Half-Time Talk Series

They’re about to face the hardest challenge they’ll ever encounter.

They’re about to see their Master arrested, beaten, condemned… and crucified.

And ultimately, they are all going to fail Him. Not just Judas - but every single disciple is going to run away and hide. They’re going to be afraid that the same forces that will arrest and crucify Jesus will come for them.

It’s half time, and they’re about to go into a part of the game they’re not prepared to handle.

It’s half time, and they’re about to face forces of darkness that’ll overwhelm and fill them with despair.

It’s half time, and it’s at this point in His ministry that Jesus sees the need to give them “the talk”

Now as I was studying this passage for the sermon this morning, something occurred to me. Jesus and His disciples have spent at least two other Passover meals with Jesus before this one. But it is only now… as they are about to face the greatest challenge of their lives… a challenge that they will ultimately fail… It’s only now that Jesus sees fit to speak to them of bread being His body and the cup being His blood.

Why do it now?

Why hasn’t this been a repeated image at every single Passover they’ve celebrated together?

Well, because this Last Supper is all about Hope. It’s meant to place images in their minds to help them understand that the coming crisis will not be an accident.

In just a few hours they’re going to see Jesus arrested, beaten and crucified. And they’re going to be afraid. And they’re going run away. And they’re going to assume that they’ve lost the game.

Jesus gave this half-time talk because He wanted His disciples to understand: the crucifixion WAS the game. The Crucifixion was the entire reason they had come out onto the floor to begin with. If Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross for our sins… they would have lost. And we would have lost.

But we didn’t lose…

Jesus did go to the cross – He died – He was buried – and on the 3rd day He rose from the dead.

As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians “By this gospel you are saved…: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,… he was buried, (and) he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” 1 Corinthians 15:2-4

BECAUSE THAT IS TRUE… it helps us to understand that the purpose of Last Supper was to drive home to the disciples the fact that Jesus’ death was not in vain. His crucifixion was not an accident. Jesus didn’t get caught by surprise

It WAS the game plan.

Now… that brings us to the celebration of communion that we’re going to partake of this morning. The Lord’s supper is intended to have the same effect for us as it had for the disciples of Jesus’ day.

In I Corinthians 11 Paul writes: “… whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:26

Every time you partake of the cup and the loaf…

· you are declaring that you believe Jesus deliberately chose the cross for you.

· you are declaring you believe the blood of Jesus was shed to wash away your sins

o And that His blood will continue to wash away your sins