Pathway to Fitness

Pathway To Fitness Michael Morse / General CrossFit / Love; Discipleship; The Last Supper; Humility; Trust; Understanding / Luke 22:1-30 Introduction There is a clear defined path to cross fitness. We have covered many aspects of it, but the essential pathway breaks down into just a few steps. Deviate from these steps and you sacrifice fitness, follow them and you are on the pathway to crossfitness. The steps are Proper Diet, Challenging Workout, Sufficient Rest. With these three things you too can be on your pathway to crossfitness. This morning we begin in our crossfit series one of the final 3 chapters of the Gospel. These three chapters are centered around the betrayal, crucifixion/death and the resurrection of Jesus. Luke has recorded the events taking place centered around the Last Supper of Jesus just before His arrest. It is here I see revealed in the events and the teaching of Jesus the desire for Him to have intimacy with His disciples. This intimacy with Jesus is our goal of crossfitness. There are some things that will derail us off the pathway to intimacy to crossfitness. As we look at the passage before us lets identify these steps on the pathway to fitness so we can keep on the pathway and not be detracted off the pathway. Luke 22:1-4 CSB 1 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was approaching. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. 4 He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand him over to them. Luke 22:5-8 CSB 5 They were glad and agreed to give him silver. 6 So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present. 7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." Luke 22:9-12 CSB 9 "Where do you want us to prepare it?" they asked him. 10 "Listen," he said to them, "when you've entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks you, "Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?" ' 12 Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there." Luke 22:13-16 CSB 13 So they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, "I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Luke 22:17-19 CSB 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:20-23 CSB 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" 23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it. Luke 22:24-25 CSB 24 Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. 25 But he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called 'Benefactors.' Luke 22:26-27 CSB 26 It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. 27 For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn't it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:28-30 CSB 28 You are those who stood by me in my trials. 29 I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Trust Luke 22:1-4 CSB 1 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was approaching. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. 4 He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand him over to them. Luke 22:5-7 CSB 5 They were glad and agreed to give him silver. 6 So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present. 7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Luke 22:8-10 CSB 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." 9 "Where do you want us to prepare it?" they asked him. 10 "Listen," he said to them, "when you've entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. Luke 22:11-13 CSB 11 Tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks you, "Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?" ' 12 Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there." 13 So they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. Luke begins this passage by letting us know the time frame of the week. We know that Jesus has entered into Jerusalem for Passover. We know it is His final week and now we come to the final evening before Jesus is arrested. The Festival of Unleavened Bread - which writing to Gentiles Luke informs us that this is Passover - is approaching. The Passover is a remembrance of the final plague sent upon Egypt - the death of the firstborn sons. This was a universal plague and would affect anyone who did not follow the command of God to provide the remedy for them and their household. Israel was instructed to sacrifice a lamb to be cooked and eaten within the house. The lamb was to be a pet for the week and then slaughtered and the blood collected. The blood was to be put on the lintel and door posts - sort of in a cross pattern. The covering of this blood would cause the angel sent to pass through the land and kill the firstborn sons to passover that house - and death would passover those who were covered by the blood. Exodus 12:26-27 CSB 26 When your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 you are to reply, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians, and he spared our homes.' " So the people knelt low and worshiped. The feast of Passover was established to be observed throughout the generations of Israel as a reminder to the Lord who delivered them from Pharoah and caused death to pass over them as the exited Egypt. Passover would mark the beginning of the calendar for Israel Exodus 12:14 CSB 14 "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the LORD. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute. Exodus 12:17 CSB 17 "You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your military divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute. Passover required leaven or yeast to be removed and nothing with leaven must not be eaten. Leaven and yeast has been used as a symbol - influence and spread - most often with sin (Jesus did use it in a parable to describe influence and growth of the Kingdom. For Passover leaven is symbolic of sin and as the Passover is set to be celebrated the Jews would clean out the leaven from their home. Cleaning out the leaven represented the cleaning out and cleansing of sin from their hearts. The religious leaders instead of cleaning their hearts of sin were plotting sin in their hearts. Looking for a way to put Jesus to death - but fearing the people it had to be done secretly. They were not afraid to kill the Son of God they were afraid of the people. Judas who also should have been clearing out leaven and preparing to celebrate the passover - knowing the representation of sin was instead also planning sin in his heart. Judas would be the key to being able to arrest Jesus away from the crowds. We read here that Satan entered Judas Iscariot. In no way does this imply that Judas was an unwilling participant. He opened himself to Satan's influence - due to a lack of trust in Jesus. Judas was numbered among the twelve - he was a counted disciple with Jesus but he lost trust that Jesus was the savior he was looking for. The only way I know this is because we see that Judas went and plotted and planned to betray Jesus. Either Judas stopped trusting Jesus altogether or Judas trusted money more than Jesus. To stay on the pathway to fitness our trust must be in Jesus completely and totally. The deal that Judas made earned him a sum of money - not recorded here but in other accounts we learn it was 30 pieces of silver. The price to redeem a female servant out of bondage. The price of Jesus life - 30 pieces of silver is the same to redeem a female servant from bondage. Perhaps a bride? Remember Jesus did not come to redeem Himself - the price of a male servant according to Leviticus is 50 pieces of silver. Jesus came to redeem His bride. As one of the 12 Judas was there for a lot of big stuff with Jesus a lot of the miracles - consumed by lack of trust in Jesus and inflated trust in money Judas departed from the pathway to fitness. Jesus in preparation for the dinner for the Passover set it up in such a way only Jesus, Peter, John and the home owner knew that they would be celebrating the feast there. What was going to happen HAD to happen. Jesus was aware of His betrayal - He has said it over and over again before and will again this evening. He instructed Peter and John what to do and what to look for. It was an odd arrangement - first of all men did not carry the water is customary for the women to retrieve the water. So if they saw the man carrying water it would be unusual and they would know that was the man. Then they were to follow him to the house he entered. Upon entrance they were to announce that Jesus - the Teacher asks for the guest room to eat the Passover with His disciples. Jesus in perfect wisdom and knowledge says but he will instead lead you to a large furnished upper room. That there is where you will make preparations. They went and found it just as Jesus had told them. When you choose to trust Jesus you will always find everything to be exactly as He says it is and remain on the pathway to fitness. The disciples trusted and listened to what Jesus told them and they found it just like it was no unmet expectations when you listen and follow Jesus. It is when we get ahead or we expect something else - trusting other than or more than Jesus that we lose the pathway to fitness. Understanding Luke 22:14-17 CSB 14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, "I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. Luke 22:18-20 CSB 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:21-22 CSB 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. 22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" When the hour came Jesus reclined at the table and the apostles with Him. Jesus then says I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. The sentence construction carries the sense of ardent passionate longing - with excitement and anxious waiting Understand the desire of Jesus to have intimacy and communion with you at His table. Christmas for Jesus is communion with His disciples. Understanding the close intimate fellowship that Jesus desires with us should drive us to pursue and meet Him and that keeps us on the pathway to fitness. Jesus says He will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. He took A cup and after giving thanks he said take this and share among yourselves. I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. Right now Jesus is awaiting the appointed time to sup with His bride again. With glorious anticipation He waits. The next meal will be at the consummation of the kingdom which will be at His coming. Jesus then does what we know as the Lord's Supper. He took the bread gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying - this is my body given for you - do this in remembrance of me. This is followed by the taking of the cup after supper and explaining this cup is the NEW COVENANT in my blood which is poured out for you. Jesus was giving them understanding of what was to take place in less than 24 hours. A new covenant was being setup - one that must be interpreted through Passover and what Jesus would endure coming up. The Passover lamb was taken and killed the body must be broken so the blood can flow and the blood is used to cause death to pass over those covered by blood. Jesus is the true lamb of God John 1:29 CSB 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! Jesus's blood would cause death to pass over forever those who would trust in Him. John 11:25-26 CSB 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Without understanding the new covenant being made one cannot enter into it and enter on to the pathway to fitness - even if they are near Jesus. Jesus then immediately says but look the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. Jesus knew it was Judas - Jesus knew before He chose Judas. Judas is an example of how close to Jesus you can get without understanding and missing out on salvation. Judas was there for this meal with Jesus - fellowship with all the apostles and Jesus - but according to other Gospels Judas missed the communion. He didnt take part in the body and blood of Jesus. To take part in the body and blood of Christ is to recognize we are in sin and have a sin nature and cannot escape sin. The only victory over sin is in the life that Jesus gave for us. One must understand the sacrifice made and the salvation offered to be on the pathway to fitness. Judas may have been used to fulfill what was determined of Jesus (He was to die) but Judas is not absolved. Jesus says though it is determined - woe to the one by whom he is betrayed. The fact that God overrules the evil that bad people do as He brings His purposes to pass does not make them any less evil. - Leon Morris Understand we will all stand accountable - only those in the new covenant will be covered by the blood of Jesus. Humility Luke 22:23-25 CSB 23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it. 24 Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. 25 But he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called 'Benefactors.' Luke 22:26-27 CSB 26 It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. 27 For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn't it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:28-30 CSB 28 You are those who stood by me in my trials. 29 I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Now we come to the end of the passage before us and we see that two disputes and two arguments take place concerning what Jesus has said. Both of these arguments come from a place where there is a lack of humility. In fact I believe it is one argument that led to the other argument. The disciples first argued over which disciple would betray Jesus. Judas did such a good job no one suspected it could be him, even when he got up and left. They all assumed he was on some mission to buy more bread or to provide food or funds for the poor. It is truly humbling to consider that they all argued because they realized or learned in that moment each of them is capable of such sin. Truth is we all are. As they argued over who it could be - well its so and so, no i dont think so remember when he did such and such. Then the next comment is well then it couldnt be me either remember when I... soon they are now arguing over who is greater! Jesus then gives them a contrast using the Gentiles - the heathen the uncivilized. He said the kings of Gentiles lord it over them and those who have authority have themselves called as benefactors - they were anything other than beneficial to others. Jesus flat out says "it is not to be like that among you on the contrary" The pathway to fitness requires humility. Humility isnt thinking less of yourself - it is thinking of yourself less. The proper balance in life brings joy. Whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest and whoever leads like the one serving. Who is greater the one serving or the one at the table? The one at the table right? Jesus says but I am serving you - Jesus is greater than all but He is servant of all and gives us the perspective and attitude we need to have to be on the pathway to fitness and intimacy with Him. • Jesus • Others • Yourself Living as a servant is really the best way to live. We are no longer concerned for our own honor and credit. We dont walk around with hurt feeling and disappointed expectations, we are only concerned with others and with serving. Do we trust that Jesus knows the best and most fulfilling way to live? Jesus is not saying that if you serve in a lowly place that you will be given a great place. Jesus is saying the low place is the great place! A test of your humility and how much of a servant you are is your reaction when treated like one. Jesus also isnt saying that being a servant goes unrewarded either. God's greatest servants receive the greatest rewards - because they serve not for the reward but for the glory of God. Those who have a desire for humility will take their lead from Jesus and not from the world. Conclusion "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. ‌29 ‌And I bestow upon youa kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, ‌30 ‌that you may eat and drink atMy table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." In view of all this, He rests back on -- You're the guys. You'll go forth and learn this life of service and sacrifice, and you'll draw on everything you have learned from me. -I bestow upon you a kingdom. -He left his ministry in the hands of 11 flawed men who denied Him at the cross and went back to their old life after He had risen and given them their commission. -They had no formal training. -They were tax collectors and zealots and fishermen. -They were prideful and doubtful. They were afraid. -But they simply continued with Him in His trials. -They held the line. -They gave their lives in submission to Jesus' work on the cross. -And God makes a promise about that: -Philippians 1:6‌ Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. -And Jesus Christ has been completing that work ever since - you can trust in Him -Don't be discouraged when you stumble. Continue to trust in Jesus -Understand that Our God is a God of mercy and grace. -Understand His perfection covers our flaws. -We are imperfect messengers carrying a perfect message. -He honors the humility and submission, not the performance. Communion Luke 22:18-19 CSB 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:20 CSB 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 3:32 PM May 8, 2021.