The Lenten fast is coming to an end, and that means we are getting close to the Easter feast. So many holidays are marked with feasts.
-
Thanksgiving
– Turkey and stuffing
-
Christmas
– Goose? (old tradition, has anyone ever done this?)
-
Easter
– Ham … or Lamb
-
Passover
– Lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread – remembering the first Passover
It is not
surprising to find the disciples wondering, “Where should we prepare to eat the
Passover meal?”
-
This
isn’t just tradition, it is almost like a sacrament – in fact, it was commanded
by God – observe this meal every year.
-
Recall
the slavery in Egypt, Moses and the message, “Let my people go!”, 10 Plagues –
the worst and last being the death of the firstborn, the parting of the Red
Sea, and the celebration of God’s salvation.
-
The
disciples want to know, “Where are we going to celebrate?”
Did you
notice that Jesus had a plan? He’s already made arrangements.
-
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.”
-
Feels
very pre-arranged, at a minimum, this “certain man” clearly expected to hear
from Jesus.
There is a
lot that happens at this “Last Supper”, and different Gospel authors highlight
different events.
-
All
of them speak of Judas and his betrayal.
-
Three
record Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper.
-
All
of them have this meal as the event right before Jesus’ arrest, trials,
and crucifixion.
We tend to
focus on the Words of Institution when we observe this night. This is good and
right.
-
New
Covenant
-
Holy
Sacrament
-
Divine
Mystery of salvation.
Tonight, I
would like to draw your attention to something Jesus said right after He gave
His disciples the Lord’s Supper.
-
Matthew
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.”
-
What
is He talking about?
-
2nd
coming?
-
When
we celebrate the Lord’s Supper now?
There is a
moment when Jesus drinks the “fruit of the vine” shortly after this in the
Gospel of Matthew. It is when He is on the cross, right after He cries out,
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” The text says, “And some of the bystanders, hearing
it, said, ‘This man is calling Elijah.’ And one of them at once ran and took a
sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to Him to
drink.”
It wasn’t
good wine – sweet or rich – but it was the fruit of the vine.
When does
Jesus win the Father’s kingdom?
-
The
cross.
-
Jesus
drank and cried out with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.
-
His
work was done.
-
Too
often, we want to skip the cross and go straight to the empty tomb.
-
The
cross is where the battle was fought … and where it was won.
-
The
sacrifice was made on the cross … the empty tomb is proof that the sacrifice
was accepted.
It’s a
strange thing that all of this was necessary because our first parents ate
forbidden fruit from a holy tree. Now Jesus delivers holiness to us by eating
the fruit of the tree where He hung and died bearing the sins of the world.
When we
receive the Lord’s Supper, we confess that we receive Jesus’ body and blood,
in, with, and under the bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins.
-
How
does this happen? That’s the wrong question. Faith takes hold of God’s promise.
-
Better
question: Why does this happen?
o
The
first fruit of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness hangs on the cross.
o
That
first Lord’s Supper pointed forward to feed the disciples from the cross.
o
We
look back, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice and receiving the fruit of the cross
§ Jesus Himself
§ His forgiveness
§ His holiness
§ His redemption
§ His righteousness
§ All of this is now in us.
In a few
moments we will hear the Words of Institution again.
-
We
will do this in remembrance of Jesus on the night He was betrayed.
-
More
– we will do as He says by faith
o
Take
and eat, this is my body. (Believe His word! This is the one who told a dead
man to come out of his grave. If he tells me a piece of bread is His body … I’m
going to believe Him!)
o
Take
and drink, this is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
(Receive the gift! This is the man who told a paralytic that his sins were
forgiven and to prove it He commanded him to take up his mat and walk. You have
good reason to trust His word!)
We will also
hear these words in the Proper Preface (p. 8) – “It is truly good, right, and
salutary that we should at all times and in all place give thanks to You, holy
Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord who
accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where
death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame
by the tree of the garden might like wise by the tree of the cross be
overcome.”
Receive the
fruit of the cross. It is life and salvation, and it is for you. Amen.
Comments