Luke

The Institution of the Lord's Supper

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The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Luke 20:7-23

We come to the Thursday of our Lord’s last day before His death. He will be crucified on the following day. Satan has already entered into Judas Iscariot, and he has gone to the Jewish religious leaders to betray Jesus Christ.

In our passage this morning, we are going to be focusing on the very first Lord’s Supper. Sometimes it is referred to as The Last Supper.

Since we have studied the last three verses (22:21-23), concerning Judas’ treacherous betrayal of the Lord in our last message, we won’t look at them again today.  The first section dealing with the preparation for the Passover does not need a detailed and lengthy study, as it is fairly straightforward. Jesus tells Peter and John to go and prepare the Passover for the other 10 disciples and Jesus. Of course, they have no idea where they will observe the Passover meal, and so they ask Jesus. At this point, Jesus gives some very ambiguous remarks. If I were Peter or John, I think I would be a bit nervous about following out His orders to them. All He told them is that when they entered the city, a man will meet them carrying a pitcher of water. Now, that comment was helpful because usually the women carried the water. They were to follow that man into the house that he enters. When they got inside the house they were to say to the owner of the house (who was probably a different man than the one carrying the pitcher of water), “The Teacher says to you, ‘Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples? And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.”

Now, why did Jesus give these instructions with so much secrecy? It sounds a bit “cloak and dagger”, doesn’t it? I think the reason is that if Jesus had told Peter and John the man’s name and address where they would be observing the Passover, Judas could have overheard, and then run to the religious leaders and told them to come and arrest Him there. It would have been a perfect spot for His arrest, as He would be alone, away from the crowds, with just His disciples. However, Jesus had so many very important things to accomplish that very night. He could not be arrested before they were accomplished. He had the entirety of John 13-16 to communicate to His disciples, and He had the prayer of John 17 to pray. If the religious leaders arrested Him too soon, those things would not be accomplished. So, Jesus gives very veiled and ambiguous instructions to Peter and John, so that Judas would not have the authorities show up at the Passover meal and arrest Jesus before He accomplished all of the extremely important teachings He needed to give them.

Now, you might be wondering whether Jesus prearranged the details about where they would observe the Passover, or whether He just know them supernaturally?  We aren’t told, so we can’t say with any certainty.  However, it really doesn’t matter, in the end. What we do know is that Jesus was making sure that nothing would interrupt the important things He must do with His disciples that very night.

So, friends, let’s take a good close examination of the very first Lord’s Supper observance. In our passage, we are going to learn three things about the Lord’s Supper.  1.  The Lord’s Supper Replaces The Passover Feast.  2.  The Lord’s Supper Recalls His Vacarious Sacrifice.  3.  The Lord’s Supper Represents The New Covenant.

1. The Lord’s Supper Replaces The Passover Feast

Notice that Jesus gives His famous words concerning the institution of the Lord’s Supper in verses 19-20, at a Passover meal. This was a meal that all Jewish families celebrated every year. During the meal the children ask their Father questions, and they would engage about the significance of this great event in the history of Israel. The meal would go on for several hours. Here is how the Passover would typically be celebrated.

1. The Prayer of Thanks
2. The Cup of Blessing
3. The Cleansing of the Hands
4. The Eating of Bitter Herbs
5. The Singing of Psalms 113-114).
6. The 2^nd Cup of Wine. Explain Meaning of Feast.
7. Eating of Meal
8. The 3^rd Cup of Wine.
9. The Singing of Psalm 115-118
10. The 4^th Cup of Wine

It is important that we realize that the Passover was a type of the saving work of Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 5:7 says, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”  The apostle Paul tells us very clearly that Christ is our Passover. That means that the Passover was a type of Christ. It prefigured the work of Christ. It symbolized our redemption in Christ.

It Typified Our Deliverance from the World. At the original Passover, the Jews were slaves in bondage in Egypt. They sighed and cried out to God to deliver them from their cruel oppression. God heard, and raised up Moses to be their deliverer. God sent Moses to Pharoah, and told him to let the children of Israel go free. When Pharoah refused, God brought a plague upon Egypt. There were ten plagues in all. However, Pharoah’s heart was hardened, and he stubbornly refused to let the Israelites go. Thus, God brought His last and greatest plague on all of Egypt. On the 14^th day of the first month, God sent His destroying angel throughout all the land of Egypt to kill the first-born of every house, except those homes where they had taken the blood of a slain lamb, and put it on the lintels and doorposts of their house. When the destroying angel saw a home where the blood was on the doors, he passed over and did not bring judgment upon that home. When the destroying angel was finished with His awful work of judgment, there was a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, and the Israelites were finally able to go free. The Passover was the great event in Israel’s history when God’s people were delivered from their bondage in Egypt.

Likewise, the cross of Jesus Christ is the great event that delivers God’s people today from their bondage to the world system dominated by Satan. Pharoah symbolizes Satan, and Egypt symbolizes the world. However, when we come to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, He delivers us out of Satan’s kingdom, and out of this present evil world.

Galatians 1:3-5, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.”  Now, did you notice why Jesus gave Himself for our sins? It was so that He might rescue us from this present evil age. We normally think He died for us to rescue us from eternal punishment in hell. Of course, that is true. But this text emphasizes the fact that He died for us to deliver us from this present evil age.

Colossians 1:13-14, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Have you ever praised God for delivering you from the domain of darkness and transferring you to the kingdom of Jesus Christ? Just as the Israelites were delivered from bondage in Egypt, so you and I have been delivered from bondage to this present evil world system in which Satan rules and reigns.

This is exactly what the apostle Paul was writing about in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  Paul says we formerly walked according to the course of this world, even as the rest. But we don’t do that any more! Why not? Because Jesus Christ has delivered us from this present evil world. 1 John 5:19 says that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. The whole world of lost people are under the power of Satan, citizens of his kingdom, in this present evil age. And except for the grace of God, that would be true of every one of us!

It Typified Our Deliverance from Judgment.  Not only were the Israelites delivered from Pharoah’s cruel oppression in Egypt, but they were also delivered from God’s judgment. You will recall that God sent a destroying angel throughout Egypt to strike down and kill all the first-born of man and beast. However, if a family killed a lamb, and put its blood on the lintels and door posts of their house and then remained inside the home, when the destroying angel came, He would pass over their home without executing judgment upon the first born.

Now, all of this points to the great Day of Judgment which will come upon the whole world. On that day, if a man has not applied the blood of Christ to his soul through faith, he will be judged, condemned, and cast into hell. But for those first-born who were passed over in judgment, what made the difference? Was it that they were more righteous than the first-born that were killed? Were they smarter? Were they better? Did they have softer hearts? No, the only reason they were passed over is because an innocent animal (a lamb) had been killed in their place. The lamb took God’s wrath, so that He could pass over the guilty Israelites. This principle is called propitiation in the New Testament. A propitiation is a sacrifice that turns away God’s wrath. That is exactly what the innocent lamb that was slain did. It was a sacrifice that turned away God’s wrath.

However, just because the lamb was slain didn’t mean that all the Israelites were automatically safe from judgment. They could kill and eat the lamb and the first-born could still die that night, unless they sprinkled the blood on their doorposts. My friends, Jesus Christ can die for sinners and a person can know that and still die in their sins unless they take the hand of faith and apply His blood to their guilty souls. We must personally appropriate what Christ has done in His death. It does not good to simply know that He died for sins. We must go to God with all our sins, and cast ourselves on His mercy, trusting that Christ’s death will wash all our sins away.  My friend, have you applied the blood of Christ to your guilty soul? Have you trusted the Savior to cleanse you from all sins? Today if you hear His voice, do  not harden your hearts! Submit your life to Jesus Christ and trust Him as your Savior, Lord and Treasure.

2. The Lord’s Supper Recalls a Vicarious Sacrifice

The Passover meal is described in Luke 22:14-18. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper in verses 19-20.  Notice two very important words – “for you” in verse 19 and 20.  “This is my body which is given for you.”  This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

The words “for you” carry the meaning “in your behalf” or “in your stead.” They point to a vicarious sacrifice. The word “vicarious” refers to something that is done on behalf of someone else.  A vicarious sacrifice is a substitutionary sacrifice. During the Civil War, if a man was drafted into the Army, but did not want to go to war, he could pay someone else to serve in the Army in his place. This was referred to as “sending a substitute.”  In many cases, the substitute was killed in the line of fire, while the one he went for was safe at home.

You see, Jesus became a Substitute for His people. Jesus was a public person. He didn’t come into the world for Himself. Jesus came into the world, and lived and died and rose again on behalf of His sheep, His church, His elect. His sacrifice was a vicarious sacrifice. That is why Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him. And by His scourging we are healed.

Paul picks up the theme of vacarious sacrifice in Romans 5:6 and writes, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Then in verse 8 he writes, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Or again in Romans 8:32 he writes, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

The doctrine of substitution is laced throughout the entire New Testament. When you begin looking for it, you find it everywhere!

2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Let’s say you are driving down the highway at 120 miles an hour, when a highway patrolman spots you, and pulls you over. They impound your car and take you straight to the courthouse to face the judge. Well, the good news is that the judge just happens to be your Dad. So, you think that everything will be fine. Your Dad loves you. He’ll let you off for sure. Everything will be OK.  However, then the thought hits you that your Dad is a good judge. He never punishes the innocent, and always punishes the guilty. He is just.  Well now you get a little nervous. What is going to happen?  Will your Dad’s love win out? Will he let you off?  Or will His  justice win out? Will He follow the law and render a just verdict?

Well, when you stand before your Dad who is the judge he says, “Son, this office says that you were going 120 miles an hour. How do you plead?  You say, “guilty”, because there’s no point in lying. The patrolman has you on radar. Then your Dad says, “You will pay $1,000 or spend a week in jail.” You reply, “But, I don’t have $1,000!”  At that, the officer comes over, handcuffs you, and starts to lead you away. Then your father says, “Wait a minute. Bring him back here.” Then he takes off his judge’s robes, walks down to where you are standing, takes out his checkbook, and writes a check for $1,000 and hands it to you. You see your Dad is just, so he declares you guilty and demands that a penalty be paid. However, he also loves you, so he pays your penalty Himself.

Now, in the case of God and sinners, God didn’t just write a $1,000 check. Sin’s penalty is death, so God left heaven, came to earth, became a man, and died to pay our penalty. Jesus took the blame for every vile thing we have ever done, and then gives us credit for His perfect life. Have you ever accepted what Christ did on your behalf?

Verse 19 says, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Every time we take the Lord’s Supper, we are remembering Christ’s vicarious sacrifice. We are recalling the fact that He died on our behalf, in our stead, for our sins. The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrifice. In the Lord’s Supper Jesus is not being sacrificed again and again as the Roman Catholic church teaches. Rather, the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of the once for all sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 10:12 says, “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was perfect, and never needed to be repeated. The Lord’s Supper is not Jesus being sacrificed over and over. No, it is our remembrance of His once, perfect sacrifice for sins for all time!

3. The Lord’s Supper Represents The New Covenant

Look at Luke 22:20, “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”  What did Jesus mean by speaking of the new covenant in His blood?

It’s important that we understand what a covenant is. It is a solemn binding agreement; a promisary oath. It is like a contract. If you ever bought a home, you signed reams and reams of paper obligating you to pay off that home. You made a solemn binding agreement with the bank. They agreed to give you a loan for the purchase price of the house, and you agreed to pay them back with interest, for 30 years or more!

Now, in the Bible, covenants are ratified by the shedding of blood. When God made a covenant with Abraham, Abraham killed a three year old heifer, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Then he cut them in two and laid each half opposite the other. Then God made a covenant with Abraham promising him and his descendants the land of Palestine.

Later God made a covenant through Moses with the children of Israel. Moses offered burn offerings and collected the blood. Half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the people. What was he doing by sprinkling the altar and the people. He was signifying that the people and God had bound themselves by oath to the covenant. The people had bound themselves to obey the Lord, and the Lord had bound Himself to bless and take care of His people.  But notice, that sacrifices were made, and blood was shed in the making of a covenant. Well, it is no different in the New Covenant. Christ’s blood must be shed, and He must die to ratify this New Covenant.

Now, why does Jesus call it the New Covenant? What is new about it? And what is the Old Covenant. To get the answers to these questions, we need to go back to Jeremiah 31:31-34, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,´ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

The Lord spoke through Jeremiah and said that He was going to make a new covenant, and that it would not be like the covenant which He made with the fathers in the day He took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. Now, what covenant is He referring to? What is the Old Covenant? It is the Mosaic covenant. It is the covenant God made with the people of Israel at Sinai when He took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt. We have that covenant spelled out in Exodus 19-24. In Exodus 19:5-6 God says, “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Now, how is the New Covenant different from the Old Covenant?

• The New Covenant is an Unconditional Covenant. It is not a conditional covenant. It is not an “If – Then” covenant. The terms of the  Mosaic covenant were if you do this, then I will do that. As long as the people were faithful, God would be faithful to do His part. But the New Covenant is not an If-Then covenant. It is a “I will – they shall” covenant. It is an unconditional covenant. Look at the words in Jeremiah 31. There is not a single stipulation that we must keep. It is all what God is going to do!
• The New Covenant is a Unilateral Covenant. It is not a bilateral covenant. The Old Covenant was a binding agreement between two parties – Israel and God. Each must do their part or the covenant would be broken. And in fact, Israel did break the covenant. He says, “My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them.” However, the New Covenant is a unilateral covenant. There is only one contracting party. God is binding Himself to do certain things. In the terms of this New Covenant, man is not binding himself to do anything. God is taking full responsibility for everything in the New Covenant.
• The New Covenant is a Saving Covenant. It is not a condemning covenant. In 2 Corinthians 3:4-9 Paul refers to the Old Covenant as that which kills, the ministry of death, and the ministry of condemnation. The Old Covenant did not save. It killed and it condemned. However, the New Covenant is a saving covenant. What did Jeremiah say? In the New Covenant, God would write His law on their hearts, He would be their God, they would all know Him, and He would forgive all their sins and remember them no more. The person who has entered this New Covenant experiences a changed heart, a knowledge of God, and the forgiveness of all their sins! It is a saving covenant.

My friends, every time we eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord’s Supper, we are re-enacting what God had to do to bring us into this glorious New Covenant. He had to become man, and give His body to scourging and piercing and death. And He had to pour out His blood unto death.  So, next time we take the Lord’s Supper remind yourself that it is a Unilateral Covenant. It is an Unconditional Covenant. And it is a Saving Covenant.

Conclusion

On that Thursday evening in Jerusalem so many years ago, Jesus Christ did something that would radically change everything! He replaced the Passover with the Lord’s Supper. He taught His disciples to remember His vicarious sacrifice. And He inaugurated the New Covenant.

Now, let me ask you this – have you entered into the benefits of His death? Are you trusting in Him alone for all your salvation and all your desire? If you have, rejoice and worship! If you haven’t, come to Him now!

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