Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• What would it have been like to be in that upper room the night before Jesus death
• Encouraging things
• Disturbing things
• Much precious teaching
• Prayed a wonderful prayer
• Gave His peace to the disciples
• Not to be troubled
• Going to prepare a place before His Father
• That He was the vine and they were the branches
• That those who do the will of he Father would be blessed
• The Comforter would be sent
• A new commandment
• A precious time
• They celebrated the passover meal
• They would have talked of many precious things
• A new institution - a memorial service
• Considering the events that led up to the passover meal - The mundane and the divine (v12-16)
• Considering the disturbing truth that one would betray Him (v17-21)
• Returning to the theme of fellowship and intimacy (v22-26)

The Mundane and the Divine (v12-16)

• Life is often mundane
• There are often prepartory works in the church
• Many unseen things take place
• Sometimes unappreciated by man - but always seen by God
• The mundane things - the "little deeds"
• The disciples are doing the "little deeds"
• They are in Jerusalem - an unknown place
• They must have thought 'where will we celebrate the passover?'
• The word 'prepare' comes up 3 times
• Jesus was doing much of the work, but the disciples still had to do their work
• Bitter herbs, unleavened bread, a perfect lamb (sacrificed in the temple), had to be cooked whole (a burnt sacrifice)
• Much preparation had to take place
• If you are involved in preparation there can be worry
• Jesus takes away a lot of their worries
• Worries about where they would eat the meal
• To follow a man following a pitcher - this was unusual and significant since women at this time usually carried the water
• In the mundane activity there was the Divine activity
• God was at work - He had already prepared a furnished upper room
• Do we see God ordering events ahead of us
• Things happened exactly as Jesus said
• Why was there secrecy about the room?
• Perhaps Jesus wanted to keep the truth from Judas so that their precious meal would not be disturbed (for Judas had already determined to betray Jesus)
• Do we wonder why things happen in certain ways - often God has an unseen purpose in it (which we don't understand until afterwards)
• Let us remember that as we serve God in little ways that He is concerned in all our activity

The Disturbing Truth that one would Betray Him (v17-21)

• Why didn't Jesus just name Judas but only say 'one of you'
• Each disciple is called to search their own heart
• This was probably very deliberate of the Lord Jesus
• 'The heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things'
• They were to partake of the Lord's supper - they were called to self examination
• None of them said 'could it be him'
• None of them suspected Judas
• It was very disturbing to hear that one would betray the Lord Jesus
• Fulfillment of prophecy in Psalm 41:9
• Written in the Old Testament that 'one would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver'
• Written in the Old Testament that 'He would be number with the transgressors'
• Written in the Old Testament that He would be crucified and hung on a tree
• Pain in the heart of the Lord Jesus
• Better for them if they hadn't been born
• David betrayed by Ahithophel
• Psalm 55:12
• Think of Judas
• Spent 3 years with Jesus
• Chosen as one of the twelve - chosen by the Lord Jesus
• Been out preaching
• Had cast out demons
• Heard all the close teaching of Jesus
• Trusted to be the treasure
• Nobody expected him
• He was a tremendously privileged person
• There was no heart for the Lord Jesus
• Money became his God
• Satan entered his heart
• Totally responsible for his sin
• His punishment would be so great because he had tramped all his privileges underfoot
• Not all people in church are converts
• Not all those who profess faith have real faith
• We are called to search our own hearts
• A worse punishment comes upon those who sit in church but are false
• Maybe Judas thought he would betray but could repent afterwards
• He had gone past the point of repentance
• Their hearts are so hard there is no longer any opportunity to repent
• The cross was ordained
• There are many who fail in the bible because of the love of money: Delilah, Demas, Judas
• Do we love money?
• Is there anything in my heart that comes between me and God?
• Judas is a disturbing reminder of someone who wasn't a real believer

Returning to the theme of Fellowship and Intimacy (v22-26)

• After such a sobering moment they could still enjoy intimacy with Jesus
• After disturbing event in the church we can still know intimacy with Jesus
• Jesus did not cancel the communion
• The disciples had been humbled - they had known self examination
• A new covenant - simple words
• No more sacrifice and rituals
• There is free and full forgiveness of sin through Jesus' blood
• The disciples were called to look up, not to look to each other or themselves
• Look up to Jesus
• This ceremony was to help future generations
• A call for believers to think, reflect and meditate
• It is a remembrance service of great hope - the forgiveness of sins and the imparting or righteous
• A time of deep gratitude and joy
• A reminder of the unity we have in Christ
• We are to value and love all people in Jesus Christ
• To celebrate regularly
• To assess and rededicate ourselves

Closing Remarks

• The whole passage is about intimacy with Jesus, even in the simple/mundane things
• Intimacy when we hear disturbing news
• Intimacy when we reflect upon what Jesus has done in giving His life for us on the cross