This is an exposition of Luke 22:7-20. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, November 26, 2017.
Intro:
It was a time for feasting and celebrating. It was a time for remembering the deliverance of God. A time for families to gather about the table as the head of the family retold the old, old story of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage.
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Special foods had been prepared and arranged for the celebration. A thick paste of dates, raisins and apples reminded them of the mortar and bricks of Egypt. Bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of slavery. The Paschal Lamb was the symbol of the blood that caused the death angel to “passover.” Yes, this was a night of solemn remembrance and a night of rejoicing.
A small group of men gathered with their master in an upper room to celebrate the Passover meal. For the past three years they have traveled with this rabbi. They have been amazed at the power and the beauty of his message. They stood in awe of his authority to command the winds and the waves. Through wet eyes they watched as he opened the eyes of the blind, made the lame to walk and even raised the dead. Now with troubled hearts and minds they are trying to make sense of the events of the past week. Increasingly he has talked of his coming death. Excited and frightened, thrilled and horrified they gathered. They gathered to partake of the Passover ritual. The centuries old tradition of recounting God’s deliverance of his people. From their earliest days they have gathered on this night to remember. Year after year recounting the same story. Each of them knew, instinctively, that this night was different – yet they were unprepared for what was to follow.
Our text this morning is found in Luke’s gospel chapter 22 beginning at verse 14.
Text: Luke 22:7-27
These are sacred moments.
Our Lord is in the Holy Place fast approaching the Holy of Holies.
God’s eternal plan of the ages is approaching its climax.
There is a sense in which I feel the urge to speak in hushed tones.
I get the sense that I am intruding on a sacred spot.
Yet by God’s design these events are recorded for us and given as a sacred treasure.
A treasure revealing the breadth and the depth of our Savior’s love.
Our problem is that we are too familiar with this passages and yet, at the same time, we seem to know very little of their beauty and value.
We can tell the story and repeat every detail. We glibly recount the story and go through the motions when celebrating the Lord’s Table but do we stop and meditate? Do we take the time to contemplate the significance of that table? Do we consider the ramifications of the events in that room 2000 years ago?
Do me a favor, do yourself a favor, and look at this passage with new eyes. See it as if you have never seen it before. Experience what these men experienced that night.
If you do then I think you will discover that:
Thesis: That night in the upper room reveals the depth, the wonder, and the glory of our gracious Savior and His great work.
As our text unfolds it falls into three parts.
- A loving act. (22:14-16)
- A precious gift. (22:17-20)
The Bread of Remembrance
The Cup of the New Covenant - A personal attachment.
This is for you.
It is to be apprehended by faith.
You must come to Christ and trust in him alone!
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