Reading: Luke chapter 22 verses 14-23.
Ill:
In 1866 a man named Alfred who had the rare opportunity to read his own obituary.
• Apparently the newspaper in Alfred’s hometown;
• Mistakenly believed that he had died and prematurely published his obituary.
• Alfred was a philanthropist (a generous donor to charities);
• He had made a fortune by inventing dynamite.
• In his obituary;
• His invention was blamed for the death and mutilation of thousands of people.
• He was shocked and dismayed by the harsh manner in which he was portrayed.
• Alfred was determined to improve his public image and leave a better legacy.
• He wanted to be remembered as a man of science and of peace.
• When Alfred died in 1896,
• His will provided the major portion of his $9 million estate;
• Be set up as a fund to establish yearly prizes for merit in;
• Physics, chemistry, medicine and physiology, literature, and world peace.
• Alfred’s last name if you haven’t yet guessed was Noble, Alfred Noble.
• The prize that bears his name is an international award given annually since 1901
• Question: How would you like to be remembered?
• Answer: None of us of course will be around to find out!
(1). Jesus said; “Remember me” (vs 19b).
Jesus knew exactly how he wanted to be remembered:
• The world focus on his birth (Christmas)
• Some major on his miracles –how amazing & breathtaking they were!
• Others on his teaching – the wisdom & the cross-cultural application of them.
• Jesus himself focussed in on one particular aspect – his death!
• What appeared to be the world’s greatest tragedy;
• Was in fact the world’s greatest triumph!
To help his disciples focus and also remember he gave to them a visual aid:
• Bread & wine.
• A solid and a liquid.
Ill:
• Lord N Horatio Nelson died during the Battle of Trafalgar, in 1805.
• At his death,
• Britain lost a complex leader who balanced a personal longing for honour and glory;
• With a compassion and respect for his men.
• He was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral;
• And a party of his sailors bore his coffin to the tomb.
One who saw the scene writes;
• “With reverencey and with efficiency;
• They lowered the body of the world’s greatest admiral into its tomb.
• Then, as though answering to a sharp order from the quarter deck,
• They all seized the Union Jack with which the coffin had been covered;
• And tore it to fragments,
• And each took his souvenir of the illustrious dead”
For the rest of their lives to those coffin bearers:
• That little bit of coloured cloth;
• Would remind them of the admiral they had both served and loved!
Ill:
• In the houses of everyone of us here;
• There are draws or boxes full of things that others would call junk.
• Yet the reason they have been kept is because when we;
• Touch, handle and look at them,
• They bring back to our hearts and minds;
• This or that person, or this or that occasion.
To help his disciples focus and remember Jesus gave to his followers a visual aid:
• Notice: of the four gospel writers who record this event;
• Only Luke mentions that the Lord’s Supper was to become a memorial feast.
• You see the words in verse 19b,
• "Do this in remembrance of me";
• Those words are not found in the other gospel accounts of that night in the upper room.
• You won’t find them in Matthew, Mark or John.
• In fact the only other place where we find these words are in 1 Corinthians chapter 11;
• Where the apostle Paul discusses the Lord’s Supper.
• Some of the most well known words of the communion service;
• Ill: Engraved on tables – quoted in many, many prayers.
• Were actually recorded by two people who were not even the upper room.
• (Although we believe they were aided in their writings by the Holy Spirit).
Ill:
• The Greeks had an adjective which they used to describe time;
• “Time”, they said, “Which wipes all things out”.
• It is as the mind of people were a slate-chalk board;
• And time a sponge which wiped it clean.
Note:
• In the next few hours and days;
• The disciples would ride a roller coaster of emotional experiences
• Think of the turmoil, the disorder, the confusion;
• That would shake these followers to their very cores.
• These events could easily wipe clean the memories of the disciples .
• Like a wet sponge wiped along a slate-chalk board;
• To combat human forgetfulness;
• God gave his followers a physical visual aid – bread & wine.
(2). Jesus said; “This is my body” (vs 19a).
• Of the bread Jesus said in verse 19: “This is my body”.
• Don’t skip past that phrase, it is so very, very important.
• Jesus is giving the bread a brand new meaning,
• He is introducing a brand new concept:
• Up to now whenever these 11 disciples had celebrated Passover;
• In fact for centuries whenever Passover was celebrated;
• The bread had a specific meaning.
• It had to be Unleavened bread;
• As commanded by God in the Old Testament (Exodus chapter 13)
• Ill: Unleavened bread is made without adding leavening agents to it,
• Like yeast or baking soda.
• This prevents the bread from rising,
• Therefore keeping the bread flat and not as soft.
• Question: Why would they need to bake unleavened bread?
• Answer: Because yeast is the substance that causes fermentation.
• It soon affects and dominates the bread it is placed in.
• And in the Bible, leaven symbolizes error, evil or sin.
And in the Passover ceremony;
• Unleavened bread had always stood for ‘leaving Egypt’ (leaving slavery).
• ‘Leaven’ had spoken to them of a past life, a life of oppression;
• Unleavened bread was a way of saying;
• “We are starting anew. Our old life is past and it will not influence us anymore!”
But from now (this is such a pivotal moment) on bread was to have a brand new meaning:
• It was to symbolise Christ’s physical body:
• That body was of course without leaven (without sin).
• Notice: Luke goes on to say in chapter 22 verse 19:
• “This is my body given for you”.
• Note: The word that Jesus used ‘given’.
• Jesus will offer up his life as a sacrifice,
• He was not martyred and his life was certainly not taken from him!
• Ill: Even on the cross he could say: “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit”
(3). Jesus said; “This is my blood” (vs 20).
• Of the blood:
• "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
• Many scholars believe that Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament:
• From the book of Exodus chapter 24 verse 8:
“Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said; “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words”.
Question: What is a covenant?
Answer: The Jewish people were in a covenant relationship with God.
• In modern times we define a host of relations by contracts.
• These are usually for goods or services and for hard cash.
• The contract, formal or informal,
• Helps to specify failure in these relationships.
• Note: The Lord did not establish a contract with Israel or with the church.
• He created a covenant.
• There is a big difference.
• Contacts are broken when one of the parties fails to keep his promise.
Ill:
Just say, a patient fails to keep an appointment with a dentist,
• The dentist is not obligated to call the house and inquire,
• “Where were you? Why didn’t you show up for your appointment?”
• The dentist simply goes on to the next patient;
• And has his appointment secretary take note of the patient;
• Who may receive a bill for failure to turn up.
• Because the patient broke an informal contract.
Ill:
• The Bible indicates that a covenant:
• Is more like the ties of a parent to her child than it is a dentist’s appointment.
• If a child fails to show up for dinner,
• The parent’s obligation, unlike the dentist’s, isn’t cancelled.
• The parent finds out where the child is and makes sure he’s cared for.
• One member’s failure does not destroy the relationship.
• A covenant puts no conditions on faithfulness.
• It is the unconditional commitment to love and serve.
Note:
• Ill: When God made covenants with Noah (Genesis chapter 8 verse 20);
• Ill: Abraham (Genesis chapter 15 verse 10);
• Ill: And Moses (Exodus chapter 24 verse 8);
• Blood was shed!
• God required shedding of blood in making covenants with men.
• The price of reconciliation was always costly, in that blood was shed.
• Quote: The writer of the book of Hebrews (chapter 9 verse 22) tells us:
• “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”
This graphic and painful demonstration of the loss of animal life:
• All pointed forward to the death of Christ;
• Who would be the final sacrifice for reconciliation.
• Verse 20 Jesus tells us that his blood would be;
• ‘Poured out’ or ‘gush out’ or ‘spill out’
• We know that literally happened through the wounds in his hands,
• Feet, side and lacerated back as well as the crown of thorns upon his head.
• Verse 20: tells us his blood was shed “For you”.
• Jesus is talking to his committed followers and not speaking generally to the crowds.
• Matthew adds in his account (chapter 26 verse 28):
• “Poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”
• Mark adds in his gospel: “For many”.
• It literally means “For the benefit of many”.
• The substitutional death of Christ brought forgiveness;
• That is why he came!
(4). Jesus said; “Until that day” (vs 18).
• Tell us the duration;
• How long are we to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
“For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
Mark in his gospel puts it this way;
“I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God”
• Once again Matthew in his gospel gives us a fuller statement:
• “Until that day when I drink it anew WITH YOU in my Father’s kingdom”
• Although Jesus was talking about his death;
• He made his disciples this promise.
• That he would come back one day and drink the cup with them in the kingdom.
• Verse 25 is a reaffirmation of his coming kingdom!
Ill:
• Photo in my wallet (IPod);
• When you are with the person you no longer need the photo – you have the real thing!
