Friday, April 22, 2011

Maundy Thursday, April 21, 2011 sermon

Maundy Thursday, April 21, 2011 - sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
John 13:1-7, 12-17
1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Luke 22:14-24
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
24 Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
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"Do you understand?" Jesus asked that after washing the feet of His disciples. We could ask that same question with regard to one of them, Judas. Do we understand exactly when he left the Passover meal to betray Jesus? We know it was Thursday evening at the Passover meal that Jesus singled Judas out as the betrayer and he then left the group of the apostles. But exactly what time was that? Was it before the end of that meal? That seems to be the case, that Judas left before Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper.
But here our logical minds might want to know exactly what time that was, like was it 6:30 or maybe 8:00. Then we have to remember that 2000 years ago they didn’t carry sundials on their wrists the way we have watches on our wrists and clocks on our phones and almost everywhere. Suffice it to say that the Holy Spirit obviously felt it wasn’t important for us to understand the precise time Judas left.
But there is something Jesus clearly wants His apostles and us to understand precisely, and that is the full extent of His saving love for us. So on the basis of our texts from John and Luke, our theme is:
THE FULL EXTENT OF JESUS’ LOVE!
DID THE APOSTLES, DO WE UNDERSTAND?
I CONSIDER THE PRESENT SETTING (13:1)
1. It was Passover time (1a)
It was just before the Passover Feast.
a) we heard the history behind this in the OT reading, how the
blood of a lamb was involved in the deliverance from Egypt
b) now Jesus, God’s real promised Lamb of deliverance from
sin, had arranged with His disciples to commemorate this
history for what would actually be the last required time
2. Jesus knew it was fulfillment time (1ab)
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
a) He had come to this world, taken on Himself our human
flesh and blood, so that He could die as our Substitute
b) now, 33 years later, Jesus knew sacrifice time had come
3. He wants us to know His total love (1abc)
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
a) for Himself Jesus would never have had to face this
b) for us He humbled Himself, for us He contended against sin
c) and for us He would in His love take the next step, pay the
price for the world’s sins, and return to the Father victorious
II NOTE THE REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE (22:14-18)
1. He spoke of the immediate future (14-15)
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."
a) the table was set, they were ready to eat together
b) then after that would come suffering, Jesus’ terrible suffering
2. And He spoke also of the heavenly future (16)
"For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
a) they were at a meal celebrating a past deliverance
b) now Jesus pointed also to being at heaven’s eternal banquet
3. And He tells us something about both meals (17-18)
"After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
a) this was one of the last cups of their Passover meal
b) the Lord’s Supper would use bread and wine from that meal
c) but now, with this Supper, Jesus would proclaim fulfillment of
what the Passover pictured: the real Lamb of God sacrificed
III BE WARNED BY JUDAS’ BETRAYAL (22:21-23; 13:2)
1. Judas came as a betrayer (13:2; 22:21)
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.
a) he had previously agreed to trade Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
b) now he was at the table as a hypocrite, but not to Jesus
"But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table."
2. This would have an impact (22:22)
"The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him."
a) it would not stop Jesus from going on to victory
b) but for Judas it meant an eternal catastrophe, eternal loss
3. What a warning for us (23)
They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
a) the other 11 apostles could not understand this happening
after three years with Jesus; and might we not think the same?
b) but how many years have we been with Jesus? how many
years have we learned from Him in our school and in church?
c) are we tempted to put money ahead of Jesus, to think the
world’s temptations would never put us and our faith at risk;
do we fail to realize that setting Jesus aside leads to eternal
loss as happened with Judas? - fellow believers, be warned!
IV LEARN FROM JESUS’ EXAMPLE (22:24; 13:3-7,12-15)
1. How easy it is to have wrong thinking (22:24)
Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
a) love of money, as with Judas, was not the only temptation
b) here pride, love of importance also reared their ugly heads
2. Jesus gave a personal example (13:3-7)
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
a) by this visible personal example Jesus wanted to show them
what He previously told them, that He, Jesus, had come not to
be served but to serve and to give His life for our salvation
b) but Peter, and probably all of them, did not yet understand
that they also were to be ready to serve, not to be served
3. He wanted them to understand this (13:12-15)
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes
and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done
for you?" he asked them. "You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’
and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
a) this did not teach them how to save themselves
b) this was a lesson showing them what a saved apostle, a saved
Christian should want to do as a result of being saved
c) in our day, washing feet may not be a need; but you know as
well as I do that in our families and all around us there are
genuine needs that we according to ability should want to do
something about because we are Christians, following the
example of Jesus who is far more than an example, who is
above all our Savior, our Savior who has even given us sinners
a special meal that proclaims to us His saving love
V RECEIVE HIS MEAL’S ASSURANCE (22:19-20)
1. It is a simple meal
a) simple does not mean it is for all; Jesus gave it to His disciples
who had been instructed; today too we welcome to the Lord’s
Table with us those who are instructed and can examine
themselves, those who are one in confession and faith with us
b) its simplicity is in the bread and the wine and the wonderful
message Jesus proclaims by means of this meal
2. Listen to this meal’s message (22:19-20)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
a) after the Passover supper, Jesus instituted His N.T. meal
b) here the Passover Lamb is Jesus Himself, Jesus who on the
cross satisfied God’s justice by paying for our sins, who tells
us personally in this meal, as we receive with the bread and
wine His body and blood, that His body given and blood shed
mean that our sins are forgiven by God
3. Use this meal in remembrance
a) don’t come to the Lord’s Table just to come, not thinking
b) Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me."
c) come then as penitent sinners, remembering what Jesus did,
and rejoicing in the full extent of Jesus’ forgiving love
The Full Extent Of Jesus’ Love! Did The Apostles, Do We Understand? God help us by our Christian lives following Jesus’ example to show that we understand and believe, to show that we want to live Christian lives because of the full extent of Jesus’ love: that He gave Himself for us, that He is our Savior from all of our sins for time and for a glorious eternity.

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