Good Friday: Celebrating The Last Supper

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

TEXT: Mark 14:13-19

WELCOME & OPENING PRAYER

NARRATOR: The 14th chapter of the Gospel of Mark tells us "On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked Him, “Where do you want us to go & make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

"So He sent two of His disciples, telling them, 'Go into the city, & a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

"He will show you a large upper room, furnished & ready. Make preparations for us there. The disciples left, went into the city & found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover." (Mark 14:13-16)

"In the evening He came with the 12. Now as they sat & ate, Jesus said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with me will betray me.' And they began to be sorrowful, & to say to Him one by one, 'Is it I?'" (Mark 14:17-19 NKJV)

(PP OF DA VINCI'S LAST SUIPPER)

Leonardo de Vinci, the versatile genius of the Renaissance was born in Italy in 1452. Though he excelled in many fields, he is best remembered today because of two wonderful paintings, the "Mona Lisa" & "The Last Supper."

In 1494, when Leonardo was 42, he was commissioned by the Duke of Milan to decorate the dining room of the Convent Church, which was the favorite shrine of the Duke’s young bride. As an appropriate theme for this dining room, the painter chose, "The Last Supper".

His painting was not intended to be a faithful reproduction of the original scene as it had taken place in 1st Century Palestine, but rather as it might have taken place in 15th century Italy. He chose what he considered the most dramatic moment in the Last Supper. In our presentation tonight, the 12 Apostles speak their minds to them-selves in the light of the words which they have just heard Jesus speak, “One of you will betray me”

TRIO: LAMB OF GLORY

(PP OF MATTHEW) Like Zacchaeus, I am a tax collector. Some call me Levi, others call me Matthew, the publican. My life has been changed through my fellowship with Jesus. He called me one day when I was working, collecting taxes. “Follow Me,“ He said, & I went with Him.

Later, I hosted a great feast in my home, & many of His disciples, along with some of my business friends were present. When some Pharisees complained about Jesus eating with publicans & sinners, Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

Since the day I repented & began following Him, I have studied the scriptures closely & am convinced that Jesus is the fulfillment of every prophecy about the coming Messiah, God’s anointed.

I have listened carefully to His teaching & someday I hope to write about Him, proving from our sacred writings that He is truly the promised Messiah. And I also want to write about what He has been saying concerning the Kingdom of God, the good news that He first shared with us on the mountain in Galilee 3 years ago. It is good news that the whole world needs to hear.

And yet, He has just spoken some tragic news that one of us will betray Him. Who could it be? Will they suspect me because I was once a hated tax collector for the Romans? Is it even possible that I could do such a thing? “Is it I?, Is it I?”

(PP OF NATHANIEL) My name is Nathaniel, although I am sometimes called Bartholomew. Like many of the others, I am a fisherman. I was a disciple of John, the Baptizer, & it was he who introduced me to Jesus. It was my friend, Philip, who came & said, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Law, & about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

I will never forget the question I put to Philip that day, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” I said it not in scorn, but the town was such an insignificant place that those of us familiar with it wondered why God would place His anointed in her midst. However, Philip simply replied, “Come & see.”

When I met Jesus, He said, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” I asked. He answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."