The Weekend Word

Matthew 26:17-29

The Passover with the Disciples

¹⁷ Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

• “Unleavened Bread” = The Passover = the 1^st day of a 7 day festival
• This will be Maundy Thursday – ‘A new command I give you’ – John 13 after washing their feet. A new command / mandate – ‘love one another’
• In Jewish life everything stops for the Sabbath and the Festivals. It is no different here.

¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”

• “My time is at hand” – I’m terminal guys.
• This is Jesus time – this is salvation time.
• What is this ‘my time’? The time for the Son of Man to be lifted up.
• This is so good – first the Chief Priest try to set their time – “not during the feast” v.5 – then look at Judas (v.16) ‘looking for the opportune time.’
• Everyone is trying to set their watches to their own schedule. Jesus though sets his own time – he uses the Father’s watch.
• Jesus comes on the scene and he is revealed as the Son of David (2 Sam 7), The Son of Man (Daniel), the Suffering Servant (Isaiah) – The whole OT has been pointing to this One – the Christ.

¹⁹ And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

• Think about this – when you prepare the Passover, the primary thing you are doing is preparing the lamb.
• Jesus has been ‘being prepared’ for quite some time – he was just basted with oil in v.7.

²⁰ When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve

• Note just the 12 – what will become communion is not open to the masses.

²¹ And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

• How is this for polite dinner conversation – one of you is a rat.

²² And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”

• We often think that it is so obvious that Judas is the one, that if I had made the movie of this, I would have had all the disciples turn and look at Judas.
• But they all seem to know, as we should, that we all are capable of betraying Jesus – that we are all capable of playing the anti Christ.

²³ He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.

• The outrageousness of Judas’ betrayal is underscored here by Matthew when he points out – Judas broke the bond of table fellowship.
• Psalm 41:9 – “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
• John 13:18 – “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’”

²⁴ The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

• Don’t miss this – here we see that Jesus is walking through prophetic history.

²⁵ Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

• As usual, Jesus knows what is going on. Jesus is doing and suffering the Father’s will – and still he knows the who and the why.
• What Jesus is doing is for whom? – Sinners which includes Judas. He goes through this to be betrayed. But in the end, the disciples are all sinners.
• If I were running the show, I would have cleansed the whole room. I would shout out “are any of you sinners? Oh all 12 of you? Get out!!”
• Judas’ betrayal is enormous, but the others are sinners in their own way of denial, their running away and not wanting to confess Jesus when the going gets tough.
• How about us?
• Look at the language of John – they all have dirty feet.
• Jesus is going to love them all – even Judas, and the proud and pompous Peter and all the rest.
• He is not only washing their feet – but with this meal, with this sacrifice, with this roasting in their place, he is washing their whole body.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

²⁶ Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

• We need to understand what is happening here as Jesus is linking his Good Friday death to his supper.
• Note that as we look at the Maundy Thursday events, here in Jewish thinking Friday has already begun at sundown (our Thursday evening).
• Jesus instituted the supper on the same day as his death.
• They are eating the Passover just like Jews all over the world were that night and then Jesus pulls the big switch.
• He changes course, he changes to something different – something that was never done before at Passover.
• At other times references have been made about Jesus and bread – bread of life etc. Now what Jesus is doing is showing the disciples (and us) what it means and for what purpose – he now makes it real.

²⁷ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,

• The cup / wine does no good without drinking it. People can say it is a memorial all they want – but couldn’t it be just placing it in the center of the room and giving it honor?
• No! you must eat and drink because in it is Jesus.
• We have entered the No Pixie Dust zone.

²⁸ for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

• Covenant = testament
• This act of eating and drinking is for a purpose – for the forgiveness of sins.
• This is the last will and testament of Jesus – we are the beneficiaries of this – and what has been willed to us? our forgiveness and salvation.
• Think about a will / testament – only the testator can make changes. I can’t interject over the actual words and say – “well I know what it says, I get the stamp collection, but what it really meant was that I get his baseball card collection – not George.”
• Do you see where I am going? We cannot change it and say forgiveness and salvation are not directly attached to the bread and wine.

²⁹ I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

• What do we pray in the Lord’s Prayer? “Your kingdom come.”
• We are praying for Jesus to come and drink from the cup.