Hymn # 181 O Dearest Jesus
Call to Confession – Summary of the Law
Words of Assurance: 1 John 2:1-2 (ESV)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Hymn # 726 Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah
Scripture: Matthew 26:17-30
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?” 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.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 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.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
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.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 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.”
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
(Matthew 26:17-30 ESV)
Sermon Notes
The disciples looked toward the Lord's supper,
Today this very meal causes divisions among us. Sin causes problems.
Jesus took the passover meal and changed it.
The bread that pointed to their captivity now points to Jesus.
The bread doesn't literally turn into the body of Christ, but more that it represents his body.
The cup...the passover meal...had four cups....Jesus drank the third cup...it celebrates the redeeming work of God. This is the cup we drink when we remember what Jesus did for us.
Moses joined the people to God by splashing blood on them. "The blood of the covenant" (mount Sinai).
Jesus says "my blood of the covenant" which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. By doing this Jesus attained the hitherto impossible. He built a new covenant with Israel with his own blood. In the Lord's Supper we remember all this.
The Supper is for believers only. If you don't truly believe in him, do not eat it. But eating the supper we publically admit our guilt. It is meant to draw us nearer to Christ.
So what is the fourth cup...the one that Jesus would not drink. It is the cup meant to celebrate when God takes his people unto himself. For the Jews it meant when God gave them the promised land. So this last cup is for when God finally brings his people home for good.
We need to be reminded that the Lord's Supper is for forgiven sinners.
So we need to keep this in our minds, to know we are feeding our souls through it. We are joining with all other believers as well. It is a sign that we trust in Jesus alone.
One day we will take in the Lord's Supper with all the other believers in the world and drink that final cup with the Lord Jesus himself.
Hymn # 439 Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness
Hymn # 358 Bread of the World in Mercy Broken
Hymn # 363 A Parting Hymn we Sing
Hymn # 7 Now Blessed Be the Lord our God