Do you ever feel that you’ve only heard half the story? It’s kind of frustrating isn’t it? You wonder what else might have gone on and what you’ve missed. That’s what happens when we read the accounts of the Last Supper, it doesn’t matter if it’s one of the accounts in one of the four gospels or Paul’s account in 1 Corinthians, we only hear a small snippet of what went on at that event. It would be like summing up Christmas day at your house in a few sentences, some stuff is bound to get left out.
Well let’s see, the kids woke up early and opened their stockings and then they got us up and we all went into the living room and sat around the tree. Dad passed the presents around and everyone opened their gifts. After that we all got our showers and got ready for the day, we put on Christmas dinner, Turkey, dressing, Potatoes, Carrots, Sweet potatoes and a tofurkey for Angela. After dinner we cleaned up watched some TV and went to bed.
Sure that’s what happened but that isn’t all that happened.
And so it is with the story of the Last Supper. From all accounts it wasn’t a supper at all instead it was simply a snack, some bread and some wine and a little conversation. Hardly even a lunch. But the reality is that we just reading the highlights of the meal. Remember the question the apostles asked in Matthew 26:17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” And for them the Passover meal was every bit as important as Christmas Dinner is for us or Thanksgiving Dinner is for our friends to the south. This wasn’t a snack it wasn’t a lunch it was an entire meal that was planned in advance. And it happened the same way every year.
And for the original readers of the book of Matthew they understood all the things that weren’t spelled out, they could fill in the blanks. But we are looking back 2000 years through the perspective of a different culture.
We think of the Last Supper being comprised of bread and wine but they are only elements of the meal. The actual meal was a roast lamb and all that went with it, although not sure that they had mint jelly back then. It is first mentioned in Exodus 12:14 “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time. And then it is spelled out in both Leviticus and Numbers where we read Numbers Numbers 9:2-3 “Tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. Be sure to follow all my decrees and regulations concerning this celebration.” And this was the beginning of the Passover celebration or Festival of Unleavened Bread.
Each year Jews would come to remember how God had delivered the People of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. The story is told first in the book of Exodus and the story comes to a point of climax when the Israelites fled from the slavery of Egypt and began a journey that would last 40 years ands would culminate in the Promised Land.
And the celebration of that story took the same form every year for Jews all over the world, and so we can know what happened that day in an upstairs room in the Bethany, which was a bedroom community of Jerusalem.
This morning our service is going to be a little different because we are going to blend our preaching and music to take us on a journey through what happened that evening and what it means to us 2000 years later.
We are told in tradition that the 13 would have reclined around a low table, something that Leonardo obviously wasn’t aware of when he painted the Last Supper. The reason you recline at the Passover meal is a celebration of your freedom. When the Jews were in Egypt they were slaves under the control and command of their Egyptian masters so there was no time for relaxing but now they were free and could take their time eating this meal.
So Jesus and the twelve would have reclined around the low table that had been prepared for them and Jesus being the leader of the group would have lifted the first of four glasses of wine that were part of the celebration. In this case it was the cup of the Kiddush. Kiddush means sanctification or separation. And these glasses of wine were symbolic and were divided amongst those around the table.
This was the opening act and it separated this meal from all other common meals. It wasn’t so much the drinking from the cup it was the blessing that was made before the first sip was taken, the blessing was in Hebrew 2000 years ago and remains that way today but the English translation is this. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations, and elevated us above all tongues, and sanctified us with His commandments. And You gave us, Lord our God, with love, Sabbaths for rest and festivals for happiness, holidays and times for joy, this day the time of our freedom, a holy convocation, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. Because You chose us, and sanctified us from all the nations, and Your holy festivals in happiness and in joy You have given us as a heritage. Blessed are You, God, Who sanctifies the Sabbath and Israel and the holiday seasons.
After the blessing Jesus would have taken a sip of the cup and then handed it to the group and they would have each had a sip which for them was saying we understand that this is a special time. So as we begin our celebration today let us remember that it is a special time and as such we need to be prepared for it.
Song: Here I am Knees to the Earth
Then Jesus would have washed his hands in preparation for leading the 12 through the different elements of the meal. This was an important step in the process because we are told to fail to do this was in Jewish eyes, not to be guilty of bad manners, not to be dirty in the health sense, but to be unclean in the sight of God. And so there was a whole process involved in the hand washing.
(Clean hands with Purell) As we come to the table today we need to take the time to cleanse ourselves in the eyes of God so let’s pause for a moment of silent prayer asking Him to clean us and bring us into an oneness with His will and His spirit. (Prayer)
Remember it is about the symbolism. And so a bowl of salt water was passed around along with parsley. A sprig of parsley would be dipped into the salt water and eaten. The parsley was to remind them of the Hyssop which was used to mark the doors of the Israelites in Egypt with the blood of the Passover Lamb, and the salt water was to remind them of the tears of the Egyptians that day along with the Red Sea that parted before them to allow them to escape from the Pharaoh’s army.
And it’s here that we come upon the first familiar element of our communion celebration. Jesus would have lifted a piece of unleavened bread and blessed it, with these words “Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe who brings forth bread from the earth” and then he would have broken the bread. And he wasn’t just tearing the bread up so every one got a piece.
Remember it’s all about the symbolism. This bread was known as the bread of affliction and it was to remind the Jews of the hardships of Egypt. And they were each given a small portion to remind them that when their forefathers were slaves they never had a whole loaf to eat but only the crusts.
And it was at this point in the festivities that we read in Matthew 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” In the account in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
I wonder if as Jesus picked up that bread if he thought back to the words that the Prophet Isaiah had written about the coming Messiah, words that had been written about Him. Isaiah 53:3-5 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
And then I wonder if just maybe after looking back through the long tunnel of time if he was able to look ahead and see a scene that would be played out in less than 24 hours. Matthew 27:26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. And then he looked down at the hard bread marked with stripes from the baking process and said “Here is my body which is broken for you.” At this time would those we have asked to assist come forward.
When Jesus asked his apostles to remember him he was asking them to look back at the time they had spent together, to remember the past. But he was also asking them to remember the things that had yet to come, to remember how he would willing offer up his body and his life as a sacrifice, not only for them but for us. Two thousand years ago Jesus surrendered his life for each one of you. The bible reminds us of that in Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
At Cornerstone we celebrate an open communion which means that you don’t have to be a member of Cornerstone or a member of the Wesleyan Church to take part. We do ask that this not just be something you do but that where ever you are in your spiritual journey that you take this time to acknowledge the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and the gift of salvation, grace that he offers to you.
We are in the midst of flue season so be respectful of others as the elements are passed. We would ask that you take your piece of bread and hold in until we all celebrate as a group.
The same night that he was betrayed, he took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and then gave it to his disciples and said, "This is my body which I’ve surrendered for you, eat and remember what I’ve done for you"
Song: By His Wounds
Let us remember the body of our Lord Jesus Christ that he gave up for each one of us. It was through his sacrifice that we have eternal life. Take and eat with thanksgiving for what he has done for you.
And the ritual continued because it was here that the story of the deliverance was told, the youngest member of the group, normally a child, would ask what made this day different from all other days and why they were celebrating. Perhaps in this case it was Nathaniel or Philip who asked the question. And Jesus would have retold the story of the exodus. And so the Passover played an essential role in preserving the history of God’s deliverance it was always a time to remember the power and mercy of God.
And as we gather together it too is a time of remembering what God has done for us, the promise that Jesus not only delivers us from sin but will also provide a way though the tough times. That although the way may not always be easy that he will always be with us. The question is: Will we always choose to be with him?
God’s promise to us is the same today as it was almost three thousand years ago when He said through the Prophet Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
Song: You never let Go
When most of us think of Jesus we think of him preaching or teaching but if you are like me very seldom do you think of him singing or leading singing. And yet singing was an integral part to the Jewish faith, remember there is an entire book in the bible that we think of as Poetry that the Jews used as a song book. That love for music carried over into Christianity. Paul told the early church in Ephesians 5:18-19 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.
And we are told that traditionally there were a number of Psalms, called the Hallel, that were sung during the Passover feast, and presumably Jesus being the leader of this group would have lead them in singing. And at this point Psalm 113 and 114 were sung. We aren’t going to sing them but let’s read that first Psalm together. Stand with me for the reading from God’s word. Responsive Reading
Psalm 113 Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.
Everywhere—from east to west— praise the name of the Lord. For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.
Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.
He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!
He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!
The second cup of wine was drunk at this point it was called the Haggadah which means exclaiming or proclaiming, and everyone washed their hands in preparation of the meal. Remember the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana? Do you remember where he got the water to turn into wine? John 2:6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.
Then Jesus would have said another blessing and more of the unleavened bread would have been distributed. This time it would not have been eaten by itself, remember it is all about the symbolism. On the table were two more bowls, one contained a mixture of bitter herbs to remind those eating of the bitterness of slavery and the second bowl contained a paste called Charosheth. It was a mixture of apples, dates, pomegranates and nuts. This was to help them remember the clay that their forefathers used to make bricks in Eygpt. So the bitter herbs were placed between two pieces of the unleavened bread and then dipped in the Charoseth and eaten.
And then the meal began. Remember this was a roast lamb dinner and was not to be hurried through but was to be eaten as free men and women. And by regulation all of the lamb was to be eaten or it had to be thrown out, there were to be no leftovers. No hot lamb sandwiches and lamb casseroles.
When the meal was finished they would have washed their hands again, no forks remember they would have eaten the lamb with their fingers, and the last of the unleavened bread was eaten.
As the meal wound down there would have been one more prayer of thanksgiving, this time thank God for delivering the people of Israel in the past but also looking forward to his deliverance in the future through the coming of the Messiah. In this prayer they would have asked that Elijah would come to announce the coming of the Messiah.
And I’m sure this normally sparked conversation and debate around the Passover table, from those who thought the Messiah’s coming was imminent to those who felt the Messiah would come at some indeterminable time in the future, not to mention those who never gave the Messiah’s coming a second thought.
I wonder how Jesus felt at this point know that he was already there? That tradition carried over into the communion celebration as God’s people no longer looked to the coming of the Messiah but instead were looking forward to his coming again. In Paul’s direction to the early church he wrote 1 Corinthians 11:26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Let’s stand and sing:
Song: Days of Elijah
The third cup was passed around and they finished singing the Hallel, that is Psalm 117 and Psalm 118. Let’s read Psalm 117 together. Psalm 117 Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!
It was now that Jesus lifted the fourth and final cup Matthew tells us in Matthew 26:27-29 And Jesus took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
I’m going to ask that those helping would come back to the front.
And so 2000 years ago Jesus would have blessed that cup by praying: “Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.”
He then explained how the blood of the Passover lamb had saved the people of Israel, and how the spilling of his blood would cleanse those who accepted him from their sins. And so two thousand years ago, Christ told his disciples, don’t forget me, don’t forget what I’ve done for you, whenever you do this remember me and what I’ve done.
It was after the meal that he took a cup of wine and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying "This cup represents the new covenant of my blood. Whenever you drink it, remember the cleansing power that my blood has had in your life."
As we drink let us remember the blood of the lord Jesus that was shed for you, and for your eternal salvation. Whenever you drink it remember that he shed for you and be thankful.
Song: Unfailing Love
And so the story of the last supper concludes with these words: Matthew 26:30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. The Hymn isn’t named but remember for the original audience it wouldn’t have to be. They all knew that you closed the Passover with the Great Hallel that is Psalm 136 and the theme of that Psalm is summed up the first verse where David writes Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
In closing this morning let’s stand and sing together.
Song: Forever
Closing Prayer
PowerPoint may be available for this message email me at denn@cornerstonewesleyan.ca and check out my new book at www.pennofdenn.com
