"And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he 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. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to 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 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 table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign 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 twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:14-30
In the context of this scripture, the Passover meal is a special meal for the celebration of salvation of the Jews from Pharaoh. It has been celebrated for centuries. But in the passage, we see that Jesus has something new in mind. He indicates the feast is no longer a day of remembrance, but a day of longing and deliverance. Jesus is preparing to be led to the cross, and he will not eat the Passover meal. He indicates that the next time He eats it will be after his Second Coming. Today, when the followers of Jesus come to the table, we are looking forward to Jesus’s return - our Passover Lamb is the Lamb of God. When we partake of communion, it is partaking in the longing for God’s return. There are multiple lessons we can take from this passage.
The first lesson is about spiritual betrayal: we cannot hide from God. Jesus outs Judas there at the table, though the disciples do not realize it. Jesus knows all hearts. Many verses in the Bible have God knowing our inner thoughts, even before we know them. There is nowhere to hide from God. We can fool a lot of people, but we cannot fool Him. So there's no point in running from God.
The next lesson is also about spiritual betrayal - like Judas, you can be around Jesus and still miss Him. Jesus is not just taking us through a set of rituals, He seeks a relationship.
The final lesson is about spiritual greatness - the disciples erupt into chaos, talking about which of them is the greatest. On the heels of this incredible moment, when Jesus is bearing His heart and revealing that he’s going to be betrayed...the disciples start having this ridiculous argument about which of them is the greatest. Pride is a MONSTER! Pride can show up anywhere and at any time, and this is a prime example. And the Lord meets His disciples in their pride. He meets their pride with a gentle and lowly spirit. He tells His disciples, in so many words, “You are acting like people who don’t know the true God.” And he follows up by explaining how the people who know the true God should act. Jesus illustrates that the great spiritual leaders serve. Freedom and greatness are found among those who serve others. We do not seek to be served, but to serve. Jesus, God incarnate, is among those who serve. In following Jesus, we should be serving and demonstrating greatness in the way that Jesus does.
When we get to take communion, let it be a reminder that we have already got the biggest seat at the biggest table! So we don’t need to jockey for position on this side of life!
