Betrayed!

Luke 22:47-53.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 6, 2016.

There are many stories of betrayal throughout history:  Satan and God, Absalom and David, Brutus and Julius Caesar, and of course our topic of today, Judas and Jesus.  What is unique about the betrayal of Jesus is that he knew it was going to happen and allowed it to happen anyway.  We should never think that this means it didn’t bother Jesus.  Rather, we see Jesus as a man who feels deeply and yet submits those feelings to a specific plan. 

Such betrayals can paralyze even the best of people.   It can be hard to keep focused and continue forward in life, or to even have the “want to.”  Today the most common betrayal is that which happens in the marriage relationship.  Every year in America hundreds of thousands of marriages end in divorce.  Whether that comes from full blown betrayal through adultery or a softer betrayal in which one simply quits working on the relationship, betrayal is something that we can all relate to.   In our times of pain, sorrow, and paralysis, we must recognize that Jesus knows what it means to be betrayed and he offers us a way through it.

Jesus Is Betrayed And Arrested

By definition, betrayal comes from people who are close enough to us to do so.  In the life of Jesus, there were twelve men that he drew into his daily life.  Yes, multitudes were disciples of Jesus, but only the twelve lived with him and received special instruction.  Judas was hand-picked by Jesus to be one of these twelve.  Another aspect of this closeness is that Judas was given the further responsibility of taking care of the group’s money.  Though Jesus knew Judas would betray him, he still offered him a place that was close to his heart and critical to the operation of his ministry.

Sometimes we can act like it was easier for Jesus since he was God.  However, it would actually make it worse.  Jesus demonstrated nothing but love for Judas and yet he would be stabbed in the back.  We might think of this further in regard to the human race.  We often focus on our own pain and suffering and judge God for allowing it to happen.  And yet, we rarely think about the pain and suffering we have caused Him.  He has loved us and given us a critical place in His plan for all of creation.  Yet, we have continually rebelled and gone after other “lovers.”  If you understand anything about God, understand this: God loves mankind even though we have betrayed Him and He will continue to demonstrate His love towards us to the very end.  In fact, this is true for you as an individual as well.  God loves you and will not stop loving you until the day you release your final breath.

To add insult to injury, Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.  Now for Judas this is a simple and practical way to signal the soldiers who to arrest.  In the darkness of the garden it would be easy for Jesus to escape.  Yet, there is an immense irony to his choice of signal.  The kiss of Judas represents the insincere kisses of those who care only for themselves.  They say they love you, but in truth they are only interested in pleasing themselves.  Jesus sincerely offers Judas a different way, and yet the insincerity of Judas leads him to destruction. 

When we throw in league with the Devil, things that ought to be sacred are sacrificed to the ambitions that one serves.  Spouses, children, parents, and others are all used and abused in order to obtain what we want.  Even though such things should not be done, the betrayer doesn’t seem to care.

In the midst of the arrest Peter takes out his sword and, in trying to defend Jesus, cuts an ear off of one of the men there.  Jesus quickly lets Peter know that this is the wrong way.  God is not going to redeem mankind by raising up an army of believers who will slay the enemy.  In fact, our spiritual enemies cannot be touched by such weapons.  Mankind would not be redeemed by the sword, but by the love of God.  Jesus says, “Permit even this.”  There is a part of all of us that balks at following Jesus.  Peter had been challenged to accept certain things in order to continue with Jesus.  Yet, now things were out of hand.  Peter cannot understand the insistence of Jesus on being betrayed and put to death.  Is there a limit to the things that we will accept and endure in order to follow Jesus?  Be sure that this life will test you severely in this matter.  Peter needs to stand down because he is trying to thwart the very plan of God.  This is typical when we do what our flesh wants.  We might be trying to do a good thing, like standing for Jesus, but God is not always headed in the direction we want.  Surrendering to this is sometimes too much for people.  Perhaps Judas himself believed at the beginning.  But somewhere Jesus had crossed a line in which Judas could not permit himself to follow anymore.

It is amazing to see the grace of Jesus displayed to a man who is there to arrest him.  Jesus heals the ear of the man.  Thus he demonstrates that he truly is the Son of God in that his goodness was received by good and bad alike.  Remember the words of Matthew 5:45, “[God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”  Is it possible to follow such a way?  Can I refuse to pay back wrong for wrong and instead love people even to the point of death?  We should not call it the way of love.  For no man ever loved like this.  It is the way of Jesus and of the love of God.

Jesus Rebukes His Captors

In verses 52 and 53 we see that Jesus makes some statements to his captors.  First he points out that he had not presented himself in such a way that warranted an armed arrest.  There was no reason to believe that Jesus and his group would be violent.  Jesus was famous for his teachings that promoted turning the other cheek and not paying back wrong for wrong.  The show of force is ridiculous.  Why seize him while wielding swords and clubs?  This kind of militaristic over-kill is becoming of those who have thrown their lot in with the Devil and not with God.  They could have taken him at any time and yet they choose the middle of the night and violent means.

Jesus points out that this was their time and the time of the power of darkness.  The phrase “the power of darkness” is a clear reference to Satan.  Some examples of this can be found in Acts 26:18, “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.”  Here Jesus explains to Paul that the world was stuck in the darkness of the power of Satan.  Also, in Colossians 1:13, Paul explains to believers, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”  The power of darkness is clearly the spiritual opposite of the Kingdom of Jesus.

Satan loves to operate through force, hiding, betrayal, and vulnerability.  Up to now, God has allowed him to have a certain time of power.  But it will not end well for Satan and those who join in league with him.  They will have their inheritance in the lake of fire, otherwise known as the second death.  Today we are choosing which side we are going to be on.  You are either putting your trust in God by faith in the way of Jesus, or you are siding with the power of darkness.  There is no other way.  Even if you find yourself having fallen away for a time, like Judas did, repent of your fear and doubt and turn back to Jesus.  The Devil loves to tempt you to fall into sin and then use that failure to cause you to despair all hope.  Even now, Jesus holds out his arms to you saying, “I have paid the price of your sin and will set you free from your guilt if you will only turn to me and believe.”  Let’s put our faith fully upon the one who not only knows what it is like to be betrayed, but also forgives us for our betrayals of him.

Betrayed Audio

Jesus Warns His Disciples

Although the disciples are arguing over which of them should be considered the greatest, in truth they are all about to do something quite the opposite of greatness.  They are about to fail in their trust of Jesus.  Yes, they had successfully followed Jesus so far.  However, in the next 24 hours they would flee from Jesus and hide, broken and fearful.  It is this universal rejection of Jesus by enemies and friends that ought to help us understand why the Lord does not accept good works, but instead will only accept faith.  He is not looking for those who are “great” neither as the world defines it nor as his followers define it.  Instead he is looking for those who will believe in his greatness regardless of the circumstances and to the end of their life.  Even this, the disciples all fail.  Yet, the Lord isn’t looking for a faith that has never fallen, but one that has been through storms, ups and downs, and yet returns to him.  The Lord is warning us in this passage to quit looking at our greatness and pay attention to the battle that is waging all around us.

Satan Has Asked To Test Them

In the next 24 hours Jesus will be arrested, run through a bogus trial, and publicly executed.  Jesus knows this and is speaking in order to prepare them for their own failures.  The disciples do not understand the gravity of what is happening, but the Lord does.  It is here that we need to remind ourselves that our strength is not in what we are, but in what the Lord is building in us.  We need to remind ourselves that even in our failures (perhaps especially so) the Lord is building up our faith in him.  Satan is moving to attack Jesus and destroy all that he is trying to do.  Yet, notice that Jesus reveals that Satan has asked to do this.  Who is he asking?  Although Jesus doesn’t say, it is apparent he means the Father.  Satan must ask permission to test God’s people.  This is revealed in the first two chapters of the book of Job.  Why would God allow such tests?  He does so to prove that our faith is genuine.  So what about the times people fail?  Even this can take a faith that is either disingenuous or weak and help it to be rebuilt on a proper foundation.  No matter how difficult we are tested, we are not at the mercy of the Devil.  If God is allowing you to go through a trial, He will bring you out the other side, and there is a way for you to be stronger.  It is in letting go of you and clinging to him through faith.

Satan has asked to sift them like wheat.  This metaphor is used to picture the process of testing their faith.  When wheat is sifted it is first beat and pounded in order to break apart the hard shell that surrounds it.  This chaff is then removed in one way or another.  Here a mesh of sorts would be used that would allow the small pieces of chaff to fall through, but the good wheat would stay on top.  Humans sift wheat in order to make its cooking and eating a better experience.  However, the Devil has a different purpose in mind.

He intends to prove that they are nothing but chaff.  He is going to pound and beat their faith through the circumstances ahead and he believes that they will all turn out like Judas.  He is going to keep at it until he wins or you die.  We see this in the book of Job.  After failing to get Job to quit trusting God, Satan complains that Job is only serving God because God has protected him physically.  “Skin for skin,” Satan accusingly says to God.  He goes on to declare, “But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”  He hates faith.  He wants nothing to be left for the Lord at the end of this testing.  He comes for nothing but to steal, kill, and destroy our faith.  This warning is not just for Job or Peter and the disciples.  It is for all who will try to follow Jesus.  If Satan thinks there is a chance that you have true faith in Jesus, He is going to come after you one way or another to try and destroy it.  “Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.  Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”  1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV).  You do have chaff in your life.  But, you are not all chaff.  The Lord will bring you through all your times of testing and reward your faithfulness, if you keep turning back to him.

Jesus Has Prayed To Help Their Faith

Jesus has told Peter that Satan has asked to test them all.  But then Jesus tells Peter what he has asked for them.  As opposed to Satan, Jesus is not asking the Father to test us.  Instead, he is asking in prayer for our souls to endure all the tests that Satan brings our way.  He is asking that we will not fail even though we may have times of falling.

In this passage Jesus specifically tells Peter that he has prayed for him.  However, in John 17:9-11 we see that Jesus has and will pray for all of his disciples, including us.  Yet, here he zeros in on Peter.  Why?  Most likely because Peter has been the most vociferous in defending his own greatness.  Let me emphasize that this is speculation.  But, one cannot avoid the clear rebuke that is given to all the disciples, but especially to Peter.  Yes, Satan has asked for Peter by name so that he can test him.  But, Jesus has prayed for Peter by name.  We may not have Satan personally trying to test us (remember he is not omnipresent).  However, we do have evil spirits that are in league with him and do his bidding.    More than this, Jesus Christ is able to pray for every single one of His disciples, even now interceding on your behalf before the Father.  He is praying for your faith to endure.  As it says in Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Clearly Peter’s faith is going to fail, but it will be for only a short time.  Jesus is not praying that our faith will be an invincible, superman-like faith that never even blinks.  I am not saying that Jesus could care less if we fail.  Yet, he knows that we will all have our times of doubt and fear in this flesh.  In fact, it will be in his failure that Peter learns to trust in the power of God rather than in the power of Peter.  We cannot give mere lip service to this.  We are made stronger when we listen to the words of Jesus and repel the attacks on our faith.  However, we are also made stronger when after failure, we humbly cast ourselves on the mercy of the Lord.  Jesus lets Peter know he will fail.  But then gives him the task of strengthening his brothers when he returns (back in faith).  Jesus know that Peter will return and even has a job for him.  The word “return” is connected to repentance and conversion.  Peter will turn from the Lord out of doubt during the crucifixion.  But he will also return to him in faith after the resurrection.  His brothers are going to go through the same tragic failure.  They will need to encourage each other.  Not make comparisons among them in order to determine who is greatest.  We need to help each other overcome the world by strengthening each other’s faith in Jesus.  Our times of failing the Lord and returning to him can be helpful to others.  Do not hide your failures in shame.  Rather, boldly declare to others that the Lord brought you through your failures.  Peter’s pride still resists what Jesus is trying to teach us all, and most likely so does mine.

Verses 33-34, puts the period on this lesson.  Peter tries one last attempt to declare how great his faith is.  Perhaps here we see why Jesus focuses on Peter.  His flesh is truly great.  But it is not that kind of greatness Jesus is seeking.  Peter has to quit clinging to the greatness that he wants to see in himself, and surrender to the greatness that the Lord wants to make in him.  None of the disciples wanted to follow a messiah who was going to be crucified.  They did not want to be the inner circle of a messiah who left the earth.  They did not want to be men who would travel the world teaching people to believe in a crucified Lord.  But this is his call.

Jesus puts the death nail in Peter’s pride by declaring that he will deny Christ within the next few hours.  Reality versus fantasy.  Perhaps you too cling to a fantasy that somehow you are different.  Let it go.  Hear the warning of the Lord.  Today the Gospel is being tested in our society and Jesus along with it.  Our Lord and His way of living is being crucified publicly by our culture and many others around the world.  Some are falling away from the Lord.  Others retreat from the real Jesus and create a fake Jesus so that they can feel strong in their faith.  However, our strength is not in our inability to fall.  Our strength is in the mercy and grace of our Lord.  We can repent and turn to him and he will receive us.  This is the type of Lord that we serve, and this is what we must hold out to a lost and dying world.

Jesus Warns His Disciples audio

True Leadership

Luke 22:24-30.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty on February 7, 2016. 

We have been looking at the Passover Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples on the night he was betrayed.  Each of the disciples was destined to have a critical role in the work of Jesus moving forward.  Yet, this brought great temptation with it.  They renewed an old favorite pastime of squabbling among themselves about who was the greatest disciple.  This argument gives rise to great insight from Jesus into what makes a great leader.

Who is the greatest disciple?

It is common in any group to have a clash of inflated evaluations of self and the disciples were not immune.  Verse 24 brings this out.  Of course, self-evaluations are always there and are not wrong necessarily.  However, Jesus taught that judgments should not be according to appearance, but rather should be righteous (John 7:24).  Clearly the disciples failed on this evening.  Yet, they become an example of what we should not do.  Take joy in the fact that, even when you fail, you can provide an example to yourself and others.

The word translated as dispute is a bit unclear.  The word that is translated here means more than just a dispute and the strife that goes with it.  It is literally a “love of disputes” that is referred to.  Thus this was not just a difference of opinion, but a love of arguing with each other.  Sometimes when you argue with someone you realize that either you or they fall into the trap of arguing for arguments sake.  You may use logic for your point but then refuse that same logic from the other side, which is both illogical and hypocritical.  Such love of dispute is not anchored in a love of God, or a love of righteousness and truth.  It is anchored in contention itself.  Conflict can become a habit that mimics addiction.  However, Christians are called to be peacemakers, not lovers of strife.  Their question of which of them is the greatest stirs up a spirit of arguing within the group.

Jesus steps in and uses the situation to teach about true leadership.  Notice the word “considered.”  They are all concerned on how they are considered by the others.  They each think the others should consider them the greatest.  Jesus points this out as a problem.  They are thinking like the world about power and position.  He reminds them that in the world the rulers exercise dominion and rule over the people.  The people in turn often admire them and give flattering titles like “benefactor” to them.  Thus in the world leaders are often seeking the admiration of the crowd and the titles that they may give in consideration of them.  People will often take pride in an oppressive leader if they think the leader is benefiting the status of the nation within the world.

Greatness is defined by Jesus

Our knee-jerk answer to the question of which of them was the greatest might be to exclaim, “None of you are great!  Only Jesus is great!”  Yet, take notice that this is not how Jesus responded.  None of them are claiming to be greater than Jesus.  They are only thinking among themselves, and Jesus gives them an honest explanation of what greatness is in God’s eyes, rather than men’s.  So who do you want to “consider” you great, God or people?

Christian leadership must not seek privileges nor to be served by others.  Jesus points out that in the systems of this world the older ones obtain privileges the higher they move up in leadership.  To become like the younger is not to use the system for these privileges.  In fact it is to be as one who has none.  One of the problems with our government today is the many privileges that they have legislated for themselves.  This is also seen in the way that great leaders of this world are served by lesser leaders.  To move up in leadership is to have more servants at your beck and call.  This creates a kind of sycophantic system in which younger leaders serve greater leaders in flattery and unhealthy ways in order to obtain position and privilege.  Think of how corrupt religious and secular institutions can become through this dynamic.  Even in the sciences there is a system in which the younger plebes do research and write papers in order to please the older ones who hold the power of their advancement.  In a perfect world this would not be a problem.  But, welcome to Earth.

How does the Lord respond to this?  “Not so among you!”  It is sad to see how often we have tossed such words aside in the heat of the moment in order to obtain what our flesh desires, greatness.  Whether in local churches, within denominational structures, or among the body of Christ as a whole, we have continued to transgress this command and to our own detriment.

Yet, Jesus then points to himself.  The example that Jesus gave of servant-leadership is contrary to the way of the world.  It would be interesting to know exactly when the foot-washing of the disciples occurred.  Even so, it works the same whether he had already done it or did it right after these words.  As Jesus washes their feet, he takes a lowly position that would be given to the lowest plebe in any worldly system.  All of the disciples would have stated strongly that Jesus was the greatest among them.  Thus Jesus highlights the inner dissonance that exists.  They know that he is the greatest and yet they continue to follow the world’s ways in order to obtain their own greatness.  The greatest leader in God’s eye is the one who will come down off their throne and serve those under them.  The world serves for the privileges and the accolades of men to the expense of pleasing God.  The disciples of Jesus must not follow that model.  The believer must reject privilege and use the position and power to serve those “under” their authority.  Even then, the service must be done not to please those you help, but instead God.  Of course Jesus was within 24 hours of his ultimate service.  He would become the substitute for the punishment of their sin.  If Jesus led to please his disciples, he would have never gone to the cross.  They didn’t want a crucified leader.  They wanted Jesus to walk into Jerusalem and take over.  They wanted the fame of the world, not the hatred.

The rewards of following Jesus

In verses 28-30 Jesus changes his tone.  Though he has verbally stripped them of any appearance of being great disciples, he transitions to what they have done that he thinks is truly great.  On top of that he tells them they will be rewarded for it.  Many had left Jesus over the course of the last months.  The crowds had quit following after him.  Even Judas was in the middle of leaving him.  The disciples themselves would scatter in unbelief of what would happen to Jesus the next day.  Even today, followers of Jesus are being challenged.  Will we leave Jesus in order to give allegiance to something else?  Or, perhaps we will simply redefine Jesus and thus serve “another” Jesus, a Jesus of our own making and in our own image?  These men had remained with Jesus through his trials.  The word has the sense of a trial that is intended to prove the genuineness of something.  Jesus was enduring a test to prove whether he truly was the Anointed Son of God.  His teachings and way of living life was undergoing a test.  And, as he is being tested, so those who are learning his way are to be tested.  Jesus was joyous to have these men in all their weakness and frailty, who had nevertheless stuck with him.  “Who else has the words of Life, Lord?”  The truth of Christ and his way is undergoing a test in this generation.  Will we stand by Jesus unwavering, or will we betray him?  Will we learn to seek his approval, or will we seek the consideration of each other, striving to be seen as great?  His testing is our testing.  So, learn to trust the master.  His way leads to life.

Verses 29-30 are interesting.  In a sense Jesus speaks of two kingdoms: one that he is giving to his disciples and one that they will join him in later.  The way they lead in the kingdom that he gives them will be rewarded in the Lord’s kingdom later.  He will not be present as they lead the Church after his ascension.  Thus their faithful service in the first century to lay down a foundation for the Church to be built upon would be rewarded in the coming millennial kingdom.  If we will listen to the commands of our Lord then we will find sure reward later.  Do not worry about the level of your authority and strive to get higher and higher.  Whatever authority comes your way in life, use it to honor Jesus and not yourself.  Use it to serve those under you in a way that will cause the Lord to think you are great.  At times that may make people under your influence to think less of you.  But that must not matter to us.

Do not embrace worldly thinking in any part of your life, much less within the Church.  It is high time that we drop the ways of the world and adopt the ways of the master, our Lord Jesus.

Leadership audio

The Lord's Last Supper

Luke 22:14-23.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on January 31, 2016.

Today we will look at a passage where Jesus and his disciples celebrate the Passover meal, which is often called the Last Supper or the Lord’s Supper.  There is a dispute as to how this lines up with the feast days.  However, it quickly becomes more technical than would be helpful on a Sunday morning.  Thus we won’t go into it today.  Early Christians gave us many details that point to the timing.  But, things that are important to us were not always important to them.  Thus there is no doubt Jesus was born, but it was not important for the gospel writers to nail down the day of his birth, all this despite the fact that they give us many details regarding the timing of it.  So we have debates today that include the year of His crucifixion, date and year of his birth.  These kinds of questions have nothing in them that would cause concern to our faith in Jesus himself.  So we see Jesus making it clear to his disciples that everything he had come to do was coming to a head at this meal.

The Desire of Jesus

Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus displaying many different emotions.  We see him showing amazement at the faith of some and the lack of faith of others.  We see him moved with compassion for those who are sick and afflicted.  He is angry at the insolence of the religious leaders, and weeps over the death of his friend Lazarus.  In verse 15 Jesus makes a statement regarding his emotions that literally reads, “with strong desire I have strongly desired…”  This makes the statement one that emphasizes the strong desire that he has towards this meal with them.  In fact the word that is translated as fervent desire is usually used in a negative context for a person’s lust (strong desire) for something bad.  Of course, this meal with his disciples is not a bad thing.  Thus lust would not be a proper translation.  My point is to show that just as humans strongly desire that which is sin, and it seems to drive them towards sin, so Jesus is driven by a strong desire to this moment with his disciples.  His strong desire is not about the meal itself, but about what the meal represents for him and them.  Everything they have heard and experienced with Jesus up to now has been prologue to the events that will happen in the next four days.  Recognize that Jesus was “chomping at the bit” to accomplish these things, and yet also submitted to the timing of the Father.  May God help us to strongly desire His will and yet to also be submitted to His timing in our life.

In verse 16 Jesus specifically says that he will abstain from future Passover meals until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.  In verse 18 he also adds that he will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.  In some ways the death and resurrection of Jesus brings in the Kingdom of God.  However, not all aspects of the Kingdom of God have come to pass.  Just like Israel received a covenant, but had to wait 40 years to experience the fullness of it, so the Church has begun the Kingdom and yet awaits the fullness of the “millennial kingdom.”  Some point to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19:9 as a time in the future where the preparation of the Church will have been completed and She will be brought before Christ never to be separated again.  Either way, at the Second Coming of Christ the kingdoms of this world will be taken up by Christ and given over to His saints.  It will be a great time of joy and celebration between Christ, the saints, and the heavenly hosts.

The New Covenant of Jesus

In verses 19-23 Jesus reveals that this meal is pointing to a new covenant, as opposed to the Old Covenant that God made with Moses and the people of Israel.  It is important to recognize the Lord’s position and actions here.  We see him as the director and giver of all good things.  He dispenses the food and drink to his disciples all the while pointing to a spiritual significance to these things.  Under the New Covenant Jesus would become our source of spiritual food and spiritual drink.  The people of the New Covenant must learn to feed spiritually upon the person, work, and teaching of Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at the spiritual significance that Jesus gives to the meal.  The original Passover pointed back to a time when Israel was spared from the Angel of Death in Egypt.  Now it would point forward to a time when all God’s people would be spared from the judgment of God, eternal death.  Specifically Jesus picks up the bread and the wine.  Just as he gave them bread to eat, so his life in human flesh was given to them as the bread from heaven.  He was surrendering this body as a sacrifice for our sins collectively and individually.  The wine was a symbol of the not just the literal blood that was shed at the cross, but of the spiritual work of atonement that it would accomplish.  He shed his blood in order “to cut” a new covenant with the Father.  We can stand in faith knowing that the Father will not diminish the death of His Son and turn His back on the New Covenant.  This is a sure covenant that can never be laid aside for another.  In fact, God made the first covenant so that they would be able to recognize the Eternal Covenant that He would give through His Son.  Thus, Jesus tells the disciples to now do the Passover meal in remembrance of Him.  This should not be seen as a confirmation that the Church should keep the festivals of the Old Testament.  Rather, the emphasis is on giving the old forms, new significance in Jesus.  He becomes the fulfiller of all that the old was signifying.  This new meal of the New Covenant would be from then on done in honor of Christ.  The early Church appears to have celebrated this meal far more than once a year.

The discussion transitions from the intimacy of what the meal represents to the warning that there is a betrayer in their midst.  Verse 22 says that the son of man “goes” as it has been determined.  He is not just talking about leaving the meal.  This term is a reference to his physical death and then later physical ascension.  These things have been determined by the counsels of God the Father and agreed to by the Son.  The sacrifice must be made, and not of bulls and goats.  Even though it is determined by God, this does not absolve Judas, who is the betrayer.  It didn’t have to be Judas.  It could have been another.  But, it was he who made the choices and embraced the horrible act of betrayal.  It is also determined that there will be a great falling away from the Truth in these last days.  However, you do not have to be one of those who choose apostasy.  Even today, there is an intimacy between true disciples and the Lord Jesus.  Yet, in the midst of such intimacy is a growing group who are not choosing intimacy with Jesus.  Rather, little by little they are turning from Him and having strong desires towards the things of this world.  A moment of betrayal will always follow such days.  Yet, even then, the sacrifice of Christ can still cover this.  Judas did not have to kill himself and go into eternity through an act of hopelessness.  He could have thrown himself on the mercy of God in repentance.  If you recognize that you have been walking away from the Lord and instead walking towards the world, then turn in repentance today.  The Lord has provided the sacrifice that will cover our sins.

Last Supper audio