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The Last Supper

Wisdom for the Heart / Dr. Stephen Davey
The Truth Network Radio
February 5, 2025 12:00 am

The Last Supper

Wisdom for the Heart / Dr. Stephen Davey

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February 5, 2025 12:00 am

What makes a memorial truly lasting? Some, like the Lincoln Memorial, are etched in stone, but the most enduring memorial comes from the Last Supper. In this episode, Stephen Davey explains the deep significance behind the bread and the cup of the Lord’s Supper—a memorial instituted by Christ Himself.

This sacred meal, also called Communion, calls believers to remember Jesus’ sacrifice, celebrate redemption, and reaffirm unity in Him. Stephen unpacks the profound truths woven into this simple act, connecting it to the Old Testament sacrifices and the New Covenant of grace.

Are you seeking a deeper understanding of why this ordinance matters? Do you need a fresh reminder of Christ’s love and the hope found in His promises? This message will inspire and challenge you to approach the Lord’s Supper with gratitude and renewed focus on your Savior.

Join us for an enriching exploration of the Communion table and discover how this memorial serves as a lifeline of faith, pointing to the One who gave everything for your freedom.

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Read the Gospels. If you're older in the faith, then you'll hear him call himself or refer to himself as the door or the light, everlasting water, the vine, the bread of life. These are metaphors that reveal different aspects of our relationship with Christ. When we follow him, we walk through a door and leave the old world behind.

When we trust him, we leave the darkness and turn on the light. Memorials often mark extraordinary events like the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument. Yet, the most enduring memorial isn't etched in stone. It's found in a commemorative meal. In today's message, Stephen Davey reflects on the Lord's Supper, where Jesus instituted a powerful memorial for his followers.

Whether you're struggling to stay focused on your faith or simply need encouragement, this lesson will help you. Stay tuned to uncover why this divine memorial is at the heart of Christian worship. Some time ago, excavations in England discovered documents outlining ceremonies, ancient memorial ceremonies for Viking warriors who had died in battle. One of the most famous memorials in our country, of course, is the Lincoln Memorial, dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln, designed like a Greek Doric temple with 36 columns representing the 36 states at that time, the time of Lincoln's death. The memorial was constructed from materials from those states to signify the unity that Lincoln gave his life to preserve. Inside the memorial, if you visited it, is that 29-foot tall statue and pedestal of Lincoln who's seated as if to imply that his work was accomplished.

The interior ceiling is a massive mural depicting an angel, the angel of truth, freeing a slave. On one wall is inscribed his famous Gettysburg Address. On another wall, his inaugural addresses, etched in stone, along with verses that he recited, I'm glad it's etched in stone so nobody can take it down.

The mile away across the reflecting pool on the National Mall sits that towering obelisk, at one time the tallest structure in the world, remembering our first president. If you were to walk up all 897 steps, which I'm not recommending, there are 50 landings, and at each landing there are memorial stones donated by different groups of people, different states. At those landings you'll find one memorial stone.

It's actually a prayer offered by the political leaders of Baltimore. Further up is a memorial stone presented by Chinese Christians who immigrated. Another landing features a memorial stone from Sunday school children in New York with the verse Proverbs 10 verse 7, the memory of the just is blessed. The other part of the verse was left out, but the name of the wicked shall pass away, might be a good reminder. Then there's that small aluminum cap on the very top of the monument that no one can even see, but the architect wanted every sunrise to first reflect off that capstone and the words that were inscribed on it, Laus Deo, Latin for praise be to God.

And I'm glad again it's too high for someone to scale a ladder, take it down. Some memorials are nearly impossible to remove, and that's a good thing. There is one memorial that is absolutely impossible to remove, and that's because it's divinely ordained. In fact, Jesus said it will continue on into the kingdom. You can imagine one day communion will be presided over by the Lord with his nail pierced hands. We call it the Lord's Supper because the meal, the supper, was when the Lord instituted the ordinance for his followers. We refer to it as well as the communion table because the body of Christ finds here at this table, as it were, our communion with each other and with the Lord. It can be referred to as the Eucharist, which is Latin for the giving of thanks because not only did the Lord give thanks, but the believers cannot participate in this without profound thanksgiving for our Savior. This table is the Emancipation Proclamation for those whom the Lord has liberated from the kingdom of darkness. The communion table is the capstone which leads us to say praise be to God.

Now let's go to that signature event. We're in Luke chapter 22, and I'm always fascinated the way the Lord times things at different times. Here we are on this traditional Sunday for us to have the Lord's Supper. We're now at this event in Luke's Gospel at chapter 22. Now as you're turning there, let me tell you ahead of time that Luke isn't interested in the order of events as much as he is in the significance of these events, these elements. It's difficult, if not impossible, to parallel what Luke writes here with the traditional Seder meal, the Passover meal.

For instance, the traditional Seder has four cups. Luke mentions only two. The other Gospel writers only mention one.

Later on, as Paul describes by way of revelation in 1 Corinthians 11 what happened in the upper room, he only mentions one cup as well. Some of what Jesus does here will be unique. An attempt to tie everything in the upper room to a traditional Seder meal is not Luke's objective.

Now don't misunderstand. I believe Jesus is eating the Passover meal with his disciples. In verse 8, in our last study, it was clear, he tells Peter and John to prepare the Passover lamb so that in verse 11 he might eat the Passover with his disciples. So he's obviously eating this meal with his disciples.

But it's as if Luke doesn't want us to focus on certain traditions. He wants us to focus on certain truths, and especially how Jesus will use this meal to create a lasting memorial for his followers to remember the Gospel. Now with that, notice as Luke writes here, where we left off at verse 14, And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Now Jesus is indicating here this is his last meal, at least before his crucifixion, which is why we also refer to this as the last supper.

Now unfortunately, thanks to Leonardo da Vinci, we have this image of the last supper where Jesus and his 12 disciples are sitting facing the camera. They're sitting in a row on chairs at a dining room table like you might have at your house. But in these days they didn't sit on chairs, but on the floor, often on small rugs. They didn't use spoons or forks. They ate with their hands.

This is your child's dream meal here. They ate on the floor, which is where most of it lands, so why not start there. Well I've been to several countries over the years that even now in modern times don't use spoons or forks or knives, but their hands.

In fact, one country I visited, never forget that special meal, the plate was a large green leaf. We scooped up the food with our fingers or used bread like a little shovel, which is what the disciples would have been doing here with their unleavened bread. Luke tells us there's a table. Evidently this is a low table because he says the men are reclined.

They're either sitting or propping themselves up on an elbow. Now that they're seated, Jesus delivers two prophecies that obviously, as we get into this, evidently went right over their heads. Verse 15 again, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. This is the first prophecy and that relates to his death. For I tell you I will not eat it, that is again implied, until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

This is the second prophecy of his future reign. Now skip down to verse 18 where Jesus repeats the second prophecy. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. Now with that, Jesus delivers brand new meaning to this unleavened bread and diluted wine we know from historical records.

Go back up to verse 17. And he took a cup and when he had given thanks he said, take this and divide it among yourselves. Now that would have been entirely surprising to the disciples.

Highly unusual for the host to pass around a common cup, everyone had their own cup to drink from. By the way, keep in mind that with this cup the Lord is not instituting what we call the communion cup. In fact, if you put the gospel accounts together, Judas is still in the room. He won't leave until the meal is nearly over and then Jesus will institute communion. We know that because during dinner Jesus will hand Judas what John calls the sop. That is a piece of bread dipped into the relish or the sauce during the meal. Now this unusual act at this moment is where Jesus has them all drinking from his cup.

And it's really an invitation to partner with him, to be in close communion with him. It made me recall years ago when I played team sports, primarily soccer. You may have done the same. You can remember as I did, back then we didn't have bottled water. Water didn't come in a bottle, plastic bottle. We had one water jug and you just passed it down from one sweaty player to the next. You never thought a thing about it, although you didn't want to be the last guy on the bench.

I do remember that. If you drank today out of somebody's water bottle, they'd probably sue you. In his exegetical commentary, David Garland writes that having the disciples drink from his cup would have made a profound impression on them. Giving his cup to them would have been understood as an invitation to enter into his life, to share his destiny, no matter what it might be. Even more profound is the implication Jesus is making, taken from the Jewish wedding culture. In early Jewish tradition, when a young man wanted to propose marriage, he would formalize it by offering her his cup of wine. He was effectively saying to her, I am offering you my life, my destiny.

Will you partner with me no matter what it might mean? The girl had the option to refuse the cup or to take it and drink from it, signaling that she was accepting his proposal to marriage. You can see how this Passover meal is taking a unique turn as Jesus effectively imitates a proposal. He's offering himself to them and us, the bride of Christ. When you partake of the communion cup, you are saying essentially to the Lord, you are accepting the marriage proposal of Jesus.

You're willing to share in his destiny, his life, no matter what it might be. Now at some point, we know from other gospel accounts that the meal is finishing up. Judas has left the room. And Jesus now shifts into instituting this lasting memorial. You reach over and get a piece of leftover unleavened bread. Verse 1 says, and he took that bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, this is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. Jesus takes this bread and does something he's never done before. At least this isn't part of the traditional Seder.

He wouldn't do this. He bows his head and gives thanks for this bread and this bread to the Jewish people represented their affliction, their suffering in Egypt. The disciples were no doubt familiar with the traditional liturgy from Deuteronomy 16 where the bread of affliction represented that which their ancestors experienced when they came out of Egypt. Jesus is giving a new meaning. He relates this affliction to what he will suffer on the cross and he gives thanks.

You can imagine that. So the bread now represents his body suffering. The seed of wheat, that is, that will die and be buried and then bear fruit. Now Jesus often uses literal terms for figurative truths.

Read the gospels if you're older in the faith and you'll hear him call himself or refer to himself as the door or the light, everlasting water, the vine, the bread of life. And yes, we are grafted into the vine. We walk through a door. We drink water. We turn on a light.

We eat bread. However, Jesus is not a liquid. He isn't made of wood with hinges and a doorknob. He isn't a vine planted. He isn't a light bulb we turn on.

And he isn't bread to be eaten. These are metaphors that reveal different aspects of our relationship with Christ. When we follow him, we walk through a door and leave the old world behind. When we trust him, we leave the darkness and turn on the light. We're no longer thirsty and hungry for the world.

We have found in him satisfaction. Now Jesus uses the present tense in verse 19 to continue doing this in remembrance of him. So this is a continual reminder. By the way, keep in mind this is not a sacrifice. It's an ordinance of remembrance. The mass of the Roman Catholic Church teaches that communion is a miraculous re-sacrificing of Jesus, even though Scripture clearly teaches that he was sacrificed once for all time.

Hebrews 7.27. The organized church in the early centuries before the Reformation strayed from the simplicity of the gospel. They developed traditions and ceremonies and liturgies that eventually obscured, then rewrote the gospel of faith in Christ alone. And the mass today, followed by a billion plus people, is a re-sacrificing of Jesus. I refer to it as job security for the priests. Because it requires the hand of a priest to turn those elements into the body and blood of Jesus. You're going to need a priest to receive Jesus. Let me tell you, you don't need a priest to receive Jesus. The ordinance is not for Jesus to be re-sacrificed.

The ordinance is for Jesus to be remembered. Now Luke records here in verse 20, and likewise the cup, after they had eaten, saying, this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.

And they began to question one another which of them it could be who was going to do this. We could interpret Luke's command or comment here. That Jesus is emphasizing how hypocritical his betrayer was to have shared this meal.

At least a portion of it, to have had his hand at the table. According to other Gospel accounts, Judas is gone. But he played out his deception so well, he has everyone fooled.

Nobody looks at him at this point. He's gone anyway and would have even thought, well, it must have been the guy that left. We knew it was him.

They wondered if it was themselves. Now Jesus says here that this cup represents the new covenant in his blood. He's not suggesting that we drink his blood. This again is literal language for figurative truth. In fact, he's reminding them of what Jeremiah prophesied in chapter 31 of a new covenant that will atone for sin forever.

Now, you have to go back because he's relating what's happening here to that moment. When you have the institution of the old covenant, that's when the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and this covenant was established under the Mosaic law. It was literally a blood-saturated event. We lose the concept of how bloody this all was. Moses offered sacrifices, took half of the blood from the sacrificial animals, Exodus 24 tells us, sprinkled half of it at the base of the altar, all over the altar. Then he took the rest of it and sprinkled it on the Old Testament scroll, which had been read, and on the people. So, you have all of this blood. You've got the altar and you've got the scroll and you've got the people dripping with blood. It wasn't a pretty sight, except for the symbolism. They were under the fountain of blood, as it were.

One author puts it so well, I just want to read it. The old covenant was launched on an ocean of blood to emphasize the seriousness of sin and that sin demanded death. The weakness of this old covenant was that it depended on mankind keeping the law, which they couldn't do even for one day. But the glory of the new covenant in Christ's blood is that it is dependent on Christ alone. He does it all. Salvation rests on the ocean of His divine blood.

Isn't that great? That's what the Lord is communicating here in the upper room. Here's the critical phrase of our assurance here in verse 20. Jesus says, this cup, that is poured out for you.

You can translate that on your behalf. It's poured out for your benefit. Some believe it could even be understood to mean in your place.

Poured out is passive. It connects to the Old Testament sacrifices. To pour out, in fact, in the Old Testament, when you use the phrase of people, to pour out the blood of a person was language for murdering somebody. And we know the plot to murder Jesus is well underway. So Jesus is saying here, He's our substitute. He's taken our place. He will be murdered, but He is in reality a willing sacrifice. Nobody really took His life.

He gave it up. And again, the account Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 11 is after saying this, he also again says, do this in remembrance of me. This is a memorial. Do this. Visit here often. Spend time here. Contemplate the meaning, which is why when we as an assembly have communion, we dedicate the entire service to this gospel.

This isn't a speed drill. We remember its costliness. We recall with thanksgiving our freedom.

And, of course, we remember above everything Him. If you have traveled to visit the Lincoln Memorial, you're not just going there to see the Gettysburg Address etched on stone or his inaugural addresses or to view the mural, you're there to remember Him. I find it fascinating that Jesus never commanded the church to build a monument to Him. Some majestic structure. There's no Washington Monument, so to speak, stretching hundreds of feet in the air. There's no Lincoln Memorial.

There's no 29-foot statue He commanded to be built. When you think about it, this is it. This is so simple. This is all a piece of bread and the juice from a crushed grape. That's it.

Jesus effectively says this is all you need. Partake of this in remembrance of Me. The Greek word remembrance gives us an interesting word. The Greek word anamnesis gives us our word amnesia.

A little prefix which means no. So, to remember means no amnesia. No amnesia. Every time you partake of the Lord's Supper, the communion table, every time you eat and drink these simple elements, you are recovering from chronic spiritual amnesia. Because we forget. So, we come back to this memorial today, above all, to remember Him.

That was Stephen Davey, and this is Wisdom for the Heart. Today's message is called The Last Supper. Do you need prayer? We'd love to pray for you. Our team prays by name for every request that comes in. Just visit wisdomonline.org forward slash prayer.

Fill out the form and send us your request. If you provide your phone number, we can even call and pray with you. We also invite you to join our global prayer team. To send us a prayer request or to sign up, visit wisdomonline.org forward slash prayer. We'd love to pray for you and with you. We'll continue through this section of Luke next time, here on Wisdom for the Heart. Thank you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2025-02-05 00:33:51 / 2025-02-05 00:42:23 / 9

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