Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2014
Sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Matthew 26:26-29
Very early in my ministry, at the first congregation I served in
Ontario, Canada, there was another Lutheran church in town. I asked
the minister there for an opportunity to sit down together with him
because I wanted to find out for myself if there really was a difference
between us. If there wasn’t, why should we, a WELS congregation,
be there?
I quickly found out. Though he identified himself as Lutheran, he
did not accept the Bible as being God’s completely true Word. One
of the examples he used for his claimed errors in the Bible had to do
with people eating with Jesus. That came to mind because of the
subject of our Maundy Thursday services today: dining with Jesus.
For a claimed example of an error in the Bible, he referred to one
report in the Gospels about Jesus miraculously feeding over 5000
people. Then he said that in another Gospel it says over 4000 people
were fed by Him. To him that was an obvious error.
I said there was no error. Jesus did both. As a matter of fact Jesus
Himself referred to both times when He said to His disciples (Mt.
16:9-10), “Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five
thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven
loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you
gathered?” That made no difference to him. He still said it was a
mistake in the Bible, one of many.
I could give other examples of our discussion. Let it be sufficient
to say that I knew why WELS was in town. I knew why it was and
still is necessary to warn and say that not everything that calls itself
Lutheran or Christian is what is claimed.
Now, after referring to over 5000 and over 4000 dining with Jesus
- and both happened, Jesus said so - let’s go to our service theme.
WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS? DINE WITH HIM.
I OTHERS OFTEN DINED WITH JESUS.
1. In this service we think of the day before He died.
a) Friday was coming, what we refer to as Good Friday.
b) The evening before, Thursday evening, Jesus sat down with
His disciples to dine. We’ll say more about that later, but here
let us point out that there were actually two special meals or
dinings that evening. It was after the first one, the Passover
Meal, that Judas most likely left to carry out his betrayal of
Jesus in Gethsemane.
2. Before this Jesus had often dined with others.
a) The 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) give many
examples of Jesus eating with others. Let me list some.
b) After Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law we are told that
she waited on him. I am quite sure that Jesus also dined when
He fed the 5000 and the 4000. He ate at Matthew’s house, at
Simon’s house, at a Pharisee’s house. He called Zacchaeus
down from a tree and told him He wanted to eat at his house
that day. He was at a wedding reception where He turned
water into wine. He ate with Mary and Martha, the sisters of
Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead, and scolded
Martha for putting meal preparation ahead of hearing God’s
Word. He was at a dinner someone gave in His honor.
3. He also dines with us, doesn’t He?
a) How many of you use the common meal prayer that starts out
with “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.”?
b) If you use that, do you really mean it?
c) Jesus wants to be with you at your table, and everywhere!
II THERE WAS DINING ON MAUNDY THURSDAY (26-28)
1. The first meal was the Passover meal.
a) The people of Israel had been in Egypt for over 400 years.
But because God had promised that the Savior would be born
in Bethlehem, not in Egypt, He delivered them from Egypt to
go back to the promised land. That deliverance involved 10
powerful signs or plagues. The last one, the real convincing
one, was that death would hit in every house. But if the blood
of a lamb was put on the door posts of a house, the angel of
death would pass over it. People would be spared.
b) The Passover Meal was an annual reminder of that lamb and
blood. That’s why Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do
you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
2. The second meal we call the Lord’s Supper. (26-28)
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is
my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to
them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of
sins.”
a) The Passover meal, with its reminder of a lamb whose shed
blood spared people from death, was finished. Now Jesus
instituted His special meal for His New Testament followers.
b) It was about the true Lamb of God who was sacrificed,
whose blood was shed, so that the angel of eternal death won’t
come knocking at our doors.
3. What a gracious meal!
a) Here Jesus used what was on the table from the Passover
meal, the bread and the wine, and referred to receiving the
body and blood of the real Lamb of God.
b) He did not require them or us to understand everything.
c) But believe the message: “Given and shed for you.”
III JESUS’ INVITATION TO DINE IS ALSO FOR US TODAY.
1. We have no need for the Passover meal.
a) We think of that meal as pointing back to the past.
b) But the past, what it proclaimed, has been fulfilled
2. Today Jesus has given us what we call the Lord’s Supper.
a) It is for those who truly are His disciples, who are united in
their faith and in their confession of the truth.
b) It is for those who can examine themselves, acknowledge
their sins, and hunger for the precious assurance of forgiveness
because Jesus, the Lamb of God, gave His body and shed His
blood for them.
3. What an invitation!
a) The wages of sin, our sin, is eternal separation from glory.
b) The message from Jesus’ meal is forgiveness of sins.
c) And forgiveness means life and being with Jesus in glory.
IV DINING AT THE HEAVENLY BANQUET IS COMING.
1. Jesus did not stay visibly on earth. \(29)
a) He is here where two or three are gathered in His name.
b) But His visible presence is not seen.
2. He has returned to His eternal glory.
a) After Maundy Thursday came Good Friday, death.
b) After that came the resurrection and ascension, proofs of His
victory.
3. We will share in that victory. (29)
“I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on
until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s
kingdom.”
a) The disciples saw Jesus and dined with Him.
b) In the Lord’s Supper we dine with Him, but don’t see Him.
c) At the heavenly banquet we’ll dine with Him and see Him.
Earlier I referred to the table prayer that starts out with “Come,
Lord Jesus, be our guest.” Whenever you come to the Lord’s
Supper, think of Jesus saying to you, “Come, be My guest. Receive
My body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of
sins.”
So, WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS? DINE WITH HIM.
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