Introduction Text - Matthew 26:17-30.
Let's consider some things that will help us in understanding the above passage.
The 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, mentioned in verse 17, was the 14th Nisan (March - April).
The Feast included the celebration of the Passover and lasted for seven days.
Verse 23 alludes to Judas dipping his hand into the bowl with Jesus.
It was the custom to take a piece of bread or a piece of meat wrapped in bread and dip it into a bowl of sauce made of stewed fruit.
Any eating together signified fellowship, trust, loyalty and friendship, making Judas' betrayal all the more treacherous.
Verse 30 says that "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
" The Passover fellowship ended with the second half of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 115 - 118).
These psalms are instructive in helping us understand the significance of Jesus' death.
We will look at some highlights of each psalm.
Psalm 115 states, "to your name be the glory"; redemption is about the glory of God; its goal is to bring man back into relationship with God so that God can be glorified by man's worship.
God is identified as a help and shield.
The psalm closes with the statement "Praise the LORD!" The word "LORD" is God's covenant name that is best equated with the name Jesus in the New Testament.
Psalm 116 mentions that deliverance comes through calling on the Lord's name.
We are encouraged to praise God for His deliverance.
Once we are delivered we must understand the importance of fulfilling our vows to the Lord, and we must see ourselves as God's servants.
We must also give thanks.
Again this psalm closes with the imperative to "Praise the LORD.
" Psalm 117 encourages us to praise God for his love and faithfulness and fittingly closes with the command to "Praise the LORD.
" Psalm 118 reminds us to give thanks and that God's love endures forever.
We are to celebrate God's deliverance (salvation).
It tells us that shouts of victory resound in the tents of the righteous.
The believer will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
These psalms clearly anticipate what Jesus would accomplish in dying for our sins and indicate our responsibility to God once we have received His salvation.
This passage deals with Jesus' celebration of the Passover with His disciples.
The Passover was one of the three great annual feasts of the Jewish people, to which all Jewish men were to come to Jerusalem to celebrate.
The other two feasts were Pentecost and Tabernacles.
The Passover was a remembrance of when the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites while destroying the firstborn of the Egyptians.
Interestingly, the same cross that brings salvation to those who accept it by faith is the same cross that will bring condemnation to those who don't accept it by faith.
When the Passover was first celebrated a spotless lamb was killed and its blood was applied to the side-posts and lintel of the door; the lamb was roasted, none of its bones could be broken and it had to be eaten completely.
The meal also included wine, unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God, whose blood (represented by the wine of the communion) brings about redemption.
The legs of the two criminals (who were crucified with Jesus) were broken, but in perfect fulfillment of Scripture, Jesus' legs were not broken.
Sinners must put their whole faith in Him (represented by the complete consumption of the lamb).
The unleavened bread speaks of getting rid of sin and the bitter herbs speak of the suffering that Jesus went through and that we too will have to go through for the sake of the kingdom.
The Passover resulted in the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian captivity and the birth of the Hebrew nation.
We have been delivered from satan and the world, and are now a nation of priests to God.
The Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is called by different names.
It is referred to as the breaking of bread.
It is also called the Communion, which speaks of fellowship.
Additionally, it is called the Eucharist - coming from the Greek word for thanksgiving referring to the thanks that was given before the taking of the elements.
The Lord's Supper was an integral part of the worship of the early church as seen in Acts 2:42.
In this Scripture it is linked with apostolic teaching, fellowship and prayer.
Let's look at the significance of the Lord's Supper.
It is to cause us to remember Christ: not only His death, but His resurrected life.
Accordingly, the believers met on the 1st day of the week to break bread, the day on which Jesus was resurrected.
Through His resurrected life, Jesus conquered sin, hell and the grave.
He is exalted at the right hand of the Father and in His position of exaltation, He poured out the Holy Spirit.
The Lord's Supper also speaks of the new covenant.
The wine symbolizes the blood, which brought the new covenant into effect.
This covenant provides for the forgiveness of sin; whatever sins I committed in the past before coming to Christ are under the blood - fornication, adultery, lying, rebellion, disobedience and other sins are all under the blood.
Further, this blood continues to cleanse me of all sin.
This covenant not only provides for the forgiveness of sin, but it provides other benefits such as healing, provision, righteousness, peace, God's presence, infilling of the Holy Spirit, protection, favor and other benefits.
The Lord's Supper proclaims Christ's death.
It lets people know that Jesus Christ did die: God took on humanity, walked among men and gave His life so that we can be redeemed.
The Lord's Supper is also a prophecy of Christ's return.
We are to partake of the elements until He comes.
Glory be to God: Jesus Christ will return to establish His kingdom; He has gone on to prepare a place for us and is coming again to bring us into that place.
Additionally, the Lord's Supper involves intimate fellowship with Christ and His people.
Only the redeemed can partake, recognize and appreciate its benefits: let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
As such, the communion reminds us of our responsibility to love and serve one another.
Jesus washed the disciples' feet before they had communion.
Further, the communion speaks to the unity of the body.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul challenges believers to recognize both the physical body of Jesus Christ (He only had one body) and His spiritual body (which is His church, one body of believers).
This means that we have to ensure the unity of the body.
The communion speaks of serious responsibilities.
First, we must recognize Jesus as Lord.
He is not simply our Savior, but wants to be Lord of every area of our lives.
He wants to fully establish His kingdom in us, to reign over the territory of our heart.
Second, we have to be committed to do His will.
We have been placed in this world for a purpose, to do what God wants.
This was modeled by Jesus who came to do the will of the Father.
Third, we have to take up our cross daily to follow Him and to fulfill the Great Commission.
A relationship with God is a life of perpetual surrender where we deny ourselves and follow Jesus wherever He leads.
Part of following Jesus includes witnessing to Him - letting the unsaved know that God loves them and gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Fourth, we must examine ourselves, to ensure that we have the right attitude and behavior.
God has called us to holiness and expects us to walk worthy of His calling.
Conclusion Before you partake of the Lord's Supper, ask yourself some critical questions.
Is everything right between you and God? Have you confessed your sin and have you absolutely surrendered to Jesus as Lord? Is everything right between you and your family (as much as it is up to you)? Is everything right between you and your spouse? Is everything right between you and your children or between you and other family members? Is everything right between you and the members of the church? Is there unity in the church? Is there conflict? Is there unresolved disagreement? Are there any unforgiveness, misunderstanding or other negative feelings? Know where you are at, truly repent and then take of the communion.
To eat and drink without recognizing the body of the Lord is to eat and drink judgment on yourself.
This will lead to weakness, sickness and premature death.
Let's consider some things that will help us in understanding the above passage.
The 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, mentioned in verse 17, was the 14th Nisan (March - April).
The Feast included the celebration of the Passover and lasted for seven days.
Verse 23 alludes to Judas dipping his hand into the bowl with Jesus.
It was the custom to take a piece of bread or a piece of meat wrapped in bread and dip it into a bowl of sauce made of stewed fruit.
Any eating together signified fellowship, trust, loyalty and friendship, making Judas' betrayal all the more treacherous.
Verse 30 says that "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
" The Passover fellowship ended with the second half of the Hallel Psalms (Psalms 115 - 118).
These psalms are instructive in helping us understand the significance of Jesus' death.
We will look at some highlights of each psalm.
Psalm 115 states, "to your name be the glory"; redemption is about the glory of God; its goal is to bring man back into relationship with God so that God can be glorified by man's worship.
God is identified as a help and shield.
The psalm closes with the statement "Praise the LORD!" The word "LORD" is God's covenant name that is best equated with the name Jesus in the New Testament.
Psalm 116 mentions that deliverance comes through calling on the Lord's name.
We are encouraged to praise God for His deliverance.
Once we are delivered we must understand the importance of fulfilling our vows to the Lord, and we must see ourselves as God's servants.
We must also give thanks.
Again this psalm closes with the imperative to "Praise the LORD.
" Psalm 117 encourages us to praise God for his love and faithfulness and fittingly closes with the command to "Praise the LORD.
" Psalm 118 reminds us to give thanks and that God's love endures forever.
We are to celebrate God's deliverance (salvation).
It tells us that shouts of victory resound in the tents of the righteous.
The believer will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
These psalms clearly anticipate what Jesus would accomplish in dying for our sins and indicate our responsibility to God once we have received His salvation.
This passage deals with Jesus' celebration of the Passover with His disciples.
The Passover was one of the three great annual feasts of the Jewish people, to which all Jewish men were to come to Jerusalem to celebrate.
The other two feasts were Pentecost and Tabernacles.
The Passover was a remembrance of when the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites while destroying the firstborn of the Egyptians.
Interestingly, the same cross that brings salvation to those who accept it by faith is the same cross that will bring condemnation to those who don't accept it by faith.
When the Passover was first celebrated a spotless lamb was killed and its blood was applied to the side-posts and lintel of the door; the lamb was roasted, none of its bones could be broken and it had to be eaten completely.
The meal also included wine, unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God, whose blood (represented by the wine of the communion) brings about redemption.
The legs of the two criminals (who were crucified with Jesus) were broken, but in perfect fulfillment of Scripture, Jesus' legs were not broken.
Sinners must put their whole faith in Him (represented by the complete consumption of the lamb).
The unleavened bread speaks of getting rid of sin and the bitter herbs speak of the suffering that Jesus went through and that we too will have to go through for the sake of the kingdom.
The Passover resulted in the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian captivity and the birth of the Hebrew nation.
We have been delivered from satan and the world, and are now a nation of priests to God.
The Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is called by different names.
It is referred to as the breaking of bread.
It is also called the Communion, which speaks of fellowship.
Additionally, it is called the Eucharist - coming from the Greek word for thanksgiving referring to the thanks that was given before the taking of the elements.
The Lord's Supper was an integral part of the worship of the early church as seen in Acts 2:42.
In this Scripture it is linked with apostolic teaching, fellowship and prayer.
Let's look at the significance of the Lord's Supper.
It is to cause us to remember Christ: not only His death, but His resurrected life.
Accordingly, the believers met on the 1st day of the week to break bread, the day on which Jesus was resurrected.
Through His resurrected life, Jesus conquered sin, hell and the grave.
He is exalted at the right hand of the Father and in His position of exaltation, He poured out the Holy Spirit.
The Lord's Supper also speaks of the new covenant.
The wine symbolizes the blood, which brought the new covenant into effect.
This covenant provides for the forgiveness of sin; whatever sins I committed in the past before coming to Christ are under the blood - fornication, adultery, lying, rebellion, disobedience and other sins are all under the blood.
Further, this blood continues to cleanse me of all sin.
This covenant not only provides for the forgiveness of sin, but it provides other benefits such as healing, provision, righteousness, peace, God's presence, infilling of the Holy Spirit, protection, favor and other benefits.
The Lord's Supper proclaims Christ's death.
It lets people know that Jesus Christ did die: God took on humanity, walked among men and gave His life so that we can be redeemed.
The Lord's Supper is also a prophecy of Christ's return.
We are to partake of the elements until He comes.
Glory be to God: Jesus Christ will return to establish His kingdom; He has gone on to prepare a place for us and is coming again to bring us into that place.
Additionally, the Lord's Supper involves intimate fellowship with Christ and His people.
Only the redeemed can partake, recognize and appreciate its benefits: let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
As such, the communion reminds us of our responsibility to love and serve one another.
Jesus washed the disciples' feet before they had communion.
Further, the communion speaks to the unity of the body.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul challenges believers to recognize both the physical body of Jesus Christ (He only had one body) and His spiritual body (which is His church, one body of believers).
This means that we have to ensure the unity of the body.
The communion speaks of serious responsibilities.
First, we must recognize Jesus as Lord.
He is not simply our Savior, but wants to be Lord of every area of our lives.
He wants to fully establish His kingdom in us, to reign over the territory of our heart.
Second, we have to be committed to do His will.
We have been placed in this world for a purpose, to do what God wants.
This was modeled by Jesus who came to do the will of the Father.
Third, we have to take up our cross daily to follow Him and to fulfill the Great Commission.
A relationship with God is a life of perpetual surrender where we deny ourselves and follow Jesus wherever He leads.
Part of following Jesus includes witnessing to Him - letting the unsaved know that God loves them and gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Fourth, we must examine ourselves, to ensure that we have the right attitude and behavior.
God has called us to holiness and expects us to walk worthy of His calling.
Conclusion Before you partake of the Lord's Supper, ask yourself some critical questions.
Is everything right between you and God? Have you confessed your sin and have you absolutely surrendered to Jesus as Lord? Is everything right between you and your family (as much as it is up to you)? Is everything right between you and your spouse? Is everything right between you and your children or between you and other family members? Is everything right between you and the members of the church? Is there unity in the church? Is there conflict? Is there unresolved disagreement? Are there any unforgiveness, misunderstanding or other negative feelings? Know where you are at, truly repent and then take of the communion.
To eat and drink without recognizing the body of the Lord is to eat and drink judgment on yourself.
This will lead to weakness, sickness and premature death.