The Gospel Highlighter
The Last Supper
Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-38, John 13-17
I am a big fan of art and there are a lot of things that I really appreciate about these pieces, but they're trying to tell a whole eternal story in a snapshot and are not a good visual representation for us of the actual Last Supper.
- Jesus and the disciples were in the upper room of a home in Jerusalem.
- It was an intimate dinner with his closest friends, most likely on pillows sitting on the floor in front of a very short table.
There's one thing that both of these paintings nailed: where they were painted. They weren’t done on canvas and placed in a castle or a museum, they were painted in the cafeteria of churches that were used to feed people. The point of that scene being painted in those rooms was to remind people that the real story of the Last Supper is about Jesus inviting us to the table.
Washing Feet
Mark 14:12
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
Luke 22:14-16
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.”
Jesus simply invites those walking with Him, into the intimacy of eating together.
John 13:3-5 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.
John 13:13-17
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. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus had ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY and POWER, and his model for us, is to serve others instead of demanding someone serve us.
What would it look like if we all lead that way?
Communion
Matthew 26:26-28
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
This ISN’T some stuffy religious service. It wasn’t done from a stage, with backing music. It wasn’t done for a massive crowd. It’s just Jesus inviting his people to a nice meal and making something extraordinary out of the ordinary.
Communion means intimate fellowship with Jesus.
John 6
35 “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Going into the Last Supper, John was well aware that real life comes the sustenance of intimate communion with Jesus, not from eating bread and drinking wine.
Jesus presented this idea of communion as an intimate dinner for a reason. He was shattering the religiousity of the day, that said everything needed to be done in some kind of ceremony. We NEED to remember that communion is not a ceremony, communion is intimacy with Jesus himself… Let’s not fall into that trap of making it a religious ceremony again!
Leadership Teaching
John 14:6
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:12
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:15
15 “If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 15:5
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:15
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
