Dinner with the King: The Last Passover & the Lord's Supper
Hopson Boutot
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Lead Vocalist (Kellly)
Welcome & Announcements (Mike K)
Good morning family!
Ask guests to fill out connect card
3 Announcements
1) Harvest Fest, tonight at 5:30 PM
2) Baptism Sunday, October 15
Please talk to an elder TODAY if you’re interested
3) Trunk or Treat, October 29
Last year we were blessed with an outpouring of the community coming. This year we have a plan in place to accommodate a larger crowd if that happens again and will be using the gym to filter long lines.
We will have refreshments and games inside.
Trunk or treat is a great opportunity to love our community and plant gospel seeds. It is an intentional way for us to remind Poquoson PBC is here and we care.
Right now we are in need of trunk sign ups and candy donations. Tasha will be at the door if you’d like to sign up
Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.
Call to Worship (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
Prayer of Praise (Elizabeth Wells)
Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery
All Who are Thirsty
Prayer of Confession (Bud Proctor), Failure to take communion rightly (1 Cor. 11:27-32)
Assurance of Pardon (Psalm 103:8-12)
The Power of the Cross
Solid Rock (My Hope is Built)
Scripture Reading (Matthew 26:17-30)
Pastoral Prayer (Mike K)
SERMON
START TIMER!!!
The first movie Holly and I ever saw together was a romantic comedy called Fifty First Dates.
Adam Sandler plays a marine biologist named Henry Roth. He’s a womanizer who is afraid of commitment.
Until he meets a girl named Lucy Whitmore, played by Drew Barrymore, and falls in love.
Only to find out that Lucy had an accident years ago that destroyed her long-term memory.
Lucy wakes up every morning forgetting everything that happened the day before.
Every day Henry Roth works to help Lucy remember.
I wonder if Christians are more like forgetful Lucy than we’d like to admit.
We know that God exists, yet we often forget and live like He doesn’t see our every action and know our every thought.
We know we have an Enemy who threatens to steal, kill, and destroy. Yet we often forget and live like we’re in peacetime instead of in the middle of a spiritual war.
We know we’re sinners who are saved by grace alone, yet we often forget and live like we deserve what we’ve received.
We know Jesus said “it is finished” on the cross, yet we often forget and live like there’s something more we need to add to be truly forgiven.
We know Jesus has already won the victory, yet we often forget and live like the world is spinning out of control.
We know this world isn’t our home, yet we often forget and live like this world is all there is.
Is there anything that can help us remember?
In His wisdom, Jesus knew the hearts of His forgetful people. And in His kindness, Jesus gave us a gift to help us remember.
He gave us a simple symbol (sometimes called the Lord’s Supper, Communion, or the Eucharist) to help us remember.
Turn to Matthew 26:17
On Tuesday night Jesus finished teaching His disciples about the end of the world.
Sometime that night, one of His disciples snuck off to the Temple district and made a deal with the religious leaders to betray Jesus.
We know very little about what happened on Wednesday, almost as if the entire world is taking a deep breath before the plunge.
Now it’s Thursday afternoon, and Jesus is about to take the Passover meal with His disciples.
And that evening, Jesus will give His disciples a meal to remember.
The Big idea I hope to communicate from today’s text is that the Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
Six Truths the Lord’s Supper Helps us to Remember:
1) Remember Jesus’ DEITY
1) Remember Jesus’ DEITY
Before we even get to the meal itself, Matthew reminds us that Jesus is God.
If it seems like we talk a lot about Jesus being God, that’s not by accident.
If Jesus is who He said He was, than He deserves our obedience and worship. If He’s not who He said He was, than He doesn’t deserve anything from us.
As he sets the stage for the Lord’s Supper, Matthew highlights the deity of Jesus.
Matthew 26:17–19—Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He 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.’ ” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
Remember the Passover was a very important feast to the Jewish people, celebrating how God rescued His people from slavery to Egypt.
After nine plagues, Pharaoh refused to let God’s people go.
So God sent a final plague: the firstborn son in every household would die.
The only way for the firstborn to be saved was through the blood of a lamb.
A spotless lamb would be slaughtered and its blood would be spread over the doorposts of the home.
The festival was called Passover because the angel of death would pass over every home that was covered by the blood of the lamb.
But how do these verses remind us that Jesus is God?
First, we see Jesus’ deity in how He controls the little details.
The Law of Moses required God’s people to celebrate the Passover in the city of Jerusalem, but with millions of people in the city it wouldn’t be easy to find a place.
But Jesus is not worried. Because Jesus is sovereign over the littlest details. He tells them to go into the city, and they’ll find a man who will gladly open His home for Jesus and the disciples to celebrate the Passover.
Perhaps that seems relatively unimpressive to you. If so, consider another way these verses remind us of Jesus’ deity.
Second, we see Jesus’ deity in how He fulfills the big picture.
Imagine you had a friend from another country who was visiting you on the Fourth of July, when Americans typically celebrate our freedom by grilling things and blowing up stuff. Now let’s say your friend witnessed all these things and he asked you, what does all this mean?
What if I told your friend, “All this stuff—the fireworks, the cookouts, the music, the parties—all of it is pointing to me?”
You would be right to think that I’m either crazy or an egomaniac! Our Independence Day festivities are celebrating world-changing events that happened almost 250 years ago, not to a dad of five living in a small Virginia town.
Now if you think that’s crazy, how much crazier is it for Jesus to take the Passover festival—celebrating how God rescued His people 1500 years earlier—and say this is pointing to Me?
And yet, that’s exactly what Jesus does. He takes the Passover bread and one of the Passover cups, and says this is my body and this is my blood.
Now that is absolutely crazy. . . unless it’s true.
If you look at the big picture of the Bible, it’s clear that the first Passover was only a shadow meant to point us to a true and greater Passover.
In the first Passover, God rescued His people from bondage to Pharaoh. In the true and greater Passover, God rescues us from bondage to Satan, sin, and death.
In the first Passover, God’s people were temporarily rescued. In the true and greater Passover, God rescues His people eternally.
In the first Passover, the beloved son of Pharaoh was killed bringing great sorrow. In the true and greater Passover, the beloved son of God was killed bringing great salvation.
In the first Passover, God rescued His people by the blood of a lamb. In the true and greater Passover, God rescued His people through the blood of Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
In the first Passover, God rescued the Jewish people. In the true and greater Passover, God rescued people from every tribe, nation, and tongue.
No wonder the New Testament later says that...
1 Corinthians 5:7b—. . . Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
It’s not crazy or blasphemous for Jesus to say the Passover is pointing to Him, because God’s plan from the beginning was to use the Passover to point us to His beloved Son.
So what lessons should we learn as we prepare to celebrate communion?
If you haven’t submitted to Jesus as God, don’t take the Lord’s Supper!
The Lord’s Supper is meant to symbolize and remind us of the deity of Jesus!
If you want the symbol but not what it represents, you’re like a woman who wants an engagement ring but not a husband!
Repent and believe today, then get baptized to display your new faith in Jesus. Then take the Lord’s Supper with us!
If you’d like to talk to someone more about this, please go to the white flag when folks stand to take communion.
I am not saying you shouldn’t take the Lord’s Supper if you ever struggle with doubts about Jesus being God.
I believe that one of the ways Jesus uses to increase our faith in Him is by taking the Lord’s Supper!
So avoiding the Lord’s Supper because you struggle with doubts is a bit like refusing to eat because you’re hungry!
The question is, are you trusting Jesus through your struggles, or like Judas are you rejecting Him?
The Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
It’s meant to remind us of Jesus’ deity.
But also it helps us to...
2) Remember Our SIN
2) Remember Our SIN
As the disciples recline around a table to celebrate the Passover, Jesus drops a bombshell...
26:20–21—When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Last week we watched as Judas went to the religious leaders and agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave.
We also learned that Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas was going to betray Him.
But up to this point, the disciples had no idea.
Judas didn’t look like a bad guy. He didn’t wear a black robe or have sinister eye brows. Darth Vader’s Imperial March didn’t play whenever Judas walked into the room.
None of the disciples suspected Judas. He was so apparently trustworthy they made him the group treasurer!
But the disciples weren’t expecting anybody to betray Jesus. So this was a heavy blow!
26:22—And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”
That phrase very sorrowful is used to signify violent emotion and shock. [1]
In the past few days the disciples have learned the temple was going to be destroyed and that Jesus’ death was only a few days away.
The final blow that pushes them over the edge is the news that one of them is going to betray Jesus.
Finally the disciples begin to recognize their sinfulness. So they ask Jesus, “am I going to betray you? Is it going to be me?”
Dan Doriani writes, “As much as each disciple was horrified at the thought, each knew he could betray Jesus. The potential for unfaithfulness dwells in every disciple then and now. That is why Jesus had to go to the cross.” [2]
So what lessons should we learn as we prepare to celebrate communion?
When we take communion, we should work to remember our sin.
That might seem strange to some of us. After all, those are the things we try to forget.
Listen to Charles Spurgeon explain why this is so important: “Do not try to forget your old sins; let them ever be before you to keep you humble. . . . Look at the pit out of which you were dug, and when God gives you any special mercy, say to yourself, “What a miracle of grace is this, for I was among the most undeserving of all.” [3]
Could it be that one of the reasons we yawn at the cross is because we’ve forgotten how sinful we really are?
Make it a discipline when you take communion to remember your sin. But don’t stop there. Look at the cross and rejoice!
Like the disciples, we should also examine ourselves. We should ask Jesus to reveal our sin to us.
1 Corinthians 11:28—Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
We examine ourselves for any unconfessed sin. But we don’t stop there. We confess that sin, forsake it, then rejoice that we are forgiven!
In verses 23-25, Jesus reveals that Judas is the one who will betray Him.
But apparently the disciples were so shocked and overwhelmed with grief that they didn’t register what Jesus was saying because nobody tried to stop Judas.
Perhaps that’s how we should examine ourselves. With such extreme focus on our own sin that we’re not worrying about anybody else. We’re not listening to the sermon thinking “I hope so-and-so is listening.” We’re examining ourselves with fear and trembling because we know that in our flesh dwells no good thing.
But even if the disciples are a good example in this moment, it won’t last.
Immediately after taking the Lord’s Supper, Jesus tells His disciples in verse 31 that ALL of them will fall away from Him that night. But in verse 35 they all respond by telling Jesus they would die before they forsake Him.
So even though it’s right and good to examine ourselves, we cannot even trust in our ability to properly examine ourselves. We cannot come to the table trusting ourselves. Only Jesus!
Our faith is not in our grip on Jesus, but His grip on us!
The Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
It’s meant to remind us of our sin.
But also it helps us to...
3) Remember Jesus’ SACRIFICE
3) Remember Jesus’ SACRIFICE
At some point during the Passover meal, probably after Judas left to put his evil plan in motion, Jesus introduces the meal that today we call the Lord’s Supper or communion.
26:26–28—Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Jesus holds up the Passover bread and says “this is my body.” Then He holds up the wine and says “this is my blood.”
Now there have been many disagreements over the past two thousand years about what Jesus meant when He said “this IS my body and blood.
Some have taught that the bread and wine literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. But it’s far better to understand Jesus’ words symbolically.
After all, Jesus also called Himself “the door,” but nobody looked for a knob or hinges on his body. He called Himself “the vine,” yet nobody came to Jesus expecting to find grapes. [4]
Jesus is saying that the bread and wine represent the sacrifice He is going to make for His people.
In a few hours, Jesus’ body will be crushed for the sake of His people.
He will be punched, spat upon and slapped by the religious leaders. They’ll pluck out chunks of His beard.
He will be flogged by the Roman soldiers. They’ll twist up a crown of thorns and shove it upon His head, then bash it onto His skull with reeds.
And Jesus’ blood will be poured out as nails are driven into His hands and feet and a spear is shoved into His side.
If you’ve ever seen the film The Passion of the Christ, you’re familiar with at least some of the physical horrors of the cross. But as powerful as that movie was, it couldn’t convey the real horror of the cross. The real horror of the cross was not what happened to Jesus, but why.
Isaiah 53:4–5—Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.
Because God is holy and just, all our sin must be punished.
Because God is loving and merciful, He wants to forgive us.
So how is God able to show mercy without compromising His justice? At the cross!
Isaiah 53 says Jesus was “smitten by God.” Jesus was punished in our place. He died as if He had committed all the sins that we’ve committed. He took our penalty! He absorbed the wrath of God so that we don’t have to!
So what lessons should we learn as we prepare to celebrate communion?
Communion is a precious gift to remind Christians how much Jesus loves you.
When people come to my table for communion, I often pray God would help us to measure God’s love by the cross not by our circumstances.
Why is that important? Because we’re so tempted to doubt God’s love when things go wrong. But when we look to the cross we remind ourselves that we see God’s love most clearly there.
The Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
It’s meant to remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice.
But also it helps us to...
4) Remember Our NEED
4) Remember Our NEED
The Passover meal was filled with all sorts of interesting food items that Jesus could have used to remind us of His sacrifice.
They would eat bitter herbs to remind them of the bitterness of slavery. Jesus could have made the Lord’s Supper include the bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of our sin.
They would also eat the lamb whose blood was spread on their door posts. Jesus could have made the Lord’s Supper include the eating of lamb’s meat to remind us that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
But instead, took two simple ingredients from the Passover meal—bread and wine—to institute the Lord’s Supper. Why?
Bread and wine were absolutely indispensable to life in Jesus’ day.
Bread was an essential food, which is why Jesus taught His followers to pray “give us this day our daily bread.”
And in a day when clean drinking water was often hard to come by, wine was an essential drink.
What’s surprising about the Lord’s Supper is how ordinary these elements are.
These aren’t exotic foods like pad thai or tikka masala. Nearly every culture in every era of human history is familiar with bread and wine.
And these aren’t luxury foods like prime rib or a premium milkshake. They’re basic human necessities.
So what lessons should we learn as we prepare to celebrate communion?
We are coming to the table not to satisfy some craving, but to receive what we need from Jesus.
So don’t come to the table expecting to receive some spiritual high. Come to the table remembering one more time that you need Jesus. And then leave the table rejoicing that Jesus has freely given Himself to you!
And just as a first century Jew needed bread and wine to survive, you need Jesus!
So don’t avoid the table because you’ve had a bad week. Would you stop eating because you had a bad week? Of course not! So if you belong to Jesus, take communion!
If you have sin in your life, confess it then take!
The Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
It’s meant to remind us of our need.
But also it helps us to...
5) Remember the NEW COVENANT
5) Remember the NEW COVENANT
26:28—“… this is my blood of the covenant,...”
In Luke’s account, Jesus says, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:20)
If you were one of the disciples in the room that night, those words would be loaded with significance.
Every good Jew was familiar with a covenant, which is a binding promise between two parties.
The Old Testament is filled with covenant promises God made to His people.
Usually a covenant would come with some sort of outward sign to make it clear who was a part of the covenant community.
Sort of like a wedding ring is a sign of a covenant between a husband and wife.
So when God made a covenant with Abraham, He required all the males to be circumcised as a sign they were part of the covenant community.
And when God renewed that covenant through Moses, He required His people to celebrate Passover as a sign they were still part of the covenant community.
The New Testament is clear that all those covenants were pointing towards this New Covenant that is sealed by the blood of Jesus.
But even though God’s people are now under a New Covenant, He still wants His people to undergo an outward sign to say to the world that we’re a part of the covenant community.
The sign of baptism functions much like circumcision in the Old Covenant. It’s the outward sign that says to the world “I’m a part of the New Covenant.” Except, unlike circumcision, this sign is available to everyone not just males. And unlike circumcision, it’s administered after we’re born again instead of after we’re born.
The sign of the Lord’s Supper functions much like Passover in the Old Covenant. It’s the outward sign that says to the world, “I’m still a part of the New Covenant.
Think of baptism and the Lord’s Supper like putting on a team jersey. When the Carolina Panthers drafted Bryce Young with the #1 pick, there was a public ceremony as Bryce put on a Panthers jersey and all his new teammates and fans watched and cheered. That was the first time Bryce put on that jersey, and in that ceremony he said to the world “I’m a Carolina Panther.” But then every Sunday Bryce Young has to put that jersey back on and say to the world again, “I’m still a Carolina Panther.”
In the same way, baptism is a public ceremony where the new Christian says to the world and the church, “I’m a follower of Jesus.” And the Lord’s Supper is a public ceremony where the Christians says “I’m still a follower of Jesus.”
Some of you know my son, Jonah, is a big fan of the struggling Panthers. What if I decided to help the Panthers out, so I bought an authentic jersey with “Boutot” on the back, and stepped out onto the field today and said, “Don’t worry guys, I’m here to help you out.” Me putting on a jersey and walking on the field means nothing because the team hasn’t authorized me to step onto that field.
In the same way, taking the Lord’s Supper without baptism is kind of like trying to walk onto the field and identify as a member of the team before the team has authorized you to do that.
For this reason, Baptists have historically taught that we should first be baptized and then take the Lord’s Supper.
Even the statement of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention, which our church affirms, states...
“Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.” [Baptist Faith & Message 2000, Article VII]
So what lessons should we learn as we prepare to celebrate communion?
We need to recognize that the Lord’s Supper is bigger than a spiritual experience with you and Jesus. It’s a sign of the New Covenant.
So we shouldn’t take the Lord’s Supper apart from the church. It’s not meant for your personal devotions or your small group. It’s a meal for the local church.
And you shouldn’t take the Lord’s Supper if you haven’t first received believer's baptism. If you’re interested in baptism, please talk to me before you leave today. We’d love to baptize you next Sunday so that the next time we take the Lord’s Supper you can take with us!
If you’ve been baptized as a believer, you should take the Lord’s Supper and remember the New Covenant.
Sometimes when I look at my wedding ring I think back to April 22, 2006 when Holly and I got married. My heart swells with gratitude that such a woman would choose to marry such a man as I.
Remembering the covenant we made can draw me closer to Holly. But it doesn’t make me any more married, does it? Gratitude for our covenant doesn’t improve upon my union with Holly, but it can improve my communion with Holly.
In the same way, remembering the covenant Jesus has made with you can draw you closer to Jesus. But it doesn’t make you any more a Christian. Remembering the covenant cannot improve upon your union with Christ, but it can improve your communion with Christ.
So if you want to draw nearer to Him, remember the covenant He made and the price He paid.
The Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
It’s meant to remind us of the New Covenant.
But finally it helps us to...
6) Remember Jesus’ RETURN
6) Remember Jesus’ RETURN
26:29—I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Jesus is about to leave His disciples. But His death will not be the end. He will rise from death, appear to His disciples then ascend into heaven.
And here we are, 2000 years later, still waiting for Him to return.
Every time we take the Lord’s Supper we should be looking forward to that final day when Jesus returns and feasts with His people.
In that day we will be reunited with all the saints we have lost, and we will rejoice as Jesus raises a cup and drinks with us in the Kingdom.
So what lessons should we learn as we prepare to celebrate communion?
We take the Lord’s Supper in faith, longing for the return of Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper is not about ritual, but remembering what matters most.
It’s meant to remind us of the return of Jesus.
Although forgetful Lucy’s memory was never completely cured, eventually Henry Roth had a breakthrough.
It didn’t happen when Lucy tried to remember. No memory tricks, no procedures, no medicine could help.
The only thing that did help was when she saw who she was and who it was that loved her.
By looking to the one who loved her, she began to remember.
I won’t tell you anything else, so I don’t spoil the movie any more than I already have (even though you’ve had 20 years to watch it already).
But there is a lesson there for us, isn’t there?
Our main job is not to think about remembering. There’s not a trick or a procedure or a medicine that will help us.
Our main job is simply to look to Jesus. By looking to Him we begin to remember.
Matthew 26:30— And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
In just a moment we’re going to sing a song, and after that we’re going to take the Lord’s Supper together.
If you’re not taking the Lord’s Supper today (either because you’re not yet a believer or you haven’t been baptized) would you consider talking with one us about what next steps you need to take?
One of our pastors will be at the white flag ready and waiting to talk with anyone about any of these things. You can make your way to him in a moment when we stand to sing.
If you’re not ready to talk to someone about that, you’re welcome to stay in your seat when folks come to the front to take communion.
Or, if you’d prefer, you’re also welcome to leave the service. If you do choose to leave, nobody is going to be staring at you or judging you because there will also be a bunch of parents getting up to collect their kids from the nursery while we’re singing so that all our volunteers can join us for communion.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Gospel Doxology
LORD’S SUPPER
1 Cor 11:23-26—For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Take as much time as you need to examine yourself as the instrumentalists play.
When you come to the table one of our pastors will pray with you in a small group of other baptized believers.
You’ll eat the bread around that table, then take the cup back to your seat.
Once we’re all finished with the bread we’ll take the cup together.
[PAUSE FOR A MOMENT THEN PRAY]
If you haven’t eaten the bread yet, please do so now as we prepare to drink the cup.
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Let’s sing together
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
Benediction (Revelation 5:12-13)