A Meal to Remember
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Introduction
Introduction
https://nypost.com/2017/12/03/man-fires-up-grill-at-waffle-house-as-worker-sleeps/
Sometimes, you just have to have your favorite meal… What’s your favorite meal? Have you ever noticed how much of life is centered around food? First dates, intense conversations, birthdays, etc.
The Last Supper - Maybe better “The First Supper” - We cannot underestimate the significance of this meal -
This meal changed the course of history. A meal to take us home - to cause us to remember.
God chose for the Hebrew people to remember the most important event in their ancient history - The Exodus - with a meal (Passover). Now, He wants His people to remember the most important event in all of history - the death and resurrection of Jesus - with a meal.
Every time they celebrated Passover in the future - they would remember this night. Every time we gather at the Lord’s table - a call to Remember. Three realities about Jesus to remember:
Remember His Life
Remember His Life
“When they sacrificed the Passover Lamb” - (Josephus - 255,000 lambs sacrificed - centerpiece of the Passover Mean) Families gathering inside city walls to share the Feast together. Obvious question: Where would the disciples eat?
“Go into city man carrying a jar of water…” Men didn’t carry water jars! Women did! “He’ll stick out to you...” (Residents of Jerusalem expected to offer guests rooms to pilgrims for Passover celebrations.)
- Washing feet of disciples as they enter the house. (Modeling servant leadership)
Around the table - Reclining - (Not LS by da Vinci) - Likely, Judas sitting in the place of honor - Perhaps Jesus giving Judas another chance.
First thing Jesus says, “One will betray…” Shock of disciples! “one who is dipping bread into dish with me...” “Better if not born!”
Preparation for LS - Similar to Triumphal entry - Jesus is complete control - everything unfolding according to His plan - NOT plan of chief priests of Judas. He is orchestrating the events. Jesus freely chose His path - not a reluctant Savior - but charting out His own course to the cross.
The meal:
The meal: Every element of feast had meaning.
Four courses - each course ends with glass of wine representing four promises of God to the Hebrews. () 1. To bring out of affliction. 2. To deliver from slavery 3. To redeem them 4. To make them his own people.
Green vegetables - reminder of life
bitter herbs - reminder of slavery in Egypt
Motzah - unleavened bread - leaven symbolic of sin - reminder of need to be holy before God. Also, reminder of first passover - eat in haste - no time to let bread rise
A mixture of fruit, nuts, and honey - reminder of mortar of bricks - harsh work in Egypt
Roasted lamb - Reminder of the blood of the lamb placed on doorposts.
Traditional passover - a time of teaching - the father would preside and every year the children instructed to ask 4 questions: First: Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. Why is this night different from all other nights?
Father would tell story of First Passover in - Pharaoh didn’t let God’s people go - 9 horrific plagues - but final plague the worst.
Angel of death in Egypt - Hebrews escaped death of firstborn if blood of lamb applied to doorpost. Lamb was a substitute - lamb’s life instead of a child’s life.
After final plague - Pharaoh freed the Hebrews.
Father took unleavened bread - hold it up - bless it and say (Based on ): This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let everyone who hungers come and eat; let everyone who is needy come and eat the Passover meal.
Jesus takes bread - holds up - “This is my body...” He would experience ULTIMATE affliction. Yes, the Hebrew people suffered. However, the suffering of Jesus far outweighed the suffering of the Hebrews. He was afflicted for our sins. ()
Bread = God became a man to experience affliction for us. The bread is an invitation to come and and find our nourishment in Christ’s affliction. He died taking our sin and giving us the benefits of His perfect life. We are clothed in His righteousness. On the cross, Jesus was treated as if He had done everything that we did so we might be treated as if we had done everything He did.
Took the cup. They all drank and then He said, “This is my blood.” Third cup? Redemption found in the shedding of my blood. Bought out of sin only as I die for your sin.
“Blood of the covenant.” Blood used to seal covenant - () What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Not our works, not a sacrifice, but THE sacrifice. ()
New Covenant - Everything centers around the death of Christ not works and sacrifices. - Without shedding of His blood, no forgiveness. You have no hope without the crucifixion!
Remember His Life - Every time we celebrate LS - remember that you need His life lived for you and poured out for you. You need the blood that washes away your sin. Come to the table hungry for Jesus. ()
Remember His sacrifice
Remember His sacrifice
Most important part of meal = roasted lamb. Lamb was the sacrificial animal of the Passover. It died so firstborn sons did not have to die. Its blood poured on the doorposts of homes.
Most important part of meal not mentioned in any of the Gospel accounts - why? Gospel writers want us to know the Lamb was sitting at the table.
- Jesus a lamb led to the slaughter. , John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” , “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
The One who presided over the Passover would die on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for sins in less than 24 hours.
Jesus died in your place - satisfying God’s demand for justice. God forgave you AND He paid your debt. For God to be just, sin had to be punished.
Ill. - (Wrecking my truck. Boy’s father had to pay his debt. Saying I’m sorry didn’t fix it.)
God did not simply overlook your sin. He punished your sin by allowing His only begotten Son to take your punishment on the cross.
When you eat - Remember His sacrifice. It should have been you receiving the full punishment for your sin. It should have been you forever separated from God. ()
Remember His Grace
Remember His Grace
If third cup, then Jesus doesn’t drink the fourth - Promise to make people His own - Instead, sings a hymn.
Fourth cup for Jesus = the cup of God’s wrath. (Garden of Gethsemane) Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath so we could enjoy the cup of the promise of being God’s people.
This meal is a reminder of Grace! It’s a table of grace and none of us deserve a seat at the table.
Judas didn’t deserve a seat at the table. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, but places Judas in the seat of honor - perhaps giving Judas one more opportunity to repent.
Not only does Jesus know Judas will betray. He also knows the disciples will not be faithful to follow Him to His death. In the hours ahead, they would fail Him miserably.
Peter doesn’t think he will fail, but Jesus tells him he would deny him three times.
However, in spite of everyone’s failures, they all had a seat at the table. None of them deserved it. Jesus went to the cross and drank the cup of God’s wrath for each of them. And with the exception of Judas, upon Jesus’ resurrection, they would understand exactly what Jesus had said about His death and resurrection.
You don’t deserve a seat at the table either, but here you are. An invitation to come and eat - to Remember the grace of God freely given to you.
Grace - there’s coming a greater feast. (vs. 25) - One day, because of the sacrifice of Christ, we will feast with Christ for all of eternity. ()
This table is a picture of a greater table - gathered with all God’s children enjoying fellowship with Christ forever because of His body and His blood.
This morning:
Accept the invitation to come and dine. Believe, turn from your sin.
Remember - Who you were and the price paid for you.
Give thanks - Offer your worship
Examine and repent - - Believer, where are you in your walk with the Lord? What sins are hindering your daily intimacy with the One who died and rose again for you?