Parting Words

Well, good morning. It's good to see all of you.

I would encourage you to open up your Bibles to Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

That's where we're going to be this morning, Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

!

The details that we get from Luke chapter 18, now moving into Luke chapter 22,

Luke 18 · chapter mention Luke 22 · chapter mention

we know that those details have helped to fill in a lot of the events that have taken place during this week.

But now we find ourselves in Luke chapter 22,

Luke 22 · chapter mention

and what was going slow before will now slow down even more

as we get more of the details of this last 24 hours of Jesus' life.

And here at the beginning of Luke chapter 22,

Luke 22 · chapter mention

we're going to find the first part of Jesus' parting words,

His final words to His disciples.

Those parting words will begin in our time this morning,

and will conclude in our time next week.

But our lives are punctuated by parting words.

Consistently, throughout the day, there are those parting words,

those goodbye kind of words that we will share with the individuals

that we intersect with on a day-by-day basis.

Those interactions like saying goodbye to a spouse or to a child.

Maybe they're going to work, or maybe your kids are going to school,

and you say those goodbye words to them,

those final words before they're gone for the day.

Or maybe you're speaking to a friend on the phone,

or texting, and you say those words of goodbye.

Our lives are really dominated by parting words.

But there are those occasions

where those parting words take a greater significance.

There's those occasions when the time and space

between the reuniting

will make those parting words more significant.

Like saying goodbye to a child who's going off to college,

or saying goodbye to a friend or a loved one

who is moving across the country.

Or perhaps even saying goodbye

to that individual who is staring eternity in the face.

You know, the significance of parting words

is underscored by the time and space of that departure.

You know, we think very little about those words of goodbye

when we know in just a few short hours

we're going to see that person again.

But when those departures,

when those words are final,

when they're permanent,

they take on a more significant tone.

So this morning we're going to begin to look

at a passage that contains the first of two parts

of these final words of Jesus to his disciples.

Of course, Jesus will see these disciples again

after his resurrection,

but there's something about this night,

something about this occasion

that takes a greater tone,

a greater significance in the lives of those disciples

so that every gospel record includes

a part of these final words.

This event that we're going to look at this evening

or this morning in Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

It points to the fact that there's something

quite important.

The gravity of these words

takes special significance for us.

And as we look at them together,

I want to help us understand the significance

not only of the picture

that the words create for us,

but kind of the backdrop of those words

and the significance of this Passover week

in helping to strengthen

and reinforce the profound significance

of the words that Christ will say.

So if you're there with me in Luke chapter 22,

Luke 22 · chapter mention

let me just read the first several verses

and we're going to see,

first of all,

the timing of Christ's words.

The timing of Christ's words.

It says here,

Now the feast of the unleavened bread drew near,

which is called the Passover,

and the chief priests and the scribes

were seeking how to put him to death,

for they feared the people.

Then Satan entered into Judas,

called Iscariot,

who was of the number of the twelve.

He went away and conferred with the chief priests

and officers how he might betray him to them.

And they were glad and agreed to give him money.

So he consented and sought an opportunity

to betray him to them in the absence of the crowd.

First of all,

this timing of Christ's words,

and we see the picture that Jesus will now place

on these familiar elements,

the bread and the cup,

has a context,

has a backdrop,

and to understand and really appreciate

what Jesus is talking about.

And this momentous occasion,

we really should just briefly mention

and discover what this picture was all about.

This picture of the unleavened bread.

This picture of the Passover that was taking place.

Well, first, it was a picture of redemption.

This picture of Passover,

this picture of the unleavened bread,

this feast that they were beginning to partake in

for this week,

was a picture of redemption.

Now, I know that redemption is kind of a fancy word,

and maybe one of those theological terms

that's a little kind of out of sync with us.

So let me just define that for us.

Redemption is simply gaining possession of something

in exchange for payment

or clearing of a debt.

In other words,

a price has been paid

that you deserve to pay.

It was paid on your behalf,

and so redemption was purchased on your behalf.

This clearing of a debt.

And those of you who are familiar

with the Passover narrative

will recognize or remember

that this Passover points all the way back

to Israel's time of captivity in Egypt.

This Passover would take place

during the first month

from the 10th day

to the 14th day of the month.

And the Feast of Unleavened Bread

would pick it up on the 15th

and carry it through for the next week

and end on the 21st.

The instructions for Passover and Unleavened Bread

are given to us in Exodus chapter 22.

Exodus 22 · chapter mention

On the 10th day,

every man was to take a lamb,

a lamb that was supposed to be without blemish,

without defect.

It was supposed to be one year old,

and then they would be brought into the home,

and they would take it in as a family.

This lamb would be like a pet

for the next four days.

They would keep this lamb until the 14th,

until twilight,

and then that lamb would be killed.

And they would paint that blood on the doorpost,

as you remember,

and that blood would serve as a picture

of the redemption or the price that had been paid

for those who were living inside the home,

especially the firstborn.

And so when the death angel would pass over in Egypt,

that angel would see the redemption price

that had been paid,

the blood of the lamb painted on the doorpost,

and he would pass over that house.

That lamb would be eaten at twilight,

and any of the leftovers would be burnt

before the next day.

They would eat.

They were supposed to eat

with a belt on around their waist,

with sandals on their feet,

with a staff in their hand,

and this was their permission to eat with haste.

It was a reminder of the urgency.

It was a reminder of the quickness

that they were going to be able to exit

this captivity in Egypt.

That blood was to be a sign.

A sign of redemption.

A sign of a purchase price

that had been paid for the oldest son.

For 430 years,

the Jews had been in Egypt,

and for several decades,

up until the time we get to Exodus chapter 1,

Exodus 1 · chapter mention

they'd been slaves in Egypt.

On this night,

they would commemorate

the time of deliverance

through this lamb.

This lamb is a picture of deliverance.

This picture of redemption.

This picture of this ransom price

that had been paid

for the firstborn in the house.

This physical deliverance

as all the firstborn sons

would be preserved

from this death

that would pass over their home.

But also a symbol

of the spiritual deliverance,

the salvation

that God sought to bring

to his people.

It was a picture of redemption.

But as the people of Israel

would leave Egypt,

we would find some other pictures

that would be put in place

and commemorated

through the observance

of the Passover.

The next was found

in Numbers chapter 9.

Numbers 9 · chapter mention

And it becomes there

a picture of promise.

A picture of this relationship

that God will establish

with his people.

In Numbers chapter 9,

Numbers 9:1

verses 1 and 2,

it says,

And the Lord spoke to Moses

in the wilderness of Sinai

in the first month

of the second year

after they had come out

of the land of Egypt,

saying,

Let the people of Israel

keep the Passover

at its appointed time.

Now, you may or may not know,

but the people of Israel

would leave Egypt.

They would cross the Red Sea

on dry ground

as God would open

the waters for them

and rescue them

from the armies.

And then three months later,

they would find themselves

standing in

at the foot of Mount Sinai.

They would be

in the plain of Sinai.

And then for the next year,

God would have them remain

and camp there

at the foot of Mount Sinai,

receiving instructions from God.

But specifically,

enjoying the benefits

of this new contract,

this new covenant,

this new promise of God,

establishing this relationship,

this promised relationship

with His people.

It would be referred to

as the Old Covenant

or the Mosaic Covenant.

And here they would commemorate

this new relationship

and this promise

where God would say to them,

You will be my treasured possession

among all the peoples.

I'm setting you apart.

I'm establishing this promise.

I am making you distinct.

I'm calling you out

from the nations.

I'm reestablishing

and reaffirming

this promise

that goes all the way

back to Abraham.

And I'm reestablishing

this promise again

to you.

It was a picture

of promise.

But then,

as 40 years would go by,

we find another picture.

A picture of fulfillment

from Joshua 5,

Joshua 5:10

verse 10.

Now,

Israel has wandered

in the wilderness

for 40 years

and they've enjoyed

the preservation of God,

His protection

of the various enemies,

His preservation of them

in providing

for their needs,

the manna by day

that they would receive

and keeping their clothes

and their sandals

from wearing out.

And here in Joshua 5,

Joshua 5:10

verse 10,

it says,

while the people of Israel

were encamped in Galgal,

they kept the Passover

on the 14th day

of the month

in the evening

on the plains

of Jericho.

God's promise

to His people.

His commemoration,

the captivity

that they were under

in Egypt

and His promise

to bring them

to the promised land,

His protection of them

for the last 40 years,

had finally arrived

and here they had now

crossed back

over the Jordan River.

They're standing

in the shadow of Jericho

and they're on the cusp

of this great conquest

and God is reestablishing

for the people

the things that I have promised

to you,

I will fulfill.

You can bank

on the promises

that I've given to you.

And here you stand

in the shadow of Jericho

and you can trust

that the promises

that I've made

are promises

that I will keep.

And as you look

in the rear view mirror

and you see the protection

that I've given to you,

you can know

that as you look forward

and those enemies

may be daunting

and those cities

may seem impenetrable,

but because of the promise

of God

and the power of God,

I will bring you

into the land.

I will fulfill

my promise to you.

The Passover

is meant to capture

many of those pictures

and so that serves

kind of as a backdrop

for our time

in this passage

here in Luke chapter 22

Luke 22 · chapter mention

and then for the next

several hundreds of years,

the Jews would commemorate

this feast.

They would celebrate

in Jerusalem.

They would commemorate

the work of God

in preserving His people

in this picture

of redemption.

It was all a vivid,

bloody picture

of Israel's sin

and their desperate need

for forgiveness.

So the significance

of this day

would stand

as this backdrop

of Jesus' parting words,

words that Jesus

would impart

on this night

to His disciples.

Disciples,

and these words,

by the way,

were in jeopardy

and they were unaware

perhaps of how dangerous

things were,

but Jesus was not.

And so we turn

our attention now

to verse 2

and we see now

the preservation

of Christ's words.

Not just the timing

of His words,

but the preservation

of His words.

Notice again

in verse 2.

And the chief priests

and the scribes

were seeking

how to put Him

to death

for they feared

the people.

There was danger.

We're going to see

two kinds of danger.

First, danger

from the outside,

danger from the chief priests,

dangers from the scribes.

It seems strange,

does it not,

to say that Jesus

needed to be careful

of the religious elite,

the religious leaders

in Jerusalem.

The scribes

and the Pharisees

and the chief priests

had resisted Jesus' ministry

from the very beginning,

but now it had grown

to a fever pitch.

What sent them

over the edge,

what agitated them

to the core,

what was the recent miracle

that Jesus had performed

just two miles

outside of the city

in a little town

of Bethany,

and which happened

about two months

prior to this Passover event.

It was fresh

and it was public.

The resurrection

of Lazarus,

raising Lazarus

from the dead.

That was the thing

that sent them

over the edge.

It generated

this extra enthusiasm

during this week

as Jesus

and His disciples

would make their way

from Jericho

up to Bethany

on Saturday.

They would spend

the night in Bethany

on Saturday evening

and they would have

a meal

at Simon the leper's house

and there,

Mary would come

and anoint

Jesus' feet.

But here,

the crowds would come

on Sunday morning.

Thousands would stream

out of Jerusalem

and they would come

because of the news.

They had heard

that Jesus was there

and they had heard

the word that Jesus

had resurrected Lazarus

so they're all gathering

at Bethany's,

at the house

of Simon the leper.

Jesus was close

and then

that entire group

would usher Jesus

into Jerusalem

on that next day,

that triumphal entry.

And throughout the week,

Jesus would teach

in the temple

and the people,

as you remember,

would hang on

Jesus' every words.

And so in the minds

of these scribes

and chief priests,

Jesus was a threat.

And in their minds,

they needed to rescue

the people

from Jesus' teaching.

But because Jesus

had gained

such a hearing

among the people

and he was moving

right in public spaces,

they were worried

about the danger

to themselves

and the credibility

of their leadership

by putting Jesus

into custody

and coming against him.

So they developed

a new strategy.

We need to utilize

the Roman occupation

to our favor.

So in Luke chapter 20

Luke 20 · chapter mention

in verses 19 and 20,

they put their plan to work.

We find there,

the scribes

and the chief priests

sought to lay hands

on him

at that very hour

for they perceived

that he had told

this parable against them,

but they feared

the people.

So what did they do?

They watched him

and sent spies

who pretended

to be sincere

that they might catch him

in something he said

so as to deliver him up

to the authority

and jurisdiction

of the governor.

They were too weak

to make a stand

on their own.

They needed to revert

to the help

of the Roman authorities

to do their dirty work

for them.

This plot, of course,

failed

as Jesus masterfully

answers their questions.

But this danger

from the outside

was an ever-present danger

to these words

that Jesus wanted to share

on this night.

But not only dangers

from the outside,

we now turn our attention

in verses 3 to 6

to dangers

from the inside.

Notice,

Then Satan entered

into Judas,

called Iscariot,

who was of the number

of the twelve.

He went away

and conferred

with the chief priests

and officers

how he might betray him

to them.

And they were glad

and agreed

to give them money.

So he consented

and sought an opportunity

to betray him

to them

in the absence

of a crowd.

They needed to go private.

They needed to take this

out of public view

and they needed to find a way

to get Jesus

when no one was looking

and they caught their break

with Judas.

And the details

aren't given to us

there in verse 3,

but simply

that Satan

entered into Judas.

It's quite troubling

even to consider

the possibility

that Judas,

who had been

with Jesus

in ministry

for the last three years,

who had seemed

to be such a loyal

follower of him,

is now vulnerable

to Satan's influence

and Satan

entered into Judas.

It's the same word,

by the way,

that Matthew uses

or Christ uses

in Matthew 6,

Matthew 6:6

verse 6,

when he says,

when you pray,

go into your room.

You see,

Satan took up residence

in Judas' heart.

His true identity

is now coming

to the forefront.

He gave way

to Satan's attacks

and now the rest

was inevitable.

These dominoes

were beginning to fall.

But you know,

Judas was,

or excuse me,

Jesus was not surprised

in any way

by Judas' betrayal.

Jesus knew early on

who Judas was.

We find in John 6,

John 6:70–71

verses 70 to 71,

this is shortly after

the feeding of the 5,000,

and Jesus is making

some very hard statements

about his body

and his blood,

and it says,

many of the disciples

who had been following Jesus

departed from him

and didn't follow him anymore.

And so now Jesus turns

his attention

to his apostles

and says,

did I not choose you,

the twelve?

And yet one of you

is a devil.

He spoke of Judas,

the son of Simon Iscariot,

for he,

one of the twelve,

was going to betray him.

Jesus was not surprised.

Jesus was not shocked.

He was not disguised

by Judas' plots.

And Judas had shown his heart

throughout Jesus' ministry,

but perhaps the most evident sign

of it was what happened

just a few days earlier

in this week,

where if you remember,

as Jesus was having his feet

anointed by Mary,

Judas is there to protest

along with the rest

of the disciples,

and it was Judas who spoke.

In John chapter 12,

John 12:4

verses 4 and 5,

he says,

Judas Iscariot,

one of his disciples,

he who was about

to betray him said,

why was this ointment

not sold for 300 denarii

and given to the poor?

Here he puts on his face.

Here he seems like one

who is concerned

about the poor and oppressed.

Here he's one

who seems to have

the kind of heart

that Jesus would commend.

But what we find,

and John kind of gives us

a picture inside

the window of Judas' heart,

what we find from verse 6

is where Judas' heart

really was.

He said this,

not because he cared

about the poor,

but because he was a thief.

And having charge

of the money bag,

he used to help himself

to what was put into it.

Things were becoming

clear to Judas.

This week that was fueled

by enthusiasm of the crowds

and the wonder

of what Jesus would do

in fulfilling all the things

that were spoken about

the Son of Man,

the crowds wondered

if this was the moment

where the Messiah would come

and establish his throne

once and for all.

But as the week continued,

and especially as Jesus

would speak about

the destruction of the temple

and the ransacking of Jerusalem

and the killing of his people

and the captivity

that would also follow,

Judas is beginning to wonder,

is this really the Messiah?

Is he really the one?

And while his dreams

were dashed

because of the words of Jesus,

maybe he could use

this one last opportunity

to his advantage.

So he goes away.

He confers with the chief priests.

He asks for an arrangement of money.

We find from Matthew 26, verse 15,

Matthew 26:15

Judas actually says,

What will you give me

if I deliver him over to you?

That's what was on his heart.

And so he sells Jesus out

for 30 pieces of silver.

Really a pittance

in comparison

with the betrayal

that Judas will carry out.

It was.

There was danger from the inside.

There was danger from the outside.

And so in verses 7 to 13,

we find the wise discretion

of our Lord.

The wise discretion

from the Lord.

Notice.

Then came the day

of unleavened bread

on which the Passover lamb

had to be sacrificed.

So Jesus sent Peter

and John saying,

Go and prepare the Passover

for us

that we may eat it.

They said to him,

Where will you have us prepare it?

He said to them,

And behold,

when you have entered the city,

a man carrying a jar of water

will meet you.

Follow him into the house

that he enters

and tell him the master,

tell the master of the house,

the teacher says to you,

Where is the guest room?

Where I may eat the Passover

with my disciples?

And he will show you

a large upper room

furnished,

prepare it there.

and they went

and found it

just as he had told them

and they prepared

the Passover.

You see,

Jesus was not

shocked or surprised

by Judas' heart.

And Jesus knew

that Judas was looking

for an opportunity

to find Jesus

in a private space

away from the crowds.

This would have been

the golden opportunity.

But Jesus had

some important

parting words to share

with his disciples.

And so,

by his discernment,

he invites

two of his disciples,

Peter and John,

to go on a little mission.

Now, we could spend

some time talking about

the sovereignty

of our Savior

and being able to know

the exact place

and the exact person

and what that person

was going to be carrying

and where that person

was going to go

and how that person

was going to show them

the exact room

that they were supposed

to be doing

this Passover feast in

and the fact that

that Passover room,

that upper room,

was actually available

on a night like this

and that it was actually

furnished for this group.

We could talk about

the sovereignty

of God in that,

but I want to just

draw attention

to the careful discretion

of our Savior,

the importance

of this night

and the desires

we're going to see

of Jesus

in these final words

that He will impart

to His disciples.

Of course,

the disciples would go,

we find in verse 13,

they went and found it

just as He had told them

and they prepared

the Passover.

This would have been

like an all-day process.

The things that they

would have needed

to purchase,

they would have purchased

the lamb,

they would have prepared

all of the various elements

for that Passover meal.

things like the wine,

things like the pomegranates

and the bitter herbs,

the apples,

the nuts,

and the cinnamon.

All of that need

to be prepared

ahead of time

and then they would

enjoy their meal.

At around 2.30

to 5.30 in the evening,

they would go

to the temple,

they would purchase

this Passover lamb,

it would be slaughtered

for them,

they would take it back

to this upper room

and everything would

finally be ready

for them to enjoy.

these final moments

with the Savior.

But the location

of this room

would be concealed,

hidden until the actual

time of the meal

so that Jesus could

communicate to his disciples

what was of utmost importance.

This picture of the Passover

that we're going to look at next,

this portrait of Christ's words

that is captured for us

in these elements.

Verses 14 to 23

says this,

And when the hour came,

he reclined the table

and the apostles with him

and he said to them,

I have earnestly desired

to eat this Passover with you

before I suffer.

For I tell you,

I will not eat it

until it is all fulfilled

in the kingdom of God.

And then in verse 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.

This portrait of Christ's words

begins with a picture of hope.

This picture of hope.

Notice there in verse 16,

that he says this,

I tell you,

I will not eat

until it is all fulfilled

in the kingdom of God.

There's other translations

that say,

I will not eat this again

until the kingdom of God.

The New King James says,

I will no longer eat of it

until it is fulfilled

in the kingdom of God.

And all of this points

to the significance of hope,

that what Jesus is about to do,

however dark things may seem,

however empty

and hopeless things may be,

that what is coming,

Jesus anticipates.

He knows what's coming.

He's embracing that mission.

I know what God's will is

and there is no wavering

and there is no hesitation.

But before I suffer,

while I have anticipated this night,

I want to commemorate it for you

and I want to let you understand

that while things may seem

so final tomorrow

when I'm put on the cross and die,

it is just the beginning

of what is to come.

You can anticipate in hope

that what happens tomorrow

is just the beginning.

It's not the end.

There will be another time

where we will enjoy this again together.

This is just commemorating

something that you can look forward to.

Not just you can hope in

in the way that we generally hope in.

No, this is a hope of expectation.

This is a hope of something

that is certain.

This is something

that's going to be confident.

It is going to happen.

We're going to celebrate this again

someday in the future

when the kingdom of God is coming.

There is hope.

It points to this picture of promise

and Jesus picks it up

from the first Passover.

This Passover of hope

and understanding

that the words of God

are words that will be fulfilled.

They're words of promise.

They're words that are assured.

These words of hope.

Things may seem dark

and they may seem uncertain.

You may not understand

what's taking place

but you can have hope

that we will do this again.

Reminds us

of the hope

that we're supposed to have

in Jesus.

Remember

a couple of passages ago

where

Jesus is trying to help

the crowds

recognize

that we tend to put our hope

in a lot of things

especially things

that are here on earth

but unless you're putting

your hope

in the sun

those hopes

are desperate

and they're superficial

those hopes

will let you down

but put your hope

in the sun.

There is promise there.

And then

in verses 17 and 20

not only

a picture of hope

but a picture of promise

and he takes this cup

it says in verse 17

he took the cup

and when he had given thanks

he said

take this

and divide it among yourselves

for I tell you

that from now on

I will not drink

of the fruit of the vine

until the kingdom

of God comes

and he took the 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

and likewise

the cup

after them

after they had eaten

saying

this cup

is poured out

for you

is the new covenant

in my blood.

I would encourage you

just remind you

to come this evening

we're gonna

we're gonna remember

these symbols

we're gonna remember

the body

and blood of Christ

we're gonna remember

this picture this evening

and I would encourage you

to participate with us

we'll hear some testimonies

of at least five individuals

who have

who have

enjoyed

and experienced

that work

of God's salvation

redemption for them

and they're gonna share

their testimonies tonight

but the key word here

is the word

in verse 20

which says

the new covenant

in my blood

that new covenant

and Jesus places

new meaning

on this Passover meal

and

and the picture

that would have been

fresh

in the minds

of the disciples

is

is that promise

that happened

when the people

of Israel

were camped out

at Mount Sinai

in the commemoration

of the Passover

that took place there

and that promise

of relationship

that old covenant

that happened

and now

Jesus says

well you remember

that old covenant

well let me tell you

a new covenant

is coming

and it's only happening

one way

it's happening

through my body

and my blood

through my sacrifice

there's only one way

to enjoy

the promise

of salvation

this promise

of redemption

it's only through

faith in Jesus Christ

this promise

that we find

of this new covenant

that is

that is given

to us

both in

the book

of Jeremiah

but also

in Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

chapter 36

but Jeremiah

puts it this way

in Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah 31:31–34

verses 31 to 34

when he says

behold the days

are coming

declares the Lord

when I will make

a new covenant

with the house

of Israel

and with the house

of Judah

for 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

I will write it

on their hearts

and I will be

their God

and they will be

my people

and no longer

shall each one

teach his neighbor

and each his brother

saying know the Lord

for they shall all

know me

from the least of them

to the greatest

declares the Lord

for I will forgive

their iniquity

and I will remember

their sin

no more

that new covenant

that forgiveness

that we are able

to enjoy

the law

that's written

on our hearts

in the power

of the Holy Spirit

that changes us

from the inside out

and works out

his power

in our lives

that spiritual fruit

that happens

because of the power

of God

it's a work of God

and so not

following the rigid

forms of the law

as a means

of obtaining

some measure

of merit

from God

but trusting

in the Son

and the Son alone

as the only means

of salvation

that he alone

fulfilled the law

as God

had commanded

for his people

to do

and that he alone

was the sacrifice

for sin

have you partaken

of that promise

have you participated

with Christ

in forgiveness

of sin

are you

a new covenant

person

have you enjoyed

the benefits

of that law

that's written

on your hearts

because of the work

of the Spirit

and forgiveness

of sin

because of Christ's death

and resurrection

the promise

that Jesus

has in mind

is this work

that he will perform

on that Friday

and the resurrection

that will take place

on Sunday

and Jesus ushers

in this new age

where the promise

will unfold

on an international scale

it was a picture

of God's promise

but finally

a picture

of God's heart

a picture

of God's heart

notice in verse 21

but behold

the hand

of him

who betrays me

is with me

on the table

for the son of man

goes as it has been

determined

but woe

to that man

by whom

he is betrayed

and they began

to question

one another

which of them

it could be

who is going

to do this

you see

every step

of Jesus' ministry

was deliberate

and full of faith

do you find it

fascinating

that Judas

is sharing

this meal

with Jesus

the one

he's about

to betray

do you find it

marvelous

that Jesus

has welcomed

Judas

to participate

and to hear

these parting words

do you find

it fascinating

as John

will give us

the account

that Jesus

not only

allows him

to be part

of this

fellowshipping time

and hearing

these parting words

but Judas

is a part

of one

who enjoys

the service

of Christ

as Jesus

will put on

his towel

he'll bend

his knee

before Judas

he'll wash

Judas' feet

and it's

very likely

that Judas

was the one

who was actually

sitting in the

place of honor

at the table

in that

U-shaped table

the host

would sit

in the

center of that

table

and the

person of honor

would sit

to the right

and that's

where that

morsel of bread

would first

be handed over

and Jesus

we find

from John's

account

will hand

that morsel

over to Judas

and so none

of the disciples

even understood

what was unfolding

as Jesus said

who's going to

betray me

well the one

I hand

this morsel

of bread

to

he hands

it to Judas

Judas

is there

in the place

of honor

and all

the disciples

are blown

away

like what

just happened

and they

don't know

that Judas

is the one

who's about

to betray

Jesus

because

Judas

was in the

place of

honor

that entire

night

the heart

of God

was on

display

and that

heart

of God

continues

to extend

itself

to us

today

I wonder

have you

participated

in this

new covenant

arrangement

that Christ

has offered

through his

son Jesus

through his

death and

through his

resurrection

are you

one who is

able to

enjoy the

hope that

we have

that settled

confident

stable hope

that is given

to us

because of the

security of

that which

really matters

that relationship

that we have

with Christ

that peace

with God

through the

Lord Jesus

forgiveness

of sin

and cleansing

and a

promise

because of

what he's

accomplished

for us

of that

future

inheritance

which really

is Christ

himself

have you

enjoyed

and participated

in all of

those things

and as one

who's

participated

in them

is there

is there a

new

urgency

of your

heart

to fulfill

the mission

that God

has set you

on

that your

heart is

so filled

up with

the wonder

of what

Christ has

accomplished

for you

that you

can't keep

your mouth

quiet

of the

goodness

and grace

of our

Lord Jesus

and your

desire to do

and echo

the heart

of our

Savior

and seeking

to call

others

to participate

in that

same hope

that you

have

brothers and

sisters

we've been

given such

a great

blessing

a gift

from God

in salvation

has it

fundamentally

changed

the way

you live

has it

changed

your purpose

has it

changed

your priorities

has it

changed

your affections

for Christ

from day

to day

is it

clear

as you're

working

through

the day

by day

goodbyes

and hellos

of your

life

that the

parting

words of

Christ

are really

preeminent

for you

that there

is this

driving force

that for

me to

live

is Christ

but to

die

is gain

oh may

that be

true

of us

as we

seek to

live

from day

to day

let me

pray

oh Lord

we are so

grateful

for your

sacrifice

thank you

for the

promise that

we have

in Christ

through salvation

forgiveness

of sin

redemption

this purchase

price that has

been paid

for us

and Lord

I pray

that you

would help

the expression

of our

lives

to demonstrate

a walk

that is

worthy

of the

gospel

that we

are putting

you in the

forefront of

our attention

and that because

you are in

the first

place

in our

focus

that our

lives are

moving

towards you

and our

desire

is to

draw

others

along

in the

way that

we live

in the

way that

we speak

in the

way that

we act

God I

pray that

you would

help us

day by

day

to grow

in our

affection

for Christ

in the

way that

Christ shows

through our

lives

I pray in

Jesus name

amen

God bless

you

have a

great

week