The Lord s Supper Luke 22:14-20 BUILDING COMMON GROUND & TENSION Introduction What am I trying to say? What is the ONE THING I want the people to know? What do I want them to do about it? ONE THING The Lord s Supper is a time to REFLECT, RETURN, & REJOICE. 1 ME: Finding common ground with them. WE: Build as much common ground with as many people as possible. ASSUME THE PEOPLE HAVE NO INTEREST 2
Taking the Lord s Supper Only after self-examination 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 (NIV)... whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. EXAMINE YOUR SPIRITUAL POSITION Have you given your life to Jesus? The Lord Supper is only for believers EXAMINE YOUR SPIRITUAL PURITY 3 It is to be taken only after a spiritual examination Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. SCRIPTURAL ANSWERS GOD: Let God s word answer our issues BACKGROUND: Luke 22:14 20 (ESV) 4
14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. If someone were to ask you, What is the purpose of the Lord s Supper? what would you say? Is the Lord s Supper a big deal? I mean, if I don t partake of the Lord s Supper, is that any big deal? It was evening and a cool breeze was blowing through the windows of that upper room. Jesus had gathered his disciples around Him. 5 6
He had washed their feet (John 13) and then He, along with the twelve, reclined at the table. Luke 22:14-15 (ESV) And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Notice the eager anticipation in Jesus about THIS Passover. The TWIN THEMES of the Passover are SLAVERY and FREEDOM. In every Passover Meal there were FOUR CUPS of wine served for each person. 1 st Cup Sanctification 7 2 nd Cup Plagues 3 rd Cup Blessing 4 th Cup Praise There were also THREE PIECES of Matzah Bread. They are each placed in a three layer cloth The middle Matzah is taken out and BROKEN The larger broken piece (the afikoman dessert) is wrapped in cloth and hidden for the end of the meal Luke 22:17 (ESV) 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 8
This is the 1 st Cup; the Cup of Sanctification, at the beginning of the Passover Meal. They shared the PASSOVER meal together in which Judas left. Jesus then instituted a time of REMBERANCE. The BROKEN PIECE OF MATZAH BREAD (afikoman/dessert) that was hidden is then brought back. Jesus takes THIS piece of Matzah bread Luke 22:19 (ESV) 9 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. This is my body given for you WE TAKE THE LORD S SUPPER BECAUSE Look back to REFLECT on the CROSS. You must remember that Jesus gave His life for you. John 10:14-15 (ESV) 10
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:17-18 (ESV) For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. No one took Jesus life from Him, He gave His life for us! This is my body given for you That BROKEN piece of Matzah bread was Without Yeast (Purity) Brown spots (Brused) Stripes (Beaten) Pierced Broken Reflect on the CROSS. The brutality of crucifixion Crucifixion probably started with the Persians around the 6 th century BC. The Phoenicians seemed to have acquired the practice and spread it to other cultures, including the Greeks. 11 12
Alexander the Great introduced the practice to Carthage around 332 BC, where it was later picked up by the Romans. The Romans perfected crucifixion as a punishment designed to maximize pain and suffering. It wasn t about killing somebody it was about killing somebody in a really horrible way. Someone who was crucified suffered the maximum amount of pain. Crucifixion was also the most disgraceful form of execution. It was usually reserved for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and vile criminals. The only time a Roman citizen was ever crucified was for desertion from the army. 13 Jesus didn t simply die, JESUS DIED ON A CROSS. Why did Jesus die on a CROSS? He could have died at the hands of King Herod Matthew 2:16 (ESV) 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 14
But Jesus did not come to die by the hands of King Herod He could have died by drowning in the Sea Matthew 8:23 26 (ESV) 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, Save us, Lord; we are perishing. 26 And he said to them, Why are you afraid, O you of little faith? Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 15 But Jesus did not come to die by drowning Jesus had other times in his life when the religious leaders wanted to kill him.! When Jesus was in Nazareth " Luke 4:18-19 (NIV) The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. 16
Luke 4:29 (ESV) And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. Luke 4:30 (ESV) But passing through their midst, he went away. Because He did not come to die by being thrown from a cliff! When Jesus claimed to be Yahweh, the LORD " John 8:58-59 (ESV) Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. So they 17 picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.! When Jesus said, the Father and I are one. " John 10:31,33,39 (ESV) The Jews picked up stones again to stone him The Jews answered him, It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. Because He did not come to die by being stoned 18
WHY THE CROSS? Because ONLY on the cross could He DESTROY THE CURSE OF SIN. Jesus BORE THE CURSE of our sins on the Cross. Isaiah 53:4 (ESV) Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Jesus BECAME THE CURSE for us on the Cross. Galatians 3:13 (ESV) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is 19 written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree Jesus, on the cross was FORSAKEN BY GOD so that we would no longer be GOD- FORSAKEN. 1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, John 15:13 (ESV) Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 20
! NOTE: USHERS will begin passing out the JUICE. You who are taking the Lord Supper today will need to note the fact that we have put TWO cups together One cup contains juice The Other cup contains bread This 2 nd Cup is the Cup of Plagues They take their finger and dip it into the cup 10 times dripping 10 drops of the juice on their plate This signifies the 10 plagues in Egypt This represents the Blood on the Doorpost 21 Look within and RETURN to the COVENANT Luke 22:20 (ESV) And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. This 3 rd Cup is the Cup of Redemption or Cup of Blessing After the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites came to Mt. Sinai where the LORD gave them His commandments for them to live by as the people of God. When Moses had received all the commandments from the LORD the Bible tells us what happened next. 22
Exodus 24:7 8 (ESV) 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words. Jesus blood not only takes a sinner from the slavery of Egypt, but it also empowers us to life an obedient life of righteousness. Jeremiah 31:31 (ESV) 23 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. We are declared righteous because of the blood of the new covenant! 1 Corinthians 1:30 (ESV) 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from 24
God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, There is POWER IN THE BLOOD! In the GARDEN The NEW COVENENT is a COVENANT OF GRACE. As Jesus sweat great drops of BLOOD He declared Luke 22:42 (ESV) saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done. Philippians 2 says that Jesus humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross. Beaten by the SOLDIERS WHIPS The NEW COVENANT is a COVENANT OF HEALING. As the BLOOD flowed from Jesus back, legs, and side Isaiah 53:5 (ESV) But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 25 26
1 Peter 2:24b (NIV) by his wounds you have been healed. A CROWN OF THORNS pressed upon His brow The NEW COVENANT is a COVENANT OF ROYALTY. As the BLOOD dripped from His thorn laced brow 1 Peter 2:9a (ESV) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession On the cross, with SPIKES driven through HIS HANDS AND FEET 27 The NEW COVENANT is a COVENANT OF FORGIVENESS. Jesus cried out, Father forgiven them One the cross, with BLOOD SOAKED TEETH and DRIED BLOOD PARCHING HIS LIPS, Jesus took a sip of water. The NEW COVENANT is a COVENANT OF VICTORY. Jesus cleared His throat so ALL HEAVEN AND HELL could hear his next words. With a LOUD CRY, Jesus said, IT IS FINISHED! 28
Luke 22:15-16 (NIV) 29! Taking of the Bread & Juice " 1 Corinthians 11:25 (NIV) he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. Look ahead for His RETURN with CELEBRATION The 4 th and final cup is the Cup of Praise The Jews repeat, Next year in Jerusalem And he said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. Jesus says that THIS PASSOVER WILL BE FULFILLED Jesus says that this is the last Passover feast he will eat until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. What does this mean? Jesus himself agreed that there will one day be a great feast. Matthew 8:11 (ESV) 30
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, The Jewish Passover begins tomorrow evening at sundown. The four blood moons will occur in roughly six-month intervals on the following dates: April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015. 31 It is very interesting that these FOUR BLOOD MOONS will occur on two of the important Jewish Feast Days Passover The Festival of Trumpets There is coming a day when the eastern sky will part. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (ESV) For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in 32
the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Following this will be what is called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! We will be ushered into heaven as a BRIDE prepared for her GROOM. Revelation 19:6-9 (ESV) Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult 33 and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God. CONCLUSIONS 34
YOU: This is where we tell people what to do with what they have heard This is APPLICATION Must answer the two main questions SO WHAT? NOW WHAT? 35