The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is full of meaning.
It is a spiritual food that nourishes our souls.
It is a part of worship Christ commands of us.
It is an experiencing of the presence of Christ in a real and tangible way.
It is something we do as a community – we never celebrate this sacrament alone. We do it in communion with others.
Among all of the meanings of this Sacrament is that of remembrance.
When Jesus instituted this Sacrament, he said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
So that is one thing I want you to do right now.
Remember.
Remember what it was like for Christ at that Last Supper.
I want you to picture in your mind Christ and His disciples at that final supper before the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus.
John’s Gospel has a different emphasis on this gathering than the other Gospels. He focuses in on the teachings of Christ and a foot washing ceremony, but in Matthew, Mark and Luke, we get a fairly clear description of the gathering in a place called the Upper Room.
There they are---all gathered together in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover.
Christ and his 12 Apostles---12 different, very different men.
There’s Andrew---young eager disciple---eager to share the good news of Christ with others. Why the first thing that he did when he met Jesus was to run off: and tell his brother the news.
Over there is Philip--the first thing he did when he heard of Jesus of Nazareth was to laugh and joke--- “Well, I’ve never heard of anything good coming out of Nazareth.”
There is James and John---sons of Zebedee.
And Matthew, a tax collector employed by the government of the Roman Empire.
And next to Matthew is Simon the Zealot, a rebel anxious to overthrow the government brother Matthew works for.
And of course, there’s Thomas---doubted anything and everything---always needing proof.
And then there’s James son of Alphaeus, and beside them Thaddeus.
12 men, each very different.
OH YES---I almost left a couple of disciples out. There are two others. They are not so different. In fact, they are more like each other than any of the other disciples.
There sitting next to Jesus, one on one side, one on the other----are Peter, and Judas. These two are more alike than you can possibly imagine.
In fact, there is only one way in which they differ significantly.
Both men have been called by Christ.
Both men have been with Christ for three years.
Both men stuck with Christ even when the chips were down.
In our New Testament lesson, a number of disciples leave---they forsake Christ ---these two have stayed until this moment when Christ ordains this Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
Peter and Judas are among the handful of disciples have -- SO FAR -- stayed.
Both men have grown extremely close to Christ.
Both men have risen up the ladder of success among the Apostles.
Peter is the spokesman for the disciples.
Judas is the treasurer for the disciples.
Together they are very much alike--
And being very much alike, they are both astounded and shocked when Christ declares that one of the 12 Apostles will betray their Lord.
In all four of the Gospels, Jesus speaks to those gathered around the table and says, “One of you will betray me.”
Imagine what that would be like at your family’s Thanksgiving dinner, or at the Christmas dinner.
The whole family is gathered together celebrating a holiday meal together and your grandfather or your mother suddenly says, “One of you is going to betray me.”
Well, that’s a shocking comment, and in the Gospels, that is exactly how the apostles respond – they are shocked and dismayed.
Around the table each disciple expresses concern---
John,
James,
Thomas,
Philip,
And on down the line.
Each one asks, "Lord, is it I?"
The last two who ask are Judas and Peter.
Judas asks---"Lord, is it I?"
And Jesus says --- yes.
But Peter----he doesn’t bother asking. Instead he slaps is hand on the table and with an air of confidence says, "Well I tell you one thing right now, everyone else around the table night fall away, but not me...no siree, you can count on me."
"Think again," Jesus tells him. "Before the rooster crows you will disown me three times."
But Peter insists that he would never, ever forsake his Lord.
Two men---
Judas and Peter.
Alike in so many ways, they are now alike in yet one more way. Both have been told be Jesus that they will betray him.
And these two men, alike in so many ways go out and do just that.
You will recall the quick succession of events.
Following the last supper Jesus goes out to the Garden of Gethsemne to pray. As soon as he finishes, Judas comes along, leading an armed band of soldiers, and with a kiss, betrays Christ.
Following the arrest of Christ, Peter hurries to the house of the High Priest to wait for word, as to what will happen to Jesus---and of course, it happens.
"Aren’t you one of his disciples?" someone asks.
"No, I’m not."
"Are you sure?
"Of course I’m sure. I never met the man."
"Sure you are---I saw you with him."
And for a third time, Peter denies knowing Jesus, and while his exact words are not recorded, Matthew’s Gospel says "Peter began to call down curses and he swore to them---"I don’t know the man! "----well, after all what do you expect. Peter is a fisherman I guest its only natural that he should curse like a sailor.
But there he is, listening to the rooster crow---and he knows. He’s betrayed Christ.
Peter and Judas---alike in so many ways.
And being so much alike, they both grieve because of their acts of betrayal.
Judas, overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, runs to the High Priest and admits, "I’ve sinned."
And he takes the 30 pieces of silver with which he has sold both his God and his soul, and he throws them on the ground and runs into the darkness of the night.
Peter --- ashamed and depressed, remembers his loud boast----everyone else may fall---but not me.
I’ll stick by you, even if it means my death, they may betray you, but not me.
I’ll never ever forsake you.
And ringing in his ears are the words more recently spoken.
Don’t know him.
Never seen him.
Wasn’t with him.
Ashamed, Peter flees into the darkness of the night.
The deeds are done.
Two men alike in so many ways, both betray their Lord.
One betrays with a kiss.
One denies with a curse.
Both so very much alike.
But there IS a difference.
Judas turns to himself and becomes a suicide.
Peter turns to God and becomes a saint.
And it is this difference that MAKES all the difference in the world.
To whom did they turn?
Judas the Betrayer turns to himself and hangs lifeless from a rope.
Peter the Denier turns to God and is forgiven.
Judas turns to himself and finds death, Peter turns to God and finds life.
Judas turns to himself and with defeat stumbles into hell.
Peter turns to God and in victory marches into heaven.
To whom do we turn?
For two men so much alike in so many ways -- this is the difference that sets then apart.
For us -- this is the difference that makes all the difference in our own lives.
To whom do we turn.
Now, most of us, in a time of crisis, will turn in a lot of different sources for help, and some of this is fine.
We might turn to our parents or teachers,
To our friends and co-workers,
To our doctor or to self-help books,
Or to our pastors.
Now I’m not about to say that is a bad thing – obviously not.
But even as one might turn to any of these sources for help, one is ultimately turning either inward toward self, or outward toward Christ.
No matter to whom we might turn in a time of crisis for counsel or advice, ultimately we must turn to Christ in our time of difficulty – or else we follow a self-destructive path.
The author of Hebrews expressed it well: “Since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who is UNABLE to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then draw near to the throne of Grace, that we may have mercy and find grace to help in the time of our need.”
Christ understands us.
Christ has mercy on us.
Christ has compassion on us.
Therefore, as Hebrews points out,
in our time of sin,
despair,
defeat,
confusion,
let us turn to Christ that we may have mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.
Earlier in John’s Gospel, many disciples found the teachings of Jesus difficult to accept.
In fact, this moment was our New Testament text for this morning.
Jesus taught the people about the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, which he had not yet instituted, but soon would. He said, “Itell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
With regret and sorrow, Jesus turned to his 12 special disciples---his apostles, and asked "You don’t want to leave too?---Do you?"
And the spokesman of the 12, Simon Peter responded---"To whom would we turn? Only you have the words of eternal life."
It is a lesson Peter learned well.
In his time of need---he knew to whom he was to turn---to Christ.
It was not a lesson Judas learned well enough.
Then in HIS time of need---he turned to himself.
That is the difference between Peter and Judas ---who were so much alike in every other ways.
Now, what of us?
To whom do we turn in our time of need?
To whom do we turn?
To whom will YOU turn? Toward yourself, or toward Christ?
Copyright 2005, The Rev. Dr. Maynard Pittendreigh
All rights reserved.
Sermons are available online and can be found by visiting www.Pittendreigh.com
