Luke 22 (1) (3)

Pray Psalm 116.7-9.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the LORD
In the land of the living.

Sing Psalm 116.7-9.
(Mit Freuden Zart: Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above)
Full well the Lord has dealt with me; my soul from death He delivered.
My weeping eyes, my stumbling feet, He has redeemed forever.
Forever I before His face shall walk with those who know His grace,
and dwell with them forever.

Read Luke 22.1-23; meditate on verses 14-23.

Preparation
1. How did Jesus instruct His disciples concerning this Supper?

2. What did He say would happen to Him shortly?

Meditation
By His actions in these verses, Jesus assumed the role of the Passover lamb. He brought that institution to its pre-appointed end (Heb. 10.5-10), replacing it with a sacrament more appropriate for remembering His work and maintaining communion with Him.

The Lord’s Supper serves to remind us that only by His bodily incarnation and shed blood do we have forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God. But it also provides a means of true spiritual “communion” in the Lord, Who is present in the elements of the Supper by His Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 10.15-17).

Having served the bread and blessed the cup, Jesus revealed what would happen next. He would be betrayed by one who was partaking of the Supper with Him (v. 21). This sent a wave of murmuring, speculating, and concern among the disciples, as they wondered “which of them it was who would do this thing” (v. 23). Jesus indicated to John that the betrayer was Judas, whom He sent out from their midst once he had partaken of the Supper (Jn. 13.22-27).

We must always take care that we do not betray the Lord by our sinful acts, whether of commission or omission. The disciples could not imagine such a thing, but they would all abandon Him when push came to shove in Gethsemane. The Lord’s Supper is an important resource for reaffirming our faith and firming-up our relationship and fellowship with the Lord. As we take it, let us be increasingly grateful for our salvation, and drink the cup and eat the bread of salvation fully aware of our constant need of the Lord’s work within us to keep us in fellowship with Him.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Then He said to them,
‘With fervent desire I have desired
to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer’” (Lk. 22.15).

Before I suffer.

We all believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He is God, He is part of the Triune God. But He was also the Son of Man, come to earth, to be the Passover Lamb for the remission of our sins. And He had feelings, both emotional and physical. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4.15).

Imagine for a moment, that you have just been given the diagnosis of a terminal illness. You are longing for comfort from family and friends. You plan a meal to share with them and tell them of what is before you…to suffer. And within a few hours of your dinner, one has egregiously betrayed your friendship, and the rest leave you to suffer alone. Yes, indeed. That would be painful.

Not only did Jesus suffer all that from His friends, but His enemies tortured Him and most grievously killed Him. Why? And why did He agree to do that for us? Because He chose to.

And now, out of His deep love for us, He invites us to share in this dinner with Him to remember Him.
“…do this in remembrance of Me” (Lk. 22.19).

But be careful that you do it mindfully and lovingly. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let each man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor. 11.26-29).

The same “Woe” for Judas (Lk. 22.22) is a “Woe” for those of us who take the Lord’s Supper and in any way cause Jesus Christ pain. Remember, He has a fervent desire to eat this with us.

But we must honor Him and understand, as best we can, exactly what He suffered for this meal.
We can share it together with Him, and then live out our lives to prove the importance of it.

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.
(Lewis E. Jones,1899)

For reflection
1. Knowing how important the Lord’s Supper is, how should we prepare for taking it?

2. How does the Supper help us remember what Jesus did for us? How does it enrich our fellowship with Him?

3. How would you explain to a non-Christian friend why Christians observe the Lord’s Supper?

Nothing can be more nourishing and satisfying to the soul, than the doctrine of Christ’s making atonement for sin, and the assurance of an interest in that atonement. Therefore we do this in remembrance of what He did for us, when he died for us; and for a memorial of what we do, in joining ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Luke 22.19, 20

Pray Psalm 116.10-19.
Thank the Lord for His salvation. Pray that He will grant you more of it, will loose you from any bonds of sin, and will enable you to fulfill all your commitments to Him.

Sing Psalm 116.10-19.
(Mit Freuden Zart: Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above)
Afflicted, I believe His Word, though lying men would undo me.
What shall I render to the Lord for all His blessings to me?
Salvation’s cup I lift above and call upon the God of love
and pay my vows most truly.

How sweet to Him when saints depart—save me, Your servant, Savior!
From sin You loosed my wand’ring heart; I praise Your Name forever!
On You I call, my vows to pay; here in Your Presence I would stay
Your praise to offer ever.

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.