Sermon Central
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The Celebration Of Passover Series
Contributed by Roshelle Brenneise on Apr 7, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: Evening arrived and all the disciples were there. A sense of expectation filled the room – something special was about to happen – they just knew it!! Maybe Jesus was FINALLY going to establish his kingdom and announce his cabinet (which, of course, would be them).
April 05, 2025
The disciples had been with Jesus for more than 3 years. They had listened as he taught and watched as he worked. They had witnessed the feeding of the 5,000, the raising of the widow’s son, the healing of the lame, the restoring of sight to the blind. Peter had even walked with Jesus on the water. How exciting it was to be a part of Jesus’ inner circle!
They had also noticed that Jesus was not popular with the church leadership. He had healed some people on the Sabbath, which did not sit well and he had gone so far as to call them “white-washed tombs” – definitely not a way to make friends and influence people. But never mind about all that, Jesus’ kingdom would soon be established and all would be well with the world.
It was now the week of Passover. Jesus had consented to arrive at Jerusalem in style – on the back of a donkey. The crowds had cheered, waving palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" What a great day that had almost been!!
The disciples felt sure that Jesus would allow himself to be crowned king, but instead, he looked over Jerusalem and wept, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
And then he went to the Temple and created a situation by throwing out all the money changers and merchants.
Sometimes Jesus was very difficult to understand.
It was now Thursday and Jesus instructed John and Peter to go and prepare for the Passover Supper.
Evening arrived and all the disciples were there. A sense of expectation filled the room – something special was about to happen – they just knew it!! Maybe Jesus was FINALLY going to establish his kingdom and announce his cabinet (which, of course, would be them).
There should have been a servant to take their coats and wash their feet – but someone had failed to make those arrangements.
The disciples look at each other – the same question in every eye, “Who is going to wash our feet?”
James: I don’t DO feet!!!
John: Mother says there are great things in store for her little boy, so don't look at me!!
No one was willing to lower himself to wash feet.
Jesus, always doing something unexpected, got up from the table, took off his coat, wrapped a towel around his waist, poured some water in the basin, returned to the table and knelt down.
“What are you doing man!?!?”
“Get up off the floor!!”
“Kings don’t do feet!!”
How humiliating!!
Peter can always be counted on to say what everyone else is thinking:
“Lord, are you REALLY going to wash my feet?”
“No, I don’t understand what you are doing, but I do know this…. You are not going to wash my feet!!”
“What do you mean I can’t be with you unless you wash my feet? Well, if that’s the case, don’t stop with my feet, dump the whole bucket on my head!”
Good ole Peter………….
When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put his coat back on and returned to his place.
"Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.”
-FOOT WASHING-
-COMMUNION-
Dinner was almost over and Judas had just slipped out the door ---- what a strange evening it had been!
As they reclined at the table, Jesus spoke, “I so wanted to share this Passover meal with you before I suffer and now that I have, I will not eat it again until everything is fulfilled in God’s kingdom.”
Many years later, Paul shared the conclusion of the story:
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“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it.”
Prayer
Pass the bread
"This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
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“In the same way, he took the cup”
Prayer
Pass the Juice
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
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Before making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, they sung a hymn together….
