The Last Supper
Luke 22:1-30
Passover begins as the sun sets, and the feast of the unleavened bread occurs to both remember what God has done and prophetically tell of the sacrifice Jesus is about to make. Passover in Jerusalem was a special time for the Jews whose anticipation of the Messiah was embodied in the masses gathering to partake in the feast. There was an air of expected glory among the people; they wanted greatness. All of scripture is building to this week, steadily being fulfilled by the life and ministry of Jesus. For those presently following Christ though, the events to follow would come as a massive disappointment: their Lord and Teacher is to be taken away from them, betrayed by one of their own, and publicly executed. Though foretold directly to them, the disciples struggle to accept this and remain in disarray spiritually. Drawing from His sovereignty, Jesus affirms the magnitude of what is to come and prepares them by teaching the foundation of how
God’s people should operate towards one another as kingdom ambassadors.
Lets zoom into Christ’s sovereignty for a moment. All four of the Gospels affirm God’s sovereignty over this situation in some way. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell of Jesus sending the disciples ahead to prepare the space He has already divinely prepared through men the disciples have never met before (Luke 22:8-13). Though John doesn’t include this particular story, His sovereignty is more explicitly mentioned multiple times, most notably in John 13:3 saying, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” Jesus was not taken off-guard by Judas’s betrayal, nor was this a wrench in God’s plans as to how Christ would be betrayed. His sovereignty was even more evident in His own foretelling of His coming glorification via suffering and the cross.
The disciples could not seem to wrap their minds around this. With seemingly the rest of the populace in Jerusalem, they wanted greatness too. Though not directly correlated in the text, this concept of glory and exaltation captivated the disciples such as to consider who would be the greatest among them when Jesus’s kingdom comes as He had been prophesying (Luke 22:16). Recognizing what it was they were disputing over, Jesus intervenes.
Read John 13:4 and 12-17
Jesus models for the disciples what it means to live like Him; to serve sacrificially. Their understanding of greatness was worldly, flesh-driven. But the Kingdom of God is clearly set apart, and Jesus ensures they know what example to follow. They already have a seat at the table with Him, they are already accepted into the Kingdom, Jesus assures them that. This act of communion is in remembrance of the miracle that is our reconciliation back into the family of God; achieved via sacrifice. Which points as to how this is embodied in their life, how they should live this out: to serve instead of being served. That is how greatness is achieved in the Kingdom and how Jesus will be glorified, that He should lay down His life as a ransom for many.
The same pitfall is still true for us today. It's easy to see worldly glory; the cars, the fame, the riches, the power. Clearly, none of that satisfies, though; a recognition likely present in our testimonies of how we came to Christ. For the disciples, their understanding of the glory and greatness of the Kingdom of God was tainted by sin too. We need this example of Jesus serving; we need these reminders of what it means to be a Kingdom ambassador in this world. We need the cup and the bread to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice, and remind us of the seat at the table we have because of Him. Simultaneously, it reminds us how we ought to live. With Christ as our perfect example, we have a model of service and sacrifice. Let us be people who, in remembrance of Him, follow in His likeness. And by His power, let our understanding and love for God deepen such that we would serve as He has served.
