.
Consistently, throughout the day, there are those parting words,
those goodbye kind of words that we will share with the individuals
that we intersect with on a day-by-day basis.
Those interactions like saying goodbye to a spouse or to a child.
Maybe they're going to work, or maybe your kids are going to school,
and you say those goodbye words to them,
those final words before they're gone for the day.
Or maybe you're speaking to a friend on the phone,
or texting, and you say those words of goodbye.
Our lives are really dominated by parting words.
But there are those occasions
where those parting words take a greater significance.
There's those occasions when the time and space
between the reuniting
will make those parting words more significant.
Like saying goodbye to a child who's going off to college,
or saying goodbye to a friend or a loved one
who is moving across the country.
Or perhaps even saying goodbye
to that individual who is staring eternity in the face.
You know, the significance of parting words
is underscored by the time and space of that departure.
You know, we think very little about those words of goodbye
when we know in just a few short hours
we're going to see that person again.
But when those departures,
when those words are final,
when they're permanent,
they take on a more significant tone.
So this morning we're going to begin to look
at a passage that contains the first of two parts
of these final words of Jesus to his disciples.
Of course, Jesus will see these disciples again
after his resurrection,
but there's something about this night,
something about this occasion
that takes a greater tone,
a greater significance in the lives of those disciples
so that every gospel record includes
a part of these final words.
This event that we're going to look at this evening
or this morning in Luke chapter 22.
It points to the fact that there's something
quite important.
The gravity of these words
takes special significance for us.
And as we look at them together,
I want to help us understand the significance
not only of the picture
that the words create for us,
but kind of the backdrop of those words
and the significance of this Passover week
in helping to strengthen
and reinforce the profound significance
of the words that Christ will say.
So if you're there with me in Luke chapter 22,
let me just read the first several verses
and we're going to see,
first of all,
the timing of Christ's words.
The timing of Christ's words.
It says here,
Now the feast of the unleavened bread drew near,
which is called the Passover,
and the chief priests and the scribes
were seeking how to put him to death,
for they feared the people.
Then Satan entered into Judas,
called Iscariot,
who was of the number of the twelve.
He went away and conferred with the chief priests
and officers how he might betray him to them.
And they were glad and agreed to give him money.
So he consented and sought an opportunity
to betray him to them in the absence of the crowd.
First of all,
this timing of Christ's words,
and we see the picture that Jesus will now place
on these familiar elements,
the bread and the cup,
has a context,
has a backdrop,
and to understand and really appreciate
what Jesus is talking about.
And this momentous occasion,
we really should just briefly mention
and discover what this picture was all about.
This picture of the unleavened bread.
This picture of the Passover that was taking place.
Well, first, it was a picture of redemption.
This picture of Passover,
this picture of the unleavened bread,
this feast that they were beginning to partake in
for this week,
was a picture of redemption.
Now, I know that redemption is kind of a fancy word,
and maybe one of those theological terms
that's a little kind of out of sync with us.
So let me just define that for us.
Redemption is simply gaining possession of something
in exchange for payment
or clearing of a debt.
In other words,
a price has been paid
that you deserve to pay.
It was paid on your behalf,
and so redemption was purchased on your behalf.
This clearing of a debt.
And those of you who are familiar
with the Passover narrative
will recognize or remember
that this Passover points all the way back
to Israel's time of captivity in Egypt.
This Passover would take place
during the first month
from the 10th day
to the 14th day of the month.
And the Feast of Unleavened Bread
would pick it up on the 15th
and carry it through for the next week
and end on the 21st.
The instructions for Passover and Unleavened Bread
are given to us in Exodus chapter 22.
On the 10th day,
every man was to take a lamb,
a lamb that was supposed to be without blemish,
without defect.
It was supposed to be one year old,
and then they would be brought into the home,
and they would take it in as a family.
This lamb would be like a pet
for the next four days.
They would keep this lamb until the 14th,
until twilight,
and then that lamb would be killed.
And they would paint that blood on the doorpost,
as you remember,
and that blood would serve as a picture
of the redemption or the price that had been paid
for those who were living inside the home,
especially the firstborn.
And so when the death angel would pass over in Egypt,
that angel would see the redemption price
that had been paid,
the blood of the lamb painted on the doorpost,
and he would pass over that house.
That lamb would be eaten at twilight,
and any of the leftovers would be burnt
before the next day.
They would eat.
They were supposed to eat
with a belt on around their waist,
with sandals on their feet,
with a staff in their hand,
and this was their permission to eat with haste.
It was a reminder of the urgency.
It was a reminder of the quickness
that they were going to be able to exit
this captivity in Egypt.
That blood was to be a sign.
A sign of redemption.
A sign of a purchase price
that had been paid for the oldest son.
For 430 years,
the Jews had been in Egypt,
and for several decades,
up until the time we get to Exodus chapter 1,
they'd been slaves in Egypt.
On this night,
they would commemorate
the time of deliverance
through this lamb.
This lamb is a picture of deliverance.
This picture of redemption.
This picture of this ransom price
that had been paid
for the firstborn in the house.
This physical deliverance
as all the firstborn sons
would be preserved
from this death
that would pass over their home.
But also a symbol
of the spiritual deliverance,
the salvation
that God sought to bring
to his people.
It was a picture of redemption.
But as the people of Israel
would leave Egypt,
we would find some other pictures
that would be put in place
and commemorated
through the observance
of the Passover.
The next was found
in Numbers chapter 9.
And it becomes there
a picture of promise.
A picture of this relationship
that God will establish
with his people.
In Numbers chapter 9,
verses 1 and 2,
it says,
And the Lord spoke to Moses
in the wilderness of Sinai
in the first month
of the second year
after they had come out
of the land of Egypt,
saying,
Let the people of Israel
keep the Passover
at its appointed time.
Now, you may or may not know,
but the people of Israel
would leave Egypt.
They would cross the Red Sea
on dry ground
as God would open
the waters for them
and rescue them
from the armies.
And then three months later,
they would find themselves
standing in
at the foot of Mount Sinai.
They would be
in the plain of Sinai.
And then for the next year,
God would have them remain
and camp there
at the foot of Mount Sinai,
receiving instructions from God.
But specifically,
enjoying the benefits
of this new contract,
this new covenant,
this new promise of God,
establishing this relationship,
this promised relationship
with His people.
It would be referred to
as the Old Covenant
or the Mosaic Covenant.
And here they would commemorate
this new relationship
and this promise
where God would say to them,
You will be my treasured possession
among all the peoples.
I'm setting you apart.
I'm establishing this promise.
I am making you distinct.
I'm calling you out
from the nations.
I'm reestablishing
and reaffirming
this promise
that goes all the way
back to Abraham.
And I'm reestablishing
this promise again
to you.
It was a picture
of promise.
But then,
as 40 years would go by,
we find another picture.
A picture of fulfillment
from Joshua 5,
verse 10.
Now,
Israel has wandered
in the wilderness
for 40 years
and they've enjoyed
the preservation of God,
His protection
of the various enemies,
His preservation of them
in providing
for their needs,
the manna by day
that they would receive
and keeping their clothes
and their sandals
from wearing out.
And here in Joshua 5,
verse 10,
it says,
while the people of Israel
were encamped in Galgal,
they kept the Passover
on the 14th day
of the month
in the evening
on the plains
of Jericho.
God's promise
to His people.
His commemoration,
the captivity
that they were under
in Egypt
and His promise
to bring them
to the promised land,
His protection of them
for the last 40 years,
had finally arrived
and here they had now
crossed back
over the Jordan River.
They're standing
in the shadow of Jericho
and they're on the cusp
of this great conquest
and God is reestablishing
for the people
the things that I have promised
to you,
I will fulfill.
You can bank
on the promises
that I've given to you.
And here you stand
in the shadow of Jericho
and you can trust
that the promises
that I've made
are promises
that I will keep.
And as you look
in the rear view mirror
and you see the protection
that I've given to you,
you can know
that as you look forward
and those enemies
may be daunting
and those cities
may seem impenetrable,
but because of the promise
of God
and the power of God,
I will bring you
into the land.
I will fulfill
my promise to you.
The Passover
is meant to capture
many of those pictures
and so that serves
kind of as a backdrop
for our time
in this passage
here in Luke chapter 22
and then for the next
several hundreds of years,
the Jews would commemorate
this feast.
They would celebrate
in Jerusalem.
They would commemorate
the work of God
in preserving His people
in this picture
of redemption.
It was all a vivid,
bloody picture
of Israel's sin
and their desperate need
for forgiveness.
So the significance
of this day
would stand
as this backdrop
of Jesus' parting words,
words that Jesus
would impart
on this night
to His disciples.
Disciples,
and these words,
by the way,
were in jeopardy
and they were unaware
perhaps of how dangerous
things were,
but Jesus was not.
And so we turn
our attention now
to verse 2
and we see now
the preservation
of Christ's words.
Not just the timing
of His words,
but the preservation
of His words.
Notice again
in verse 2.
And the chief priests
and the scribes
were seeking
how to put Him
to death
for they feared
the people.
There was danger.
We're going to see
two kinds of danger.
First, danger
from the outside,
danger from the chief priests,
dangers from the scribes.
It seems strange,
does it not,
to say that Jesus
needed to be careful
of the religious elite,
the religious leaders
in Jerusalem.
The scribes
and the Pharisees
and the chief priests
had resisted Jesus' ministry
from the very beginning,
but now it had grown
to a fever pitch.
What sent them
over the edge,
what agitated them
to the core,
what was the recent miracle
that Jesus had performed
just two miles
outside of the city
in a little town
of Bethany,
and which happened
about two months
prior to this Passover event.
It was fresh
and it was public.
The resurrection
of Lazarus,
raising Lazarus
from the dead.
That was the thing
that sent them
over the edge.
It generated
this extra enthusiasm
during this week
as Jesus
and His disciples
would make their way
from Jericho
up to Bethany
on Saturday.
They would spend
the night in Bethany
on Saturday evening
and they would have
a meal
at Simon the leper's house
and there,
Mary would come
and anoint
Jesus' feet.
But here,
the crowds would come
on Sunday morning.
Thousands would stream
out of Jerusalem
and they would come
because of the news.
They had heard
that Jesus was there
and they had heard
the word that Jesus
had resurrected Lazarus
so they're all gathering
at Bethany's,
at the house
of Simon the leper.
Jesus was close
and then
that entire group
would usher Jesus
into Jerusalem
on that next day,
that triumphal entry.
And throughout the week,
Jesus would teach
in the temple
and the people,
as you remember,
would hang on
Jesus' every words.
And so in the minds
of these scribes
and chief priests,
Jesus was a threat.
And in their minds,
they needed to rescue
the people
from Jesus' teaching.
But because Jesus
had gained
such a hearing
among the people
and he was moving
right in public spaces,
they were worried
about the danger
to themselves
and the credibility
of their leadership
by putting Jesus
into custody
and coming against him.
So they developed
a new strategy.
We need to utilize
the Roman occupation
to our favor.
So in Luke chapter 20
in verses 19 and 20,
they put their plan to work.
We find there,
the scribes
and the chief priests
sought to lay hands
on him
at that very hour
for they perceived
that he had told
this parable against them,
but they feared
the people.
So what did they do?
They watched him
and sent spies
who pretended
to be sincere
that they might catch him
in something he said
so as to deliver him up
to the authority
and jurisdiction
of the governor.
They were too weak
to make a stand
on their own.
They needed to revert
to the help
of the Roman authorities
to do their dirty work
for them.
This plot, of course,
failed
as Jesus masterfully
answers their questions.
But this danger
from the outside
was an ever-present danger
to these words
that Jesus wanted to share
on this night.
But not only dangers
from the outside,
we now turn our attention
in verses 3 to 6
to dangers
from the inside.
Notice,
Then Satan entered
into Judas,
called Iscariot,
who was of the number
of the twelve.
He went away
and conferred
with the chief priests
and officers
how he might betray him
to them.
And they were glad
and agreed
to give them money.
So he consented
and sought an opportunity
to betray him
to them
in the absence
of a crowd.
They needed to go private.
They needed to take this
out of public view
and they needed to find a way
to get Jesus
when no one was looking
and they caught their break
with Judas.
And the details
aren't given to us
there in verse 3,
but simply
that Satan
entered into Judas.
It's quite troubling
even to consider
the possibility
that Judas,
who had been
with Jesus
in ministry
for the last three years,
who had seemed
to be such a loyal
follower of him,
is now vulnerable
to Satan's influence
and Satan
entered into Judas.
It's the same word,
by the way,
that Matthew uses
or Christ uses
in Matthew 6,
verse 6,
when he says,
when you pray,
go into your room.
You see,
Satan took up residence
in Judas' heart.
His true identity
is now coming
to the forefront.
He gave way
to Satan's attacks
and now the rest
was inevitable.
These dominoes
were beginning to fall.
But you know,
Judas was,
or excuse me,
Jesus was not surprised
in any way
by Judas' betrayal.
Jesus knew early on
who Judas was.
We find in John 6,
verses 70 to 71,
this is shortly after
the feeding of the 5,000,
and Jesus is making
some very hard statements
about his body
and his blood,
and it says,
many of the disciples
who had been following Jesus
departed from him
and didn't follow him anymore.
And so now Jesus turns
his attention
to his apostles
and says,
did I not choose you,
the twelve?
And yet one of you
is a devil.
He spoke of Judas,
the son of Simon Iscariot,
for he,
one of the twelve,
was going to betray him.
Jesus was not surprised.
Jesus was not shocked.
He was not disguised
by Judas' plots.
And Judas had shown his heart
throughout Jesus' ministry,
but perhaps the most evident sign
of it was what happened
just a few days earlier
in this week,
where if you remember,
as Jesus was having his feet
anointed by Mary,
Judas is there to protest
along with the rest
of the disciples,
and it was Judas who spoke.
In John chapter 12,
verses 4 and 5,
he says,
Judas Iscariot,
one of his disciples,
he who was about
to betray him said,
why was this ointment
not sold for 300 denarii
and given to the poor?
Here he puts on his face.
Here he seems like one
who is concerned
about the poor and oppressed.
Here he's one
who seems to have
the kind of heart
that Jesus would commend.
But what we find,
and John kind of gives us
a picture inside
the window of Judas' heart,
what we find from verse 6
is where Judas' heart
really was.
He said this,
not because he cared
about the poor,
but because he was a thief.
And having charge
of the money bag,
he used to help himself
to what was put into it.
Things were becoming
clear to Judas.
This week that was fueled
by enthusiasm of the crowds
and the wonder
of what Jesus would do
in fulfilling all the things
that were spoken about
the Son of Man,
the crowds wondered
if this was the moment
where the Messiah would come
and establish his throne
once and for all.
But as the week continued,
and especially as Jesus
would speak about
the destruction of the temple
and the ransacking of Jerusalem
and the killing of his people
and the captivity
that would also follow,
Judas is beginning to wonder,
is this really the Messiah?
Is he really the one?
And while his dreams
were dashed
because of the words of Jesus,
maybe he could use
this one last opportunity
to his advantage.
So he goes away.
He confers with the chief priests.
He asks for an arrangement of money.
We find from Matthew 26, verse 15,
Judas actually says,
What will you give me
if I deliver him over to you?
That's what was on his heart.
And so he sells Jesus out
for 30 pieces of silver.
Really a pittance
in comparison
with the betrayal
that Judas will carry out.
It was.
There was danger from the inside.
There was danger from the outside.
And so in verses 7 to 13,
we find the wise discretion
of our Lord.
The wise discretion
from the Lord.
Notice.
Then came the day
of unleavened bread
on which the Passover lamb
had to be sacrificed.
So Jesus sent Peter
and John saying,
Go and prepare the Passover
for us
that we may eat it.
They said to him,
Where will you have us prepare it?
He said to them,
And behold,
when you have entered the city,
a man carrying a jar of water
will meet you.
Follow him into the house
that he enters
and tell him the master,
tell the master of the house,
the teacher says to you,
Where is the guest room?
Where I may eat the Passover
with my disciples?
And he will show you
a large upper room
furnished,
prepare it there.
and they went
and found it
just as he had told them
and they prepared
the Passover.
You see,
Jesus was not
shocked or surprised
by Judas' heart.
And Jesus knew
that Judas was looking
for an opportunity
to find Jesus
in a private space
away from the crowds.
This would have been
the golden opportunity.
But Jesus had
some important
parting words to share
with his disciples.
And so,
by his discernment,
he invites
two of his disciples,
Peter and John,
to go on a little mission.
Now, we could spend
some time talking about
the sovereignty
of our Savior
and being able to know
the exact place
and the exact person
and what that person
was going to be carrying
and where that person
was going to go
and how that person
was going to show them
the exact room
that they were supposed
to be doing
this Passover feast in
and the fact that
that Passover room,
that upper room,
was actually available
on a night like this
and that it was actually
furnished for this group.
We could talk about
the sovereignty
of God in that,
but I want to just
draw attention
to the careful discretion
of our Savior,
the importance
of this night
and the desires
we're going to see
of Jesus
in these final words
that He will impart
to His disciples.
Of course,
the disciples would go,
we find in verse 13,
they went and found it
just as He had told them
and they prepared
the Passover.
This would have been
like an all-day process.
The things that they
would have needed
to purchase,
they would have purchased
the lamb,
they would have prepared
all of the various elements
for that Passover meal.
things like the wine,
things like the pomegranates
and the bitter herbs,
the apples,
the nuts,
and the cinnamon.
All of that need
to be prepared
ahead of time
and then they would
enjoy their meal.
At around 2.30
to 5.30 in the evening,
they would go
to the temple,
they would purchase
this Passover lamb,
it would be slaughtered
for them,
they would take it back
to this upper room
and everything would
finally be ready
for them to enjoy.
these final moments
with the Savior.
But the location
of this room
would be concealed,
hidden until the actual
time of the meal
so that Jesus could
communicate to his disciples
what was of utmost importance.
This picture of the Passover
that we're going to look at next,
this portrait of Christ's words
that is captured for us
in these elements.
Verses 14 to 23
says this,
And when the hour came,
he reclined the table
and the apostles with him
and he said to them,
I have earnestly desired
to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer.
For I tell you,
I will not eat it
until it is all fulfilled
in the kingdom of God.
And then in verse 18,
For I tell you,
that from now on,
I will not drink
of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes.
This portrait of Christ's words
begins with a picture of hope.
This picture of hope.
Notice there in verse 16,
that he says this,
I tell you,
I will not eat
until it is all fulfilled
in the kingdom of God.
There's other translations
that say,
I will not eat this again
until the kingdom of God.
The New King James says,
I will no longer eat of it
until it is fulfilled
in the kingdom of God.
And all of this points
to the significance of hope,
that what Jesus is about to do,
however dark things may seem,
however empty
and hopeless things may be,
that what is coming,
Jesus anticipates.
He knows what's coming.
He's embracing that mission.
I know what God's will is
and there is no wavering
and there is no hesitation.
But before I suffer,
while I have anticipated this night,
I want to commemorate it for you
and I want to let you understand
that while things may seem
so final tomorrow
when I'm put on the cross and die,
it is just the beginning
of what is to come.
You can anticipate in hope
that what happens tomorrow
is just the beginning.
It's not the end.
There will be another time
where we will enjoy this again together.
This is just commemorating
something that you can look forward to.
Not just you can hope in
in the way that we generally hope in.
No, this is a hope of expectation.
This is a hope of something
that is certain.
This is something
that's going to be confident.
It is going to happen.
We're going to celebrate this again
someday in the future
when the kingdom of God is coming.
There is hope.
It points to this picture of promise
and Jesus picks it up
from the first Passover.
This Passover of hope
and understanding
that the words of God
are words that will be fulfilled.
They're words of promise.
They're words that are assured.
These words of hope.
Things may seem dark
and they may seem uncertain.
You may not understand
what's taking place
but you can have hope
that we will do this again.
Reminds us
of the hope
that we're supposed to have
in Jesus.
Remember
a couple of passages ago
where
Jesus is trying to help
the crowds
recognize
that we tend to put our hope
in a lot of things
especially things
that are here on earth
but unless you're putting
your hope
in the sun
those hopes
are desperate
and they're superficial
those hopes
will let you down
but put your hope
in the sun.
There is promise there.
And then
in verses 17 and 20
not only
a picture of hope
but a picture of promise
and he takes this cup
it says in verse 17
he took the cup
and when he had given thanks
he said
take this
and divide it among yourselves
for I tell you
that from now on
I will not drink
of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom
of God comes
and he took the bread
and when he had given thanks
he broke it
and gave it to them
saying
this is my body
which is given for you
do this
in remembrance of me
and likewise
the cup
after them
after they had eaten
saying
this cup
is poured out
for you
is the new covenant
in my blood.
I would encourage you
just remind you
to come this evening
we're gonna
we're gonna remember
these symbols
we're gonna remember
the body
and blood of Christ
we're gonna remember
this picture this evening
and I would encourage you
to participate with us
we'll hear some testimonies
of at least five individuals
who have
enjoyed
and experienced
that work
of God's salvation
redemption for them
and they're gonna share
their testimonies tonight
but the key word here
is the word
in verse 20
which says
the new covenant
in my blood
that new covenant
and Jesus places
new meaning
on this Passover meal
and
and the picture
that would have been
fresh
in the minds
of the disciples
is
is that promise
that happened
when the people
of Israel
were camped out
at Mount Sinai
in the commemoration
of the Passover
that took place there
and that promise
of relationship
that old covenant
that happened
and now
Jesus says
well you remember
that old covenant
well let me tell you
a new covenant
is coming
and it's only happening
one way
it's happening
through my body
and my blood
through my sacrifice
there's only one way
to enjoy
the promise
of salvation
this promise
of redemption
it's only through
faith in Jesus Christ
this promise
that we find
of this new covenant
that is
that is given
to us
both in
the book
of Jeremiah
but also
in Ezekiel
chapter 36
but Jeremiah
puts it this way
in Jeremiah 31
verses 31 to 34
when he says
behold the days
are coming
declares the Lord
when I will make
a new covenant
with the house
of Israel
and with the house
of Judah
for this is the covenant
that I will make
with the house
of Israel
after those days
declares the Lord
I will put my law
within them
I will write it
on their hearts
and I will be
their God
and they will be
my people
and no longer
shall each one
teach his neighbor
and each his brother
saying know the Lord
for they shall all
know me
from the least of them
to the greatest
declares the Lord
for I will forgive
their iniquity
and I will remember
their sin
no more
that new covenant
that forgiveness
that we are able
to enjoy
the law
that's written
on our hearts
in the power
of the Holy Spirit
that changes us
from the inside out
and works out
his power
in our lives
that spiritual fruit
that happens
because of the power
of God
it's a work of God
and so not
following the rigid
forms of the law
as a means
of obtaining
some measure
of merit
from God
but trusting
in the Son
and the Son alone
as the only means
of salvation
that he alone
fulfilled the law
as God
had commanded
for his people
to do
and that he alone
was the sacrifice
for sin
have you partaken
of that promise
have you participated
with Christ
in forgiveness
of sin
are you
a new covenant
person
have you enjoyed
the benefits
of that law
that's written
on your hearts
because of the work
of the Spirit
and forgiveness
of sin
because of Christ's death
and resurrection
the promise
that Jesus
has in mind
is this work
that he will perform
on that Friday
and the resurrection
that will take place
on Sunday
and Jesus ushers
in this new age
where the promise
will unfold
on an international scale
it was a picture
of God's promise
but finally
a picture
of God's heart
a picture
of God's heart
notice in verse 21
but behold
the hand
of him
who betrays me
is with me
on the table
for the son of man
goes as it has been
determined
but woe
to that man
by whom
he is betrayed
and they began
to question
one another
which of them
it could be
who is going
to do this
you see
every step
of Jesus' ministry
was deliberate
and full of faith
do you find it
fascinating
that Judas
is sharing
this meal
with Jesus
the one
he's about
to betray
do you find it
marvelous
that Jesus
has welcomed
Judas
to participate
and to hear
these parting words
do you find
it fascinating
as John
will give us
the account
that Jesus
not only
allows him
to be part
of this
fellowshipping time
and hearing
these parting words
but Judas
is a part
of one
who enjoys
the service
of Christ
as Jesus
will put on
his towel
he'll bend
his knee
before Judas
he'll wash
Judas' feet
and it's
very likely
that Judas
was the one
who was actually
sitting in the
place of honor
at the table
in that
U-shaped table
the host
would sit
in the
center of that
table
and the
person of honor
would sit
to the right
and that's
where that
morsel of bread
would first
be handed over
and Jesus
we find
from John's
account
will hand
that morsel
over to Judas
and so none
of the disciples
even understood
what was unfolding
as Jesus said
who's going to
betray me
well the one
I hand
this morsel
of bread
to
he hands
it to Judas
Judas
is there
in the place
of honor
and all
the disciples
are blown
away
like what
just happened
and they
don't know
that Judas
is the one
who's about
to betray
Jesus
because
Judas
was in the
place of
honor
that entire
night
the heart
of God
was on
display
and that
heart
of God
continues
to extend
itself
to us
today
I wonder
have you
participated
in this
new covenant
arrangement
that Christ
has offered
through his
son Jesus
through his
death and
through his
resurrection
are you
one who is
able to
enjoy the
hope that
we have
that settled
confident
stable hope
that is given
to us
because of the
security of
that which
really matters
that relationship
that we have
with Christ
that peace
with God
through the
Lord Jesus
forgiveness
of sin
and cleansing
and a
promise
because of
what he's
accomplished
for us
of that
future
inheritance
which really
is Christ
himself
have you
enjoyed
and participated
in all of
those things
and as one
who's
participated
in them
is there
is there a
new
urgency
of your
heart
to fulfill
the mission
that God
has set you
on
that your
heart is
so filled
up with
the wonder
of what
Christ has
accomplished
for you
that you
can't keep
your mouth
quiet
of the
goodness
and grace
of our
Lord Jesus
and your
desire to do
and echo
the heart
of our
Savior
and seeking
to call
others
to participate
in that
same hope
that you
have
brothers and
sisters
we've been
given such
a great
blessing
a gift
from God
in salvation
has it
fundamentally
changed
the way
you live
has it
changed
your purpose
has it
changed
your priorities
has it
changed
your affections
for Christ
from day
to day
is it
clear
as you're
working
through
the day
by day
goodbyes
and hellos
of your
life
that the
parting
words of
Christ
are really
preeminent
for you
that there
is this
driving force
that for
me to
live
is Christ
but to
die
is gain
oh may
that be
true
of us
as we
seek to
live
from day
to day
let me
pray
oh Lord
we are so
grateful
for your
sacrifice
thank you
for the
promise that
we have
in Christ
through salvation
forgiveness
of sin
redemption
this purchase
price that has
been paid
for us
and Lord
I pray
that you
would help
the expression
of our
lives
to demonstrate
a walk
that is
worthy
of the
gospel
that we
are putting
you in the
forefront of
our attention
and that because
you are in
the first
place
in our
focus
that our
lives are
moving
towards you
and our
desire
is to
draw
others
along
in the
way that
we live
in the
way that
we speak
in the
way that
we act
God I
pray that
you would
help us
day by
day
to grow
in our
affection
for Christ
in the
way that
Christ shows
through our
lives
I pray in
Jesus name
amen
God bless
you
have a
great
week