Soul-Searching during Supper, Part 2

Today from Chuck Swindoll. There's nothing hidden before our God, no secret that He does not know. On the night before His crucifixion, when Jesus gathered His disciples together, an ominous pall must have filled the room. Jesus had alluded to His coming crucifixion, although the disciples seemed to be in denial. While Jesus shared His final thoughts, the disciples hung on every word. In these sacred moments, Jesus prepared His disciples, and all of us, for the future yet to come.

Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll recreates this emotion-filled scene. We're in Matthew chapter 26 for a message titled Soul Searching During Supper, and Chuck begins by leading us in prayer. Thank you, dear Father, for your great love for us. Thank you for understanding us as we are. Thank you for your patience as we are in the process of growing and learning.

Thank you for showing us along the way what it means to accept your forgiveness and to forgive others. Show us in you what it means to carry Christ around with us and to represent His righteousness in a world that has long since lost its way. I pray today for mothers and dads who rear little children.

What a task that is. I pray that you would give them strength, wisdom, patience, understanding. Enable them to establish a standard of right and wrong since that has been lost in this culture in which we live. I pray for those who are getting up in years that you would give great grace and encouragement and special strength to press on, to realize that you're not through with them, that you have a place for them and you are using them. I pray for those who work in difficult places, who face insuperable odds as they are surrounded by those who discount and disclaim the words of Christ. Give them special measures of grace to live for you and to represent you in a way that is realistic and marked by mercy and grace. Thank you, Father, for raising up this church and for using us in the lives of others. May we not be caught in the net and the web of indifference or pride or self-satisfaction. May we realize we have been placed at this particular place in life that we might touch the lives of those who are searching for a way through. Help us to do that consistently and faithfully. Now, Lord, we have the joy of giving. We give with great gratitude and we give with generosity through Christ and for Christ and to the glory of Christ in whose name we pray and for whose purpose we give and everyone say, amen.

You're listening to Insight for Living. To study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll, be sure to download his Searching the Scriptures studies by going to insightworld.org slash studies. And now the message from Chuck titled Soul Searching During Supper. While they're eating the meal and no doubt discussing the things of recent days, Jesus breaks in with this shocking statement, there's a traitor among us. It was the among us part that was so shocking. I think it would be helpful if we left Matthew 26 and went to John 13, because in John 13 more details are given than Matthew includes.

So turn there will you? John 13 and beginning of verse 21 will take up right where we were in Matthew 26. John writes, who is at the table, he's writing 60 years later. Matthew wrote rather soon after Jesus had died, risen from the dead and ascended. Matthew wrote, but not before Mark, who is the first one to write.

But John waited a long time before he wrote and having thought on it all, he writes this. John 13, 21, Jesus is deeply troubled and he exclaimed, I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. The disciples looked at each other wondering whom he could mean. Now look closely, the disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus at the table.

Okay, remember what I described? I take it that John is on Jesus immediate right. His head is right here. He can look up into the face of Jesus as he reclines at the table. So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, who is he talking about? You know how we do that when we don't want anybody to hear us?

We go, we go, we shape the words, who is it with our lips? Peter does this to John. So John gets the signal from Peter. Of course, Jesus sees it and he knows all things. So Jesus says, verse 26, it is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl. What's that about? All right, listen carefully. It wasn't uncommon to have a guest of honor at the Passover meal who would be at the left of the host. And one of the traditions was that the host would prepare a little tidbit, breaking off a couple of pieces of the unleavened bread and putting some of the bitter herb in between, make a little sandwich and then dipping that into the kerushath, the dip, and would give that to the guest of honor. I'm suggesting it's Judas.

Why would I suggest that? It's his last appeal. It's Jesus' way of saying it isn't too late. I know what you've been doing, I know what you're up to, but Judas, listen. This is all without words.

This is my, my last offer. For you to repent, don't go there. And we read that he, he took that, took that little sandwich, if you will, and he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, look closely, don't miss this, Satan entered into him and Jesus told him, he realized it's over.

There's no more appealing. When Satan enters a life, he's an embodiment of the enemy himself. So Jesus says, hurry and do what you're going to do. Now notice carefully, none of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant.

Keep reading. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. Judas left at once and it was night. Now back to, back to Matthew, Matthew 26. I know you're sitting here listening to this wondering how could they not have known after that, even after the dialogue.

Remember the location of the heads? I think it was said very softly. What Jesus said to Judas was quietly spoken. If Judas said anything back, it was softly spoken.

Not heard, that's why. Peter says, find out who it is. And there was such trust in Judas, which is often the way it is with traitors. There was such trust in Judas, no one would have guessed him of all people. And when he slips out into the night, they thought he was running an errand.

Not even then did it dawn on them. If we were to take the time and remain in John 13, we would go on into 14, 15, and 16 in what is called the Upper Room Discourse. Remember we had the Olivet Discourse where Jesus taught his disciples on the side of the mountain about his plans for the future? In this upper room where he's at the table with his faithful 11, Judas is now gone, he communicates the work of the Holy Spirit and the important role he will fill because Jesus is leaving them. This is where he begins to say, don't let your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many places of residence, if it were not so, what I've told you, I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself.

That's all the beginning of the Upper Room Discourse said in this room. But they had just had their meal together. So we're back in Matthew 26 and Jesus, verse 26 of Matthew 26, took some bread and blessed it. Stop.

Wait. Up until now, the bread commemorated something related to the ancient exodus, but not now. Before, the wine represented something related to the meal from the ancient past. No longer. Now we have a new meaning.

Look at it for yourself. He says, as he picked up some bread, he blessed it and broke it and said, take this and eat it, for this is my body. Unfortunately, once again, we're so familiar with the words. We use them at every communion service. Every time we serve the Lord's table, we use those words. But that was the first time something like that had ever been said. So let's think about those words. Some read the words and they take them literally.

They take them to mean exactly that. And so they teach that when the sacrament is served, literally the bread becomes the body of Jesus. And the wine becomes the blood of Jesus.

But Jesus is there with them. The bread wasn't him, he was still there. He's saying the bread represents my body. Let me give you a little rule to follow when you do your own interpretation of Scripture. If the normal sense makes good sense, seek no other sense.

Okay? Now the normal sense would be that this couldn't mean his literal body. He's the one who said earlier, I am the door. No one thought he was a door. He's the one who said, I am the vine, you are the branch.

You didn't think I am now a branch or Jesus is now the vine. He means this is represented by it. I'll give you an illustration. Some time ago, Cynthia, in an unguarded moment, had a picture taken of her.

She hardly knew they were taking it and snap, they took it. And I think it's the best picture she's ever taken. And I've got one on my desk here at the church. I've got one on my desk at the seminary.

I've got one on my desk at home. I've got every place but in bed with me because I don't need a picture in bed with me. Okay? And whenever somebody is visiting with me at my study, whichever study it is, and they don't know her, they'll look at the picture and I will say, this is my wife. She's not framed behind glass.

Okay? It's a representation of my, and it's so elementary to tell you this, but I think of that when I think of those that take this literally. This represents my body. That picture represents my wife. When I travel without my family, I have a picture of my family and I put it at the table where I eat. And often when I eat alone, they're right there.

I can talk to them or whatever. Usually don't, but I could if I wanted to because it represents my family. Now, that's what we have here. And he goes to the wine and he says, this is my blood. Obviously, again, not representing the blood or not the exact blood of Christ, but representing the blood of Christ.

You get it. For the first time, they're having to come to terms with a reminder of their Savior whom they've always had with them, but now it will be in the ingredients that are observed at this meal. And the meal will not be once a year. It'll be when you gather for worship. And when you observe these elements, my body and my blood, you'll remember my death, which was given on your behalf. And it will be a marvelous reminder of the Savior.

And then he even makes a statement regarding time. Matthew 26, 29, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. Not only future to their day, but future to our day. Someday in the future, when that kingdom is established, the Savior is there at the feast. Won't it be marvelous?

He will be the host and we will enjoy the meal with him. And then we read a very intimate statement by Matthew. They sang a hymn and then they went out. Don't you wonder what they sang? The word is a hymn, most likely one of the Psalms. There were Psalms that fit in the category of Halleel, H-A-L-L-E-L, Halleel Psalms 113 to 115, may have been one of those. Then there was the grand Halleel Psalm 136 that ends with the same repeated line, his loving kindness is everlasting. Maybe they sang that responsibly together, they certainly knew it by heart, no doubt had sung it all their lives as Jewish boys growing up and now as Jewish men with the Savior. I would love to have been there, bug on the wall, when they sang the hymn. I wonder if they were able to finish it because hymns that are meaningful often touch us deeply and tears replace voices. As they realize this is the last, no other meal, not with the Savior, he will soon be gone.

They sang a hymn and they went out to the Mount of Olives and what follows is Gethsemane, the arrest, the trials, the scourging, and the death. Before I close all of this off, may I suggest a reversal of roles? In this gathering today, as we find ourselves sitting together, we're not the ones observing from a distance and invisible. That's Christ. He looks into every one of us and he sees what no one else around us can see.

You just think you know the person next to you or the one to whom you're married. You don't know that person like the Lord knows him. And he looks deeply within our lives and if I may quote from Psalm 139, it's as if we are saying to him right now, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

Interesting words, wicked way. Literally the Hebrew says see if there be any way of pain or anything within me that brings you grief or anguish. Show it to me. See the Lord doesn't search our hearts so that he might know. He already knows. He searches us so that he might show it to us and reveal it to us. That's why we are often urged to search our souls when we come around the table before we partake of the Lord's bread and wine.

We search ourselves to see if there is any way of pain. There is nothing hidden before our God, no secret that he does not know. And because that's true, I'm going to ask that we pause right now and close our eyes, bow our heads, and sit very quietly before him. For the next few moments, I invite you to use those words, search me, O God, and know my heart, know my thoughts. Could it be, Lord, that I have played the part that isn't true? Other people think I'm yours, but honestly, when I search and you reveal it to me, I realize I've never trusted in your son. I've never told the Lord Jesus Christ I want him to be my Savior, so I want to do that right now. Or it may be that you've begun to uncover an area that's been going on long enough.

It explains the lack of peace that you've lived with. Now, I don't know what it is, but if you search your heart, you will find it. He'll show it to you. He will cleanse you. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood. Trust in Christ now. Open yourself up to him.

Offer him your life, no strings attached, nothing held back, and I can assure you he will come in and make a world of difference from this point on. Thank you, dear Father, for your faithfulness as you deal with each one of us. It's as if we're all alone with you in this room, and we can feel your searching presence as you scope out our thoughts, our words, our actions, our motives, our lifestyle, as you reveal to us what we have been trying to hide from others, that we have no business doing. I pray, Lord, that you will enable us to unveil, strip back whatever has kept it hidden, so that before you we are an open book, and you begin to do a work of cleansing in our souls. Deliver us from any attempt to be or to appear something that we're not, and then lead us in the way everlasting. Speak to me just as you speak to everyone else.

Show me whatever is needed in my own life that ought to be changed, and I will lay it before you and acknowledge it. These things we pray, believingly, in the name of Jesus our Savior. And all God's people said, Amen.

Amen. It's encouraging to realize that at this very moment, men and women all around the world are allowing God to search their hearts. He's the one who knows us through and through. You're listening to Insight for Living and the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll.

We're in the middle of a comprehensive study through the Gospel according to Matthew called The King of Kings. And to learn more about Chuck Swindoll and this ministry, please visit us online at insightworld.org. And then to help you spend every day living in the awareness that Jesus knows your heart inside and out, let me remind you, Insight for Living provides a variety of helpful tools to guide your times of reflection.

Each one points you to Jesus, the one who knows you and loves you. And today we're pleased to offer a devotional book Chuck has written. It's titled God's Word for You. The subtitle is An Invitation to Find the Nourishment Your Soul Needs.

This easy-to-read book is perfect for those who are just beginning their lifelong journey of study in God's Word or for those who hope to rekindle their daily devotional times with Christ. And you can purchase a copy right now by going to insight.org slash offer or call us. If you're listening in the U.S., dial 1-800-772-8888. And then let me offer a big thank you to all those who financially support Insight for Living. Your generosity is truly making a difference in our pursuit of an audacious God-sized dream. And that is to bring Chuck's Bible teaching to all 195 countries of the world.

We refer to this mission as Vision 195. To join the team and give a donation right now, call us. If you're listening in the United States, dial 1-800-772-8888. That's 1-800-772-8888. You can also give a donation online today when you go to insight.org. Join us again Monday when Chuck Swindoll continues our study in the book of Matthew, right here on Insight for Living.