This section of scripture is filled with contrasts. First, the negatives.
1. The opposition of the religious rulers, who desire to kill Jesus.
2. Jesus speaks of His imminent death.
3. Jesus warns the disciples that one of them will betray Him.
4. The disciples question each other, being concerned about who might betray Jesus
5. The opposition of Judas, who becomes possessed by Satan himself.
6. The disciples argue about who is greatest in the Kingdom of God.
7. Jesus tells Peter that Satan has wanted to destroy him.
8. Jesus warns Peter that Peter will deny knowing Jesus before the next morning.
Contrast the negatives with the positives.
1. Jesus is in control of all the affairs of this last week of His life.
2. He arranges for this incredible Last Supper.
3. Jesus had fervently desired to eat this meal with them.
4. He promised that they would eat again, when the Kingdom of God would be established.
5. He promises to bestow upon them ruler ship in that new Kingdom, which is to come.
6. He brings forth a new covenant between God and man; forgiveness of sins through faith in Him.
7. He instructs them how to live, to be the servant of one another.
This is how they are to live until His Kingdom comes.
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.
Many pilgrims were in Jerusalem at this time of year.
This holiday celebrated Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery.
It was a holiday when many people were again looking for deliverance, and looking for a Messiah.
2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.
The religious leaders should have feared God.
Instead they were more concerned with what the general public thought.
3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.
5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.
6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.
Judas was responsible for his own actions.
He opened his heart to Satan, and Satan was glad to use Judas to try to destroy Jesus.
Satan hates God, and hates mankind.
Jesus and His Disciples Prepare the Passover
7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. (sacrificed)
Jesus was called the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world.
Jesus was God’s sacrifice for the benefit of mankind.
8 And He (Jesus) sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”
9 So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”
10 And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.
A man carrying a pitcher of water would have been unusual.
Carrying water in a container was the job of a woman.
The men carried water in animal skins.
This was to serve as a sign, so that the disciples would be able to prepare the meal.
God leads His disciples in ways that we can understand, though they may be out of the ordinary.
11 “Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ‘
12 “Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.”
13 So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
Here we notice the obedience of the disciples.
Talking to a man that they probably did not know.
Speaking the words that Jesus gave them.
Realizing that Jesus was working behind the scenes, and that things turned out the way that Jesus predicted.
This is a good visual lesson for us regarding obedience.
It doesn’t have to make sense or be comfortable in order for us to obey the Lord.
We need to obey God, period.
Peter and John are sent out by Jesus to prepare the Passover meal.
What might they have been thinking?
1. Why do we have to do this mundane task, while the others are allowed to remain with Jesus?
2. We might miss a miracle, or a great teaching.
3. Jesus has been talking about dying; therefore, we want to spend as much time being with Him as is possible.
Or…
1. Jesus trusts us with this very important task. We get to prepare the Passover meal, which was a very important holy day for the Jews.
Probably…
1. They did not realize that they were making preparations for the most important meal ever eaten by man, this side of Heaven. (Be willing to do whatever God wants you to do. You may never the significance of it.)
2. There was no way that they realized all that would take place at this meal.
3. They could not have known the significance of this meal.
4. They could not have known that this meal would be recorded for all of history, and studied and quoted throughout the existence of the age of the church.
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper
14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.
15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
16 “for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
A statement of passion, fear, and hope.
Jesus longed to share this last night with his closest friends.
Fervent desire- To teach them about the New Covenant. Not the end, but the beginning.
He does not withhold the truth from them about His upcoming death.
He gives them hope that they will someday eat this meal again, in the Kingdom Age.
17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves;
18 “for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
There were four cups that were drunk communally at the Passover meal.
Jesus again tells His followers to look forward to a time in the future, when they would gather again, and dine together physically.
That fellowship would once again be enjoyed.
Guzik- Jesus has not yet celebrated a Passover in heaven. He is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him, then there will be a great supper, known as the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). This is the fulfillment in the kingdom of God Jesus longs for.
19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Another passionate, and bittersweet statement.
His body would be abused, bruised, and beaten.
It would be for their sakes.
They and we, are to remember that.
20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
Again, a bittersweet statement.
His blood would be spilled, and He would die.
But it would be for them.
Jesus’ sacrifice speaks of His incredible love for mankind.
21 “But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.
22 “And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
23 Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.
We see again, a very upsetting statement.
Undoubtedly, it is easy to understand why the disciples would be concerned over this.
Why they might focus on the immediate problem, instead of the future promise.
They, and we, tend to fixate on the immediate, but temporary problems of life.
Jesus would have us to view the immediate with the reminder of the eternal.
The Disciples Argue About Greatness
24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
Their concern about their own shortcomings, and Jesus prediction of betrayal, didn’t last long.
Their true colors, like ours, showed through rather quickly.
They returned to being focused upon themselves, and their potential of personal gain.
25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
26 “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
27 “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.
Jesus instructs them that the way to greatness in the Kingdom of God is not through self promotion.
God’s way of determining greatness is through humility, obedience, love and service to others.
Many people think that the one being served is the greatest.
Guzik- Cultures have always envied the person who has many people serving him. In ancient China, the rich grew long, long fingernails, so long they could do nothing for themselves – and this was seen as a sign of status.
29 “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me,
30 “that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Jesus again points them beyond the present, and to the future.
Don’t worry about how you can work, maneuver, and position yourself for greatness here and now.
Jesus teaches them to look forward to that which is eternal.
That is what is valuable.
Guzik– their names will be on the twelve foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14).
They were shortsighted.
They were self-focused.
They had wrong priorities.
That would all change after Jesus was raised from the dead.
They would be eternally minded.
They would be servants, instead of expecting to be served.
They would literally all, except for John, give their lives in serving Jesus.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
Literally- Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.
1. Satan knew Peter’s name; he knows your name
2. Satan wanted to sift Peter; beat him, and try to destroy him.
3. Wheat has no value unless it is sifted.
4. The wheat must be separated from the chaff. It is done through violent shaking and beating, and then getting blown by the wind.
5. Satan wants to reduce us to chaff.
32 “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
1. Jesus prays for Peter, and He prays for us.
2. Jesus predicts that Peter would falter, but not fail:
3. Jesus predicts that Peter will return.
4. Peter will be sifted, but he will come forth more pure, the chaff being violently beaten away. (With many tears)
5. When we falter, we should return.
6. When we return, we are to help others, and not be self-focused.
Summary
We see four kinds of people in this story.
1. The religious leaders who simply rejected and ultimately hated Jesus.
2. Judas, a follower, until things didn’t go the way he wanted. Then he became a betrayer.
3. The disciples.
a. Filled with self-concern and self-promotion.
b. Warned about their coming failures.
c. Taught about what was truly important in God’s kingdom.
d. Taught to look upon the Eternal, and the coming Kingdom of God.
4. Jesus
a. Continues to love the disciples, even though he knows that they will desert Him.
b. Loves Judas up until the end, even knowing what he was going to do.
c. Love, warns, comforts, prays for self-assured Peter.
d. Is more concerned for them than He is for Himself.
e. Instructs His followers, (them and us), to look towards Eternity, and the coming Kingdom.
f. All things should be viewed through the truth of the resurrection proving who Jesus is.