Matthew 26:17-30 Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples
“Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
And 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.” ’ ”
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on 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.”
While the disciples are in total denial, Jesus is fully aware that his time on earth is drawing to a close. This one night is the last night Jesus will spend with his closest friends before he dies. Wanting every thing to be in order, Jesus has already prayed and God the Father has directed him to those who can help host the Passover meal, allowing the disciples to arrange things in a room two flights of stairs above the street.
At the supper, Jesus clearly announces that one of the disciples will betray him, and affirms to Judas that Jesus knows Judas is the traitor. The 13th Chapter of John tells us that when none of the disciples is willing to serve the others by washing their stinky dirty feet, Jesus will take on that task. Jesus even washes the feet of the man who is about to betray him, giving Judas yet another chance to repent. If Judas repents, Jesus will still be crucified; however, Judas will have saved himself. But Judas carries out his plans.
Jesus uses the occasion of the traditional Passover meal to teach his disciples a different meaning for the bread and the wine, likening them to his body and blood. What must the disciples be thinking at this point? Surely, the disciples realize that destruction is looming for Jesus and that their lives also might hang in the balance. Yet, Jesus calmly celebrates, instituting the Sacrament of Communion as he does so. Why? Jesus wants his followers to remember every single moment of this night so that they will never forget his last teachings and will follow them faithfully.
It’s likely that Jesus already anticipates what the disciples will do when his captors come to seize him. That desertion will also form part of the suffering Jesus has yet to endure. But Jesus continues to teach and celebrate anyway. You see, for Jesus, there is a time for everything, and now is the time to celebrate one of the holiest of festivals with his friends, a festival that prophesies of his sacrificial death for the sins of mankind as he sheds his blood. But is Jesus frowning and moping because of his impending fate? No! Jesus is laughing and joking and singing and hugging and being everything to these men he can possibly be for the few short hours that remain to him.
In 1963 Sydney Carter wrote the hymn Lord of the Dance. This hymn captures the brave and thrilling spirit of Jesus as few other hymns have done. Here are the words.”
“I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth:
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came with me and the dance went on:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame:
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
And they left me there on a cross to die:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the dance, and I still go on:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me:
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.”
There are many times in life when we must face grim realities. But we always have the opportunity to celebrate if we will only allow God to give us His joy and peace. Remember the last verse of that hymn: “They cut me down and I leapt up high; I am the life that’ll never, never die. I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me: I am the Lord of the dance, said he.” Let the Lord of the dance give you His Holy Spirit so that you can rejoice even in suffering.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please give us Your unshakeable joy and gladness, so that no matter what happens, we can continue to praise and worship You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Tags: bible, faith, god, jesus, last-supper
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