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Dec 1 / Chuck Smith, Jr.

November 20, 2011

When the hour had come, He reclined at 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” Luke 22:15 (read vv. 1-38)

INTRO: Why are we here this morning?

We want God – we want to belong to Him
– to develop a constant awareness of him and contact with him
– to be inspired, directed, and empowered by him
– to be agents of his love in the world

God has helped men and women who’ve walked this path
– guided them to freedom from other preoccupations
– nurtured their spirits to greater sensitivity

Many found, their most intense and intimate encounters occurred during the ritual of the bread and the cup — Communion
– Matthew and Mark also describe this event, but Luke’s unique details are significant


Vv. 1-6, There’s a swirl of activity prior to Passover

Luke doesn’t linger over Jesus’ prophecies of last days
– some Christians get in and can’t get out – knowing the “end times” becomes the goal of their faith
– but our lives are located in the challenges of the here and now

Judas and religious leaders make preparations
– notice how certain language is repeated: the priests were “seeking” a “how”
– their snag, however, is Jesus’ popularity with the people
– Judas showed up and offered them the “how”
– then he began “seeking”

The story of Judas begins with the priests and scribes
– but Luke doesn’t say, “Judas came to them,” rather he “went away” — the orientation Luke takes is from Jesus’ point of view
– Judas made a break with Jesus and the other disciples
What was his motive? Luke says, “Satan entered into Judas”
– the last time Satan was active in the story was Jesus’ temptations and when they ended we were told the devil “left Him until an opportune time” (4:13)
kairos is a special moment in time – a “window of opportunity”
– Satan backed off and waited until the timing was right before coming after Jesus again
– now, Judas began looking for eukarian (eu = good + kairos) a “good opportunity”
– in bringing Satan back into the story, Luke stresses the sinister nature of Judas’ negotiation with the priests


Vv. 7-13, Jesus and the disciples make preparations

The parallels with this scene and the one it 19:29-32 are too many to be coincidence
– they connect Jesus coming to Jerusalem with this event — as if he came to Jerusalem for this meal

Luke puts the sacrifice of the Passover lamb in the background
– he doesn’t exploit the imagery, it’s just there

Note the contrast between the way Judas was moved by Satan and the disciples were directed by Jesus


Vv 14-20, This was night that Christian worship was born

Jesus begins the ritual with an announcement
epithumia, epethumesa – a Hebrew literary expression
– writers double a word to intensify its force – make it an ultimate statement (e.g., King of kings, Holy of holies, etc.)
– Jesus is saying, “This has been My ultimate desire, to eat this Passover with you”

It is not typical for Jesus to reveal his intense desires like this
– here, he connects with the disciples in the bread and the cup
– Jesus inserts a meaning in bread and cup

Eating and drinking have been a theme throughout Luke’s gospel — both with Pharisees and with sinners
– there were even meals where he talked about meals and the meal
– now, in the upper room, we reach the climax of the eating and drinking theme
– all the meals point to this one – all the meals are an invitation to join in this one

Later, in Luke 24:30-31, two disciples will recognize Jesus after his resurrection when he sits to eat with them
What if Luke is saying:
– our eyes are to be opened to risen Christ in the breaking of bread?
– in the book of Acts, we cannot tell when “they broke bread” means the took Communion or shared a normal meal

Jesus locates Communion between the past (his death) and the future (when “the kingdom of God comes”)
– remembrance is not merely recalling to memory, but  a bringing into our consciousness an awareness of Jesus in the here and now
– in this way, we connect with the real presence in the bread and cup

We derive the word “Communion” for the ritual of the bread and cup from  – 1 Co. 10:16
– Jesus gives himself to us and he himself becomes the bond between us and God — our co-union
– the union we experience with Jesus is real
Various Christian churches or traditions also refer to Communion as:
Eucharist – which is translated “give thanks” in verse 17
– the Lord’s Supper, from 1 Corinthians 11:20


Vv. 21-23, A revelation

Jesus’ body would be broken and his blood poured out
– but the mechanism behind it involved people
– one of them, a betrayer, was at the table that night


Vv. 24-27, A strange turn in the conversation

It amazes me how they could turn on a dime to a new topic of discussion
– they went from “who’s the betrayer?” to “who’s the greatest?”
– “dispute” is a rare word that literally means, “love to fight”

Jesus demolishes their concept of greatness
– “lord it” – some people take leadership positions for this very reason — to exercise control over other people
– they do this, often times unconsciously, to meet a personal need or soothe some internal distress
– they enjoy

  • having others in a vise and squeezing them
  • when people are forced to beg them for a raise or time off
  • saying no — while acting like they are sad that they have to deny a request

This is not the way of Jesus — as he makes clear
– leadership is not about control, glory, or the perks of the position
– leadership is a gift that a disciple uses to take care of others

Helmut Thielicke, “God is now to be found in the depths, not in the heights”


Vv. 28-34, Affirmation, encouragement, and a warning

“Stood by Me” – the disciples did little more than this
– eat and drink theme, and as on several other occasions, it is the celebration feast in the kingdom of heaven

Jesus uses Peter’s old name, “Simon, Simon”
– Satan had Judas, but he wanted Peter too

It is easy to slip too far one direction or the other in regard to belief in Satan — to either not believe enough or to believe too much
– we should at least realize that our personal struggles are not always limited to psychological issues
– evil has a force that also works on us – either to break us or seduce us
– we learn from Jesus that our defense is:

  • prayer, “I have prayed for you”
  • caring for others, “strengthen your brothers”
  • the care of others

From Peter and the others we are reassured that receiving the Lord’s Supper does not depend on our goodness or perfection


Vv. 35-38, A challenge: prepare for a new situation

If the number of swords was unimportant, then what is Jesus’ point?
– they will need the normal equipment generally associated with travel (in those days)

Jesus’ quote from Isaiah 53 also likes in the background like Luke’s mention of the Passover lamb
– furthermore, the two are related (see Is. 53:4-7)
– again, Luke does not highlight the imagery, he simply leaves it there
– it is up to the reader to make the connections


CONC: How could they be there, hear what Jesus said about the bread and cup, and not jump deeper into it?

Their thoughts were elsewhere – other issues tugged on their emotions
– it seems wrong for them to be distracted like this, but that’s exactly why we’ve been given Communion
– it provide an anchor for our soul in tides and currents of everything else
– it is for reconciliation, recapitulation, and re-calibration

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