MAUNDY THURSDAY

April 17, 2023

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Mark 14:12-26 (EHV)

 

THE LAST SUPPER—A PLACE OF REST

1. Rest from having to have it all figured out.

2. Rest from the sting of betrayal.

3. Rest for souls weighed down by sin.

 

          For our special services in Lent and Holy Week we have been pausing at places of the Passion. Today we go back to where we started over 40 days ago, the Upper Room. When we paused there the first time our focus was on service. Tonight, it is rest. Everybody needs rest. In the perfect world God blessed Adam and Eve with rest. As God ceased His creation on the 6^th day He blessed the 7^th day and made it holy. A day of rest. When sin ruined the world there came the need for more rest. People don’t just get physically tired, they get emotionally tired and spiritually tired. Jesus is the one who said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” As we join Jesus and His disciples in the Upper Room see how He fulfills that gracious promise in several ways.

          “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹³ He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ His disciples left and went into the city and found things just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.”

          It was the week that all of God’s people celebrated the Passover meal. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of extra people, were in Jerusalem for this special meal. It was a very practical question the disciples asked. “Where are we going to eat our Passover meal?” Practical, but unnecessary. Jesus had it all figured out. Find some random guy carrying a water jar and he will lead you to the house where the owner will gladly bump you to the front of the line for large upper rooms already prepared for the Passover. Yeah, right. Yeah right! Jesus had it all figured out and here, brothers and sisters, is the first blessing of rest you get because you have Jesus as your Savior. You don’t have to have it all figured out. That is not a burden you need to carry. It is true that the Lord does want us doing planning and preparing for things under our control. Yes, students, you do need to do your homework. You do need to prioritize time so you can study and do chores before your fun. But for the big things in life, rest. You don’t have to have it all figured out. What will my life be like? Where will I live? What about this family problem? What about this health issue I can’t control? Let it go! Concern yourselves only with those things the Lord has placed in your control. For all the rest, rest. Jesus has it figured out.

          There’s more. “When it was evening, he arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”¹⁹ They began to be sorrowful and said to him one by one, “Surely not I?”²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread with me in the dish. ²¹ Indeed, the Son of Man is going to go just as it has been written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

          Betrayal. Emotionally it does not get much worse. Someone you have every reason to expect loyalty from is disloyal. What do you suppose happened when Jesus said, “One of you who is eating with me will betray me?” Did Judas’ face flush? Or was his control that good that he should have been playing on some world poker tour? We don’t know what Judas did other than join the others in saying, “Surely not I?” But Judas is not important here. Jesus is. How does He handle the hurt of betrayal? He cares for the betrayer! He warns. He prays. He does not stop him. He does not punish him. He trusts His Father’s plan and by doing so He gives us rest. We are sinners living among a bunch of sinners. The chances that we will not have to deal with some kind of betrayal are nil. Learn from Christ to rest. To keep loving, to keep praying, and to let it go like Jesus let Judas go.

          And go to Christ regularly for more rest in His Supper! “While they were eating, Jesus took bread. When he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “Take it. This is my body.” ²³ Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them. They all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many. ²⁵ Amen I tell you: I will certainly not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” The Lord’s Supper. You know what it is. Jesus tells you exactly. He took bread. “This is my body.”  Not a representation, symbol or picture. Is means is. A miracle. He took the cup filled with grape wine. “This is my blood.” Not a representation, symbol or picture. Is means is. But wait there’s more. It is the blood of the new testament or covenant. This is the covenant God has made with us, to forgive us our sin and remember them no more. Here is rest! Rest for souls that struggle with guilt, that fear God is treating them as their sins deserve. Rest for souls that struggle to fight sin and feel keen disappointment when they fail again. “Here,” says Jesus, “here is the proof you need, something you can see, taste, touch to prove to you again, you are fully forgiven. Rest guilty soul. Rest worried soul. Rest disappointed soul. You have my forgiveness.”  

The Upper Room is a place of rest. Jesus said He eagerly desired to be there with His disciples. He eagerly desired us to be here too. Jesus keeps His promises. All of them and He has promised rest. But our journey is not over. We still need to visit the cross and the empty tomb tomorrow and Sunda. Even then our journey will not be over. Jesus said He would not drink of the cup until that day when he drinks again in the kingdom of God. Look ahead! Feasting is coming. Banqueting, When we finally get to be with Jesus our journey will be over and we will be blessed with eternal rest! Amen.