SERIES: Topical MESSAGE: Special Message from Skip Heitzig SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Luke 22:7-23 MESSAGE SUMMARY The night before His death, Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples in the upper room. In this message, we examine the progression of that Last Supper and learn both the traditional meanings behind the meal as well as the practical life applications for us as we live under the new covenant of Christ. DETAILED NOTES I. Introduction A. The church of Jesus Christ began with twelve frightened men locked in a room in Jerusalem B. Closeness they were close with the Lord 1. The night began in intimacy 2. Jesus took His twelve closest friends, whom He named apostles, and shared a final meal C. Concern as the meal went on, they became concerned 1. Intimacy gave way to anxiety as Jesus spoke about His betrayal and death 2. He spoke of His resurrection, but they did not pay attention to that part D. Cowardice as Jesus was arrested, they all fled 1. In the garden of Gethsemane, Peter cut off the ear of the servant (see John 18:10) 2. The soldiers laid hold of and took Jesus away 3. The disciples ran and hid themselves E. Courage they ended on this note 1. Something happened that brought a boldness, changing the disciples into people who opened the door of their hearts to the entire city of Jerusalem 2. The resurrection changed them (see Luke 24:13-36) II. Holy Week A. Begins with Palm Sunday (see Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-16) 1. Jesus had been in Jericho, where He healed the blind man Bartimaeus (see Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43) 2. Jesus stayed with His friends in a little town called Bethany 3. Jesus entered Jerusalem from the east on the tenth of Nisan a. The day the Passover lambs were selected by families to take home b. Jesus presented Himself as their Lamb Page 1
III. B. Monday 1. On His way back to Jerusalem, Jesus cursed a fig tree that did not bear fruit (see Matthew 21:19-22; Mark 11:13-14) 2. He cleansed the temple (see Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48) 3. He returned to Bethany and spent the night C. Tuesday 1. Jesus once again went to Jerusalem; on the way, the disciples saw the fig tree He cursed the day before, and He taught them about faith (see Mark 11:20-26) 2. He once again entered the temple 3. His disciples commented on the massive stones of which the temple was constructed a. He taught the Olivet Discourse (see Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-36) b. About the future destruction of the temple and abomination of desolation 4. He stayed once again at Bethany D. Wednesday 1. Jesus spent the day in the vicinity of Jerusalem 2. The Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday 3. It's believed this is the day Judas conspired with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus E. Thursday 1. Fourteenth day of Nisan a. When the Passover was celebrated b. In those days, the Passover was celebrated on two different nights I. One to accommodate a Galilean time frame (Thursday) II. Another to accommodate a Judean time frame (Friday) 2. Jesus sent Peter and John into Jerusalem to make preparations for Passover (see Matthew 26:18-19; Mark 14:13-16; Luke 22:10-13) 3. After the meal, He went with the eleven disciples to the Mount of Olives a. Gat Shmanim (Gethsemane) = the place of the olive press b. This is where He was arrested F. Friday 1. Jesus went through six trials a. Three religious trials b. Three civil trials 2. Pilate had Jesus scourged and condemned Him to die 3. Jesus was put on the cross at 9 am and died at 3 pm 4. He was buried in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb G. Saturday/Sunday 1. He stayed in the tomb part of Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday 2. Early on Sunday, the tomb was vacated and Jesus conquered death H. Holy Week is a big deal in the Bible 1. One-third of all the recorded events of Jesus' life happened during Holy Week 2. 20-40 percent of the text in the Gospels is devoted to Holy Week 3. There are only four chapters that deal with the first thirty years of Jesus' life 4. There are twenty-nine chapters devoted to the last week of Jesus' life Historical perspective Page 2
A. On Thursday, the fourteenth of Nisan, the lambs were slaughtered in the temple 1. Josephus recorded that 156,000 lambs were slaughtered at Passover a few years later 2. According to Jewish tradition, all of the lambs were killed within a two-hour period, 3-5 pm 3. Hundreds of priests killed about two lambs every minute B. There were pools close by to wash the blood away 1. The water was flushed down a huge pipe through the Temple Mount and into the Kidron Valley 2. For days, the Brook Kidron flowed with the blood of the lambs 3. A reminder that sin kills C. Before He died, Jesus dined with His disciples 1. Peter and John had to prepare the Passover meal (see Luke 22:7-13) a. They had to secure the room b. They had to take the lamb to the temple to be killed c. They had to roast the lamb for the Passover meal d. They had to bring in matzah bread and bitter herbs e. As they ate, they reclined on their left elbow with their feet away from the table f. Slaves stood and free men reclined 2. The meal began (see Luke 22:14-23) a. Jesus' emotional state was heightened, and He began to feel the weight of the cross b. He looked forward to spending His last Passover with His disciples 3. The Passover meal was centered on four cups of wine (see Exodus 6:6-7) a. Opened with a spiritual toast b. Closed with a hymn and the last cup c. The cups were attached to the four statements in Exodus 6:6-7 I. Kiddush: the first cup of blessing or sanctification (see v. 6a) II. The cup of affliction (see v. 6b) III. The cup of redemption (see v. 6c) IV. The forth cup (see v. 7) d. The wine was kept warm I. Warm water added to the wine II. Close to body temperature III. Reminder of the blood of the lamb that was slain for them D. Sequence of events at Passover seder 1. Kiddush 2. Hand washing a. It was around this time that some of the disciples started to argue about who was the greatest (see Luke 22:24) b. Jesus washed their feet (see John 13:4-12) 3. Eating bitter herbs a. Horseradish, parsley, endive b. Salt water to remind them of the tears that were shed in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea c. Dipped the herbs into the salt water Page 3
4. Eating the matzah a. They dipped it in charoset, a mixture of apples, nuts, and pomegranates b. Reminded them of the mortar used in Egypt to build the cities for pharaoh 5. Cup of affliction a. Blessing in Hebrew b. Hymn (Psalm 113-118) 6. The main course of the meal a. The Passover lamb b. Jesus announced that someone at the table would betray Him (see John 13:21-30) 7. Cup of redemption a. "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm" (Exodus 6:6) b. The arms of Jesus would be stretched on a cross in a few short hours c. God would deliver the world through Him 8. It was after this that Jesus took the bread and broke it, distributing it along with the wine to His disciples IV. Prophetical perspective A. The new covenant 1. The disciples knew the prophecy about the new covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 37:26-28) 2. The new covenant was upon them as the Lamb of God went to the cross B. The cross is monumental 1. God forgave some people before the cross as they looked forward to it by faith 2. God has saved some sinners since the cross 3. God saves all sinners because of the cross V. Personal perspective A. This was interactive for the disciples 1. They had to participate 2. They had to eat the bread and drink the wine 3. It's one thing for Jesus to die, but we have to appropriate it personally in our lives, enjoy the benefits, and accept the ramifications (see John 3:16) B. Many people are ignorant to the fact that salvation requires a response 1. Knowing the facts does not equal salvation (see John 1:12) 2. Jesus has given you a valentine written in blood, and it's your choice whether or not to receive it Figures referenced: Flavius Josephus Hebrew words: charoset, Gat Shmanim, kiddush Cross references: Exodus 6:6-7; Psalm 113-118; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 37:26-28; Matthew 21:1-9, 19-22; 24-25; 26:18-19; Mark 10:46-52; 11:1-11, 13-18, 20-26; 13; 14:13-16; Luke 18:35-43; 19:29-48; 21:5-36; 22:24; 24:13-36; John 1:12; 3:16; 12:12-16; 13:4-12, 21-30; 18:10 Topic: Passover Page 4
Keywords: Passover, intimacy, cowardice, courage, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, faith, Olivet Discourse, Spy Wednesday, temple, lambs, sin, seder, betrayal, Communion, cross, new covenant Page 5