Sermon Central
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Our King Jesus’ Last Supper Series
Contributed by Allan Quak on Apr 9, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus deliberately organises the last supper so there won’t be interruptions. Jesus uses the bread and wine to point to a future relationship; He uses an argument to teach humble servant hood; and He gives encouragement so our faith may not fail.
Message
Our King Jesus’ Last Supper
If you knew that your meal tonight was going to be your last meal, what would you do?
What setting would you choose?
Who would you invite?
What would you eat?
I suspect a lot of us would choose a really lovely setting, perhaps over-looking the beach. We would invite all our special family and closest friends. We would eat all our favourite foods.
Now, of course, we never know when our last meal is going to be. But Jesus did.
Jesus said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
Jesus knew this Passover meal was going to be His last meal.
And He chose to be there … in the upper room …. with His disciples.
It was a deliberate decision, which makes what happens at the meal very significant.
Let’s turn to Luke 22:7-38 and read what happened (Read).
We can’t focus on everything that is happening here. But an aspect which really stands out is the deliberateness of the actions of Jesus.
It starts with A Deliberate Location
Jesus takes control in verse 8.
“Go and prepare the Passover. We are not going to join Lazarus, Mary or Martha. We are not going to join with other pilgrims. We are going to have our own Passover together.”
It is a plan which creates a difficulty.
It’s Passover. The city is packed … overflowing. Finding a room of sufficient size at such short notice is almost impossible. So when Peter and John ask, “Where will it be?”, they are asking a serious logistical question.
The answer involves following a man who is carrying a water jug. This is a man who has had an unusual day. There was no water available at his house.
All of the women in the house were busy.
Now he is walking through the street carrying a jug filled with water.
It’s women’s work! He can feel the eyes of the crowds on him. They are all laughing.
There is my house. I just need to get into the door of my house and the embarrassment will be over.
Nope. Here come those two burly men who have been following since I walked through the city gate. Whispering to each other. Pointing at him. Obviously they are going to make fun of me.
But they don’t make fun. Instead they ask to speak to the owner of the house.
They want to use the room upstairs for the Passover. It is for “The Teacher”.
Did Jesus prearrange all this with the owner much earlier?
“You send a man out to get water in a jug. Make sure he walks through the city gate at this time. I’ll get my disciples to be at the gate at that time?”
I don’t think it was like that. If it was planned earlier Jesus would have said, “I’ve arranged with Simeon Bar Jorim to use his room. He lives on Upper Wall Street.”
Jesus the King knows the room is not being used, but it is already furnished.
Jesus the King knows that the owner will let the “teacher” use it.
Jesus the King knows how to make sure the two disciples will find the room.
He brings all that knowledge together and he makes it happen.
Why focus on this detail? So that we understand that Jesus is Deliberately Making Sure the Last Supper Happen
It was carefully planned because it needed to happen this way.
The fact then the location is only revealed at the last moment - and only to two disciples - is an important detail.
After finding the room Peter and John will take a lamb to the temple and join in one of three lines where people go to have the animal slaughtered. Then, after the entrails had been removed and sacrificed the lamb would be returned to Peter and John so they can go and roast it. While the meat is cooking Peter and John would also need to get unleavened bread, wine and various herbs and spices.
In other words Peter and John are going to be quite busy for most of the day.
When one of the other disciples asks, “Where are we having the Passover?” Jesus would say, “Peter and John are sorting it out”.
Where is the Passover. Do you know which disciple would be most persistent in asking that question?
… …
It will be Judas. Go back to Luke 22:6 - money has been offered for the betrayal of Jesus.
Judas consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
What better time to hand over Jesus away from the crowds than when everyone is busy celebrating the Passover? It would be exceptionally easy to come into the room … arrest Jesus … and get out. With very few people knowing what had happened.
