Without a doubt, the best known representation of the Last Supper is Leonardo da Vinci’s painting: “The Last Supper.” It represents the exact moment that Jesus said, “One of you will betray me.” It shows the effect of that word, “betray” upon the twelve men most closely associated with Jesus during His life and ministry.
The scene is the night of the Passover. Jesus, surrounded by His disciples, is breaking the bread of their farewell meal. Love, terror, grief, and amazement find expression in the question, “Lord, is it I?” The disciples sit in four groups of three each. In their bewilderment the disciples have drawn away for the moment, so that Christ sits alone. Each disciple is expressing his feeling in his own way. Let’s read the passage on which this painting was based. (READ TEXT)
At the last Passover celebration kept with His disciples, Jesus instituted the ordinance we celebrate today - the Lord’s Supper - communion. As we read John’s account of what transpired that night, I want us to think about the crowd who was there at that first communion observance. Gathered around the table that night with Jesus were twelve men. Each had his particular need, his particular character, and his own thoughts.
As we are gathered around this table today, each of us has our particular need, our personal character, and our own thoughts. The crowd gathered around the communion table today in many ways may reflect some of the same things seen at that first communion instituted by our Lord. Let’ s consider the crowd who was at that first communion and see with whom we could most identify.
1. There were those for whom the Lord’s table meant nothing.
For Judas Iscariot, the Last Supper with the Lord meant nothing.
He had decided to betray the Lord. Jesus was aware of his decision, yet made appeal after appeal to Judas.
A. Jesus gave Judas a special privilege.
The very fact that Jesus allowed Judas to be present on that evening was a demonstration of love and an extension of an opportunity to repent. If the other disciples had known what Jesus did about what Judas had decided to do, he would not have been allowed to leave that room alive. But Jesus, despite Judas’ choice to reject Him and betray Him, nevertheless extended Judas opportunity to repent and enter into a personal love relationship with Him.
B. Jesus gave Judas a special position.
In Jesus’ day, the practice was to recline as they ate. They would recline on their left elbow and use their right hand to eat with. Jesus and His disciples were more likely reclining in a circle around the food that night, resting their head on their left hand and eating with their right.
John must have been reclined at Jesus’ right, because the Bible says that he “leaned back against Jesus” (v. 25). Jesus was obviously close enough to Judas to talk intimately to him, so it is likely that Judas was reclined to the left of our Lord.
The place on the left of the host was considered to be the place of highest honor, reserved for the most intimate friend. This was the position that Judas occupied at the Last Supper.
C. Jesus gave Judas a special portion.
For the host of the meal to offer a guest a special portion from the dish was a sign of special friendship. We see this in Ruth 2:14. When Boaz wanted to show how much he honored Ruth, he invited her to come and dip her morsel in the wine vinegar. When Jesus handed that morsel of bread to Judas, it was a mark of special affection.
How ironic that despite one attempt after the other on behalf of our Lord to offer Judas opportunity to repent and be forgiven, Judas persisted in his course of rebellion.
We should not be too surprised at this however, for the same scenario is being played out in the lives of people all around us. It is possible that it is being played out in your life today. Jesus is reaching out to you today just as surely as He reached out to Judas.
“Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as a seeker. We find Him on a continual pursuit for something. We find the Father seeking (John 4:23), scanning the earth from heaven (Ps 14:2), His eyes running to and fro throughout the planet to find something (2 Chr 16:9). We find Jesus telling us that He has come to seek (Luke 19:10). We find Him giving us a deeper glimpse into His heart by comparing Himself with a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to seek the one lost (Luke 15:4-7), with a woman combing through her entire house on the search for a lost coin (Luke 15:8-10), with a father who incessantly scans the horizon for the return of the prodigal son (Luke 15:20), and with a merchant seeking fine pearls (Mt 13:45-46). Throughout Scripture we encounter a God who is on a quest, a seeking God, chasing and pursuing. The pages of the Bible are permeated with the seeking of God. God has been a seeker all along. It's within His nature, it's who He is and something He enjoys about Himself. Yet it should startle us that the completely omniscient, self-sufficient God that owns everything and needs nothing would seek for something, and that this something would be us.” - Benjamin Shafer
2. There were those for whom the Lord’s table meant examination.
When Jesus declared that one of His disciples was to betray Him, they all wondered who He was speaking of. Simon Peter, tried to find out who it was. For him it was a time to examine his own loyalty to the Savior.
Apparently, Peter had doubts about his loyalty. To quote William Shakespeare, “Methinks thou dost protest too much.”
Indeed, as would later be revealed, Peter’s commitment to Christ wasn’t all it should have been. Though he talked a good talk, when “push came to shove,” Peter’s commitment was lacking. He was right to examine his loyalty to the Savior. His focus was on himself and how he needed to prove His love for Christ. He later learned, after his denial of Jesus and our receiving our Lord’s forgiveness, that his focus needed to be on Jesus and how Christ had proved His love for him, as Jesus told him to simply, “Follow me” (John 21:19).
It was a common problem for Peter to take his eyes off Jesus (Matthew 14:22-33). But before we’re quick to condemn Peter, we must admit we often have the very same problem. That is why, Paul tells us that we should examine ourselves before partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
“Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.” - 1 Corinthians 11:28 (NIV)
This is a time to examine ourselves to see if we’ve somehow taken our eyes off Jesus.
3. There were those for whom the Lord’s table meant love.
One disciple is identified as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This is commonly accepted to be John’s reference to himself. Unlike Peter, who declared himself to be the one who loved Jesus, John declared himself to be the disciple whom Jesus loved. Unlike Peter, whose focus was on himself and how he needed to prove His love for Christ; John focus was on Jesus and how Jesus had proved His love for him.
Little did John know to what lengths Jesus would end up going to demonstrate His love for John, the other disciples, and for you and me. Later, however, he would speak of it.
“This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
- 1 John 4:10 (NLT)
Now, John was one whose love was so strong, so sure, and so certain that he gave Jesus support and affirmation when He needed it. Unlike Peter, he did not need to ask if he was the one who was to betray the Lord, for his heart was fixed with a deep devotion for the Savior. But such love developed as he was focused on the love of Christ for him.
“We love because he first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
May this observance today be an occasion for deepening your devotion to and love for the Savior as we reflect on how, out of love for us, Christ’s body was broken and his blood was shed.
4. There were those for whom the Lord’s table meant loyalty.
While three disciples are named; nine others were not mentioned. Were they were unimportant? Absolutely not! They served with loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience. Though we don’t read much more about them, rest assured these nine disciples were very involved in the advancement of the cause of Christ following our Lord’s resurrection. Indeed, history records that each of them faced a martyr’s death. May our participation in this observance today lead us to commit ourselves all the more to be loyal to Christ, even though we’re never recognized for it, and even if we have to pay the ultimate price for it.
As we consider the disciples who were gathered around the table of the Last Supper that evening, with whom do you more closely identify? Let’s not be indifferent, but let each of us examine our hearts and take stock of our love for and loyalty to the Lord. There’s one more person who was at the table that night, of course. But instead of being a person with whom we can identify, He was a person Who identified with us.
5. There was One for whom the Lord’s table means forgiveness.
For Jesus the supper meant forgiveness. He instituted this ordinance to remind of us that He gave His life so we can be forgiven and receive new life. The elements of the Lord’s Supper are visual reminders of the fact that the One who lives came to die, so that we who were dying might come to live!
