Luke 22

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0:00 So the rest of us, we are continuing walking through all the stories about food in Luke's Gospel and we are down to the Lord's Supper which is in Luke chapter 22 if you want to follow along. We'll start at verse 14. It's kind of a longer story and just before we get there I just wanted to remind you how they got here because this story is like really kind of I mean obviously it's seminal story for us when Christ institutes the Lord's Supper but if you

0:34 pay attention it's a really kind of emotionally charged story and you could read it and it could get kind of like legal language if you're not careful but remember how they got here. Jesus had been out teaching in Galilee and he heard about his friend Lazarus who was sick and at first they were like you should go back to him right away you can help him before he's sick but he's like we're gonna wait and then by the time he goes his disciples are like he's already dead why go plus when you go back to where Lazarus is you're going

1:06 back into Israel and we know those Pharisees are set against you like they want to kill you so why would you go back there he's already dead and Jesus is like come on those are the people we love we're gonna go back and be with them and he tells Martha that though that he is the resurrection in the life he stands outside of Lazarus's tomb though he's been dead for four days calls him back to life Lazarus gets up and walks out with the slet and grave clothes on and then he starts there in the north of Israel after the resurrection of Lazarus from

1:39 the dead to he banquets with them Mary Martha and Lazarus who's come back from the dead then they start their walk down to Jerusalem for the Passover people can't believe he's going into the heart of the people who have said and are scheming knowing that they want to kill him he's on his way back and as he goes back he's already got the crew that was celebrating Lazarus resurrection with them then as they walk they start to grab more people right and he comes through Jericho and then he heals blind Bartimaeus right he outside of the walls

2:10 of Jericho and now he's got even more people because you're to heal give sight to the blind has decided one of the harder miracles for people to accomplish in the first century so that's like a big deal now they've got a whole crew of people not just the ones the family's going to Passover but the ones celebrating the resurrection of Lazarus now the ones walking with them at celebrating the sight of blind Bartimaeus like they are on the move and they go in and he comes into Jerusalem now they're like this is our guy he comes in on the donkey right and the first thing he does when he goes into Jerusalem is he

2:42 kicks out all the money lenders and the money changers and in the in the temple angrily and throws over the thing he's caused a big commotion and then now he's going to get to the upper room now it's time to celebrate Passover like the thing is the energy has been building the attention has been multiplying more and more people are beginning to pay attention to Jesus he's got more and more happening swirling around him and then you get to Luke chapter 22 out verse 14 and he says and when the hour came he reclined at the

3:15 table and his apostles with him and he said to them I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer the contrast for me of the upper room with the resurrection of Lazarus the healing of Bartimaeus the triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple the like public nature the kind of boisterous activity and then the like intimate quiet upper room that's been

3:49 prepared it's like so room I wish I could be in what does it feel like I'm in amongst all the heightened activity remember how John remembers it they get there and Jesus is washing their feet even how intimate John says having loved his disciples to this point he now loved them to the very end and they get to the

4:20 upper room and they recline at the table together this Passover feast that has all of the nostalgia and the memories of every year as they've grown up you know and then Jesus looks at them and says oh guys I have been really looking forward to this meal with you I like sometimes this is one of like I think the most beautiful little moments

4:52 in Jesus's life hey guys I have really been looking forward to this meal with you and I sincerely like wonder and hope to one day discover what that feels like intimate setting Jesus of Nazareth hey man I've been looking forward to being here with you I mean that is empowering no wonder later Peter will be like dude

5:28 if they want to kill us I'll kill right next to you right because he's like sitting in the room with Jesus of Nazareth lazors from the dead blind Bartimaeus triumphal entry cleansing the temple and he's like I want to be with you and Jesus Peter's like yeah me too man where we going what are we doing I'm in all the way right of course that moment that room must have been so energizing and livening empowering really beautiful I have earnestly

5:59 desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer before I tell you I will not eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God in the reign of God and he took a cup and when he had given thanks he said take this and divided among yourselves for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the reign of God comes verse 19 and he took bread and when he

6:30 had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them saying this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me and likewise the cup after they had eaten saying this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me at the table for the son of man goes as it has been determined but woe to the man by whom he is betrayed and

7:01 they began to question one another which of them it could be who was going to do this all of the well John doesn't have a last supper because the way he remembers it Jesus is crucified at the same time that they are sacrificing the lamb but remember John also has more than one visit to Jerusalem than the son optics remember John it's gospel it's probably the last thing in the New Testament that's written John's like super old when he's writing his account of the gospel and

7:36 there's some theological through lines that he's trying to drive home in the face of Gnostic apostasy but besides that the other three synoptics all tell the last supper the same way and Judas is there at the table crazy and Jesus has this like way that he says it and you can read in 1 Corinthians when Paul writes his letter to the church in Corinth in the 60s tops 30 years after the death resurrection and ascension of Jesus they've already codified this language

8:07 into a ritualistic way to take the meal Paul says the same thing that Jesus says here with few additions so that you know by the time he's writing this he's inherited something with the first generation so people that were at this Lord's Supper perpetuated this language and it perpetuates still today so that the meal this meal the Lord's Supper our people have been doing since the time of Jesus unbroken same words same elements passed out among the people a

8:43 lot of things have changed you know we don't speak the same language we don't wear the same clothes we don't cut our hair the same way we don't we don't organize our families the same way we don't organize our cultures our employment the same way we sing different songs we use different instruments we meet in different kinds of buildings a lot of things have changed this hasn't wonder why Kirk Jesus said it's a new covenant in his blood right

9:25 covenant and blood the first thing is think about well if it's a new covenant then there's an old covenant and of course the covenant is like a official promise right and you know there's like volumes spun out on covenantal theology but the shorthand is like there's a couple of times where in the story of our people in our relationship to God God has made things

10:00 that he calls covenants you know he makes promises all over the place and but but these things these formal covenants usually have a marker the first one that's worth mentioning is after he's flooded the whole earth he's like I'm tired these people I'm starting all over I can't deal with their perpetual assumption that they know better than me that they don't need me and so I'm gonna start I'm gonna wipe them all out and start over with Noah's family and

10:31 Noah build the ark and Noah and his family get in the ark and then he rains on the world for 40 days and 40 nights and it floods the whole place and then they float and wait for the water to subside and then when they send out the bird and it comes back with a branch they know that there's dry ground somewhere they get excited it crashes into a mountain Noah gets off the mountain makes an altar worships God God puts a rainbow in the sky and says I'll never flood the earth again now go forth be fruitful and multiply right and so go do this thing

11:05 again I make the promise to you though I got frustrated and started over it's safe for you now to go out on this journey again to trust me again I commission you to build out in the world be fruitful and multiply here's a sign for you when you wonder will God be will God give up on us again will God destroy us again can we trust God to be safe with God look at the visible sign

11:38 and know I'll never flood the earth again covenant with visible sign right it makes the covenant with Abraham where he like they split the animals is where all the blood is and then just God walks through with the smoking pot it gives them the sign of circumcision the reason circumcision was a big deal was

12:09 because most of the gods in the ancient Near East if you wanted to keep the God happy so that the God continued to honor his promises to you often you would have to sacrifice things to them so in the case of Abraham and the Israelites they had to sacrifice animals but they never had to sacrifice their kids and often whether it's Marduk or Baal the gods of the ancient Near East they were having to sacrifice kids to the God in order to keep the God happy with them and

12:39 so the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob says my covenant to you is so significant that when your child is eight days old before they can commit to me I'll commit to them and so my covenant moves forward and this is the physical sign of the promise that you are included in the covenant gifts of God makes a covenant says now you uniquely are my people go forward and be the people of

13:10 course then at Sinai he makes the covenant and gives them this physical physical sign of the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle you want to know if I'm with you right there in the building at the space go be the people in the world and so Jesus the death razor the sight giver the justice

13:47 bringer sits with the ones who usher his kingdom out into the world and says I've been waiting for this moment for a long time here is the sign of the new covenant he says my body and blood given to you tangible

14:19 apprehendable you can apprehend this covenant says this now is my commitment to you that accomplishes what the others have the other covenants have in a new way binds you to the mission accomplishes the forgiveness of sins sets you in right relationship with the God assures your protection challenges

14:54 you out on mission and you can see I hadn't really put this together in the last supper but when the text that was given to us went through verse 38 I was like that's too long we're gonna cut it off but wait it is long Beverly but we can skim it okay so he like does this thing he's like okay now he's reinvigorated the Passover meal he's like now this this bread and wine brings you the body and the blood it's a new covenant that you'll need and we and our minds flash to the old covenants right so our minds flash to the rainbow to the smoking

15:30 pot through the animals and the commitment to Abraham that came to him and gave him the courage to leave her on and then came to him several times as he was doubting and then our foot mind flashes to Sinai and the shaking of the mountain and the tablets and the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle with the commitment to go out and on to our exodus and then we look in this upper room this quiet upper room with the ones that he loved and they embodied word of God saying now I give you this new covenant and whenever you gather together

16:03 practice this meal why would he be giving them a new covenant right now probably they're going on a new adventure a new challenge a new calling to which they need new assurance recurring ongoing assurance the manifest presence of God in their they need to ingest the presence of God with new capability and new opportunity different from they've ever done before a new covenant and he

16:36 goes on and you get a glimpse of why here which is why these verses are added though there are a couple of long stories verse 28 a dispute then arose so he's like he's like said there's one here who's gonna betray me and I'm communing with him anyway a dispute also arose among them as to them as to which of them must be regarded as the greatest and he said to them the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those in authority over them are

17:11 called benefactors but not so with you rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest and the leader as one who serves for who is the greater one who reclines at the table or the one who serves is a not the one who reclines at the table but I am among you as one who serves you are those who have stayed with me in my trials and I assigned to you as my father assigned to me a kingdom that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the

17:46 twelve tribes of Israel they start to go who is the greatest among them among us and let's figure it out in Jesus is like guys the nations worry about who is the greatest and they lord it over but that's not how we operate we're not worried about securing our position or amassing our power and authority we trust that God orders things appropriately and his judgment about authority is

18:18 right so we don't strive for it we serve knowing God will elevate the ones who need to be elevated it's not our business or our problem as a matter of fact God will select the right place for us in which we will be most fulfilled and satisfied he gives them a glimpse because their disciples hey you've stuck with me don't worry I know where God has you placed you'll be in thrones at the end in the meantime serve the greatest among you are the servants of all this is

18:51 important Jesus is not outlining a different corporate structure this is a handbook for servant leadership he's not outlining a different political structure he accepts the authority of Pilate though he doesn't care about it at all he's not trying to overthrow and say you guys should quit Lording over and Herod you should be the servant of all he's not he's saying all these

19:24 other places go that way and that's fine but in the kingdom of God you all don't worry about your position find someone to serve and serve gladly first point you will need a new covenant in this adventure because it often will be more fun more gratis more not more gratifying but more worldly satisfying

19:58 to assemble power and sit at the high seat you will need the new covenant to remind you I'm part of a different kingdom in this kingdom the greatest of these as a servant of all I don't elevate myself God elevates the ones it will be contrary he's saying all right and then we'll go a little bit further yeah Simon Simon behold Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like

20:28 wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail and when you have turned again strengthen your brothers Peter said to him Lord I'm ready to go man I'm ready to go with you both to prison and to death and Jesus said I tell you Peter the rooster will not grow until you deny me three times and then you know me Peter's ready to do it man you can see like this is working whatever Jesus is doing in the upper room this is before the dispensation of the spirit

20:59 it doesn't matter Peter is charged up he's like we're gonna die I'll go die with you buddy let's go this is it right and then verse 35 and he said to them when I sent you out with no money bag or knapsack or sandals did you lack anything and they said nothing this is important Jesus is reminding them hey remember that time you guys remember they

21:34 sends out the 72 he says don't take anything with you and go and announce the reign of God and when you go go to a house and they'll give you what you need and if they don't shake the dust and leave and go to somewhere else take your peace back and they went around and people didn't persecute them they housed them they ate they fed they had even the demons submitted in the name of Jesus they came back to Jesus and said Jesus this thing is working and Jesus says I saw Satan fall like from heaven right the kingdom of God is here now Jesus is like you remember when I told you that and I told you don't worry about it everything

22:06 will be set out in front of you it'll be just fine they were like he was like how did that go they're like they're like it went great okay and then he goes right okay but now he said let the one who has a money bag take it with him and likewise a knapsack take your money and some extra stuff and let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one for I tell you that the scripture must

22:37 be fulfilled in me and he was numbered with the transgressors that's he's quoting the scripture for what is written about me has to be fulfilled and they said hey look we got two swords here already they are so ready to go he's like remember when I told you didn't need to take a knapsack or a money bag how'd that work out there like it worked out great he's like okay this time I'm telling you take your knapsack and your money bag and get yourself a sword they're like we got swords already man let's go we're ready to go right now and he says okay look

23:13 and then he said look that this is enough guys because he's not saying this took me a minute because it's like a interesting weekend to think about the way of the of our world going contrary to the way of the way of the world going contrary to the way of God like the idea that we would be under a different kingdom is a it's a really interesting weekend to be thinking about that and then when you look at the this thing about bringing your swords with you I was like oh he's loading up this is interesting you don't see Jesus talking

23:43 about this but remember the sword when Jesus uses the sword he's often talking not about a physical sword but about the sword of the spirit and the preparation and what Jesus is saying here in the upper room with his closest friends after all the events and before all the big events when he gives them this new covenant this physical sign he says you're going out on a new adventure you're going to be the kingdom of God in a new way in a new place and it will not be easy the world operates differently from the reign of God so take what you can be

24:20 prepared don't go in like a dummy like lambs led to slaughter be as wise as serpents and as shrewd as stinks I don't remember the line but you get it right he's like be ready because it's not easy how's it going for you it's not easy to figure out what it means to be the

25:03 church it is not easy it's complex whether we're talking about how are the right choices in relationship the right choices in work the right choices in our city it is not easy to figure out and I hate to tell you in all of those spheres you will get it wrong

25:37 you will get it wrong if your comfort is in being right you're going to be uncomfortable a lot your comfort is in the new covenant everything else will work itself out not that it doesn't matter not that you don't try to be right in relationships and work and civics do do try to be right and just

26:12 but know you'll get it wrong this is why he's given you the new covenant that you would know your assurance your membership in the reign of God is accomplished by him not by you and all who partake belong to him it's a big calling to be the church in the world but he doesn't send us out alone he gives

26:45 us his presence his promise that each mistake is forgiven and as much as we divide ourselves he continues to bring us back together this is what Lord Supper does he does it over a meal and he says it's a shadow a foreshadowing of the meal to come and we'll all sit down all the striving will be done there will be no counter kingdom there will only be his and service is rewarded with peace rather than kind of ridicule or whatever else so for a minute we have a

27:19 safe place to be we could be safe in his kingdom here and then we take our knapsack at our money bag and whatever sword we can gather and we go back out into the world to be the church out there where it's very different and then we come back here and get the new covenant again