Thursday, the Last Supper ...
April 05, 2023
Jesus spends Thursday with his disciples.
Matthew 26:17--29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-20, John 13:1-17:26
No more crowds; it's just him and them. Round an intimate table he washes their feet and tenderly gives them bread and wine. He says this is something he has longed to do: He just adores them so much, and this bread and wine is intensely special. His body, his blood -- He's giving himself to them.
He then speaks to them, for a long time, about his love for them and what it means to be a disciple.
This week I got an email from one of our British SUM friends, Jim Edwards, sharing some thoughts on the last supper. It's nice hearing other perspectives so I thought I'd share his today. He said: --
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Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”
There was something demonic that entered Judas at that point - he couldn't get out of there fast enough...."
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Indeed! There were fascinating dynamics at that dinner table. It's as if this is one enormous spiritual chess-game in which God is the chess master and victor; but there are tough moves.
How comforting, though, to know that Jesus intercedes for us, and nothing happens unless God allows it.
I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail ....
Well, the day ended there. Jesus promised his disciples repeatedly in these last words that a Helper would come: The Holy Spirit. He talked a lot about that Helper. Noticeably so. Centuries on that comforts me too to know that we have this Helper.
They sang a song then, got up, and moved to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen next.