In today’s Scripture, midway through Holy Week, we will look at the Last Supper, along with Jesus’ words about the one who would betray Him. These are some of the last moments Jesus would spend with His disciples, for in less than 24 hours He would be crucified and die. Let’s take a quick look at both of these events which happened the evening before Good Friday.
In my previous devotional, we looked at Jesus washing the feet of His twelve disciples, and the lesson He was teaching them. After He was through, the Savior and the disciples gathered around the table in the upper room, to celebrate the Passover meal. What Christians call the Last Supper was Jesus’ final Passover meal. There are generally three different beliefs about the Last Supper, also called the Eucharist, among various Christian denominations. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and the various Orthodox churches believe in transubstantiation, where the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus. Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, where they believe that the Body and Blood of Jesus is present with the bread and wine, but they do not believe it transforms into it. And most Protestants believe that it is symbolic, that the ceremony is just done in remembrance of that event. I am not going to get into who I think is correct or not correct, and will just say that those are the three general interpretations.
Jesus had a serious reason for instituting a new Passover. The bread was His Body, soon to be tortured and broken on the Cross (vs. 22). The wine was His Blood, soon to be shed on the Cross (vs. 23-24). Like the Passover lamb, Jesus died in our place to free us from sin. His innocent Blood paid the price of death for all who believe. Jesus took two traditional parts of the Passover meal, the passing of the bread and the drinking of the wine, and gave them new meaning as the sacrifice of His Body and Blood, showing the significance of what He was about to do on the Cross.
Jesus’ death on the Cross seals a new covenant between God and people. The old covenant involved forgiveness of sins through the blood of an animal sacrifice. Instead of a spotless lamb, Jesus offered Himself, the spotless Lamb of God, as a sacrifice that would forgive sins once and for all. Jesus was the final sacrifice for sin, and His Blood sealed the new covenant between God and man.
Let us also take a quick look at what the Lord Jesus had to say about His imminent betrayal and the one who would commit that betrayal (vs. 17-21). Jesus knew there was a traitor among the group, and His announcement of such caused some dismay and distress among the group. Only Jesus and Judas Iscariot knew for sure who He was talking about. Yet each disciple questioned whether it might have been them (vs. 19). Betray Jesus? Certainly not! But who could swear that they would never, ever be capable of something like that?
At the time of the Last Supper, Judas Iscariot had already determined to betray Jesus, yet he was a cold-blooded hypocrite as he shared this Passover meal with Jesus and the other eleven. Not only did he betray Jesus, he ate this meal with the Lord, showing the enormity of the offense.
Even though it was predestined that Jesus die for our salvation, that did not make the guilt of those involved with His death any the less (vs. 21). Jesus’ sacrificial death did not excuse those who brought it about. Judas Iscariot’s eternal punishment will be terrible. The severest punishment is reserved for Judas and others like him (Hebrews 10:29). We are responsible for believing or not believing, and there is a terrible consequence for those who will not believe. I pray that you are included in those who believe. If not, will you turn to the Lord Jesus without delay, and ask Him to be your Savior?
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