Title: Matthew 26:17-30 With My Disciples
Contents
Matthew 26:17-30 with my disciples
- Today's text is about the Lord's institution of the Lord's Supper. I hope that these words will give you an opportunity to deepen the meaning of the sacrament meeting.
1. Verse 18/ Those whom the Lord wanted to be with at the last moment
- The person you want to spend the last minute with before you leave this world must be a very important person, no matter who you are. Often, you will want to spend those last moments with your family, especially your spouse. But the Lord wanted to spend the last moments of his life with his disciples and no one else.
- Even today, the Lord reveals wonderful spiritual secrets to His disciples and establishes them as co-workers to accomplish His work. The Lord's friends and co-workers are those who sacrifice their personal lives and share in the suffering of the Lord according to the Lord's call. The greatest glory given to a Christian is none other than to be called to be a disciple of the Lord. Because only to the disciples are the Lord's secrets revealed. Those who are called to be disciples of the Lord are truly blessed.
2. Verse 24/ Someone who would have preferred not to have been born
- While having dinner with the disciples, the Lord suddenly said, “One of you will betray me.” It was inconceivable that one of the 12 disciples, and no one else, would betray Jesus. Suddenly, the atmosphere became dull. So, one by one, I started to make sure I wasn't myself to the Lord. Finally, it was Judas Iscariot's turn. See verse 25. says Judas. “Rabbi, I am not,” he says. He was able to be so brazen because his heart was under the control of Satan (John 13:2, 27). When a person sins, he must know that his heart is already possessed by Satan. When Eve sinned, her heart was already taken over by Satan. Judas Iscariot called the Lord 'Rabbi'. The other disciples called Him “Lord” (verse 22). In other words, Judas Iscariot had already erased Jesus from his heart. It gave up all expectations of Jesus.
- The Lord lamented toward this Judas Iscariot, saying, “He would have been better if he had not been born.” Everyone is destined to go the path they choose. The Lord also went his own way as it is written (verse 24). Judas Iscariot was called as a disciple and was given the most special grace than anyone who could discover spiritual secrets. But unfortunately, my eyes were not opened to spiritual things. They did not discover the mystery of Christ. So, it has become a symbol of "the person I wish I hadn't been born".
- Let me ask myself another question. Are you living your life discerning spiritual things? Am I discerning God's will for me now? The lessons of Judas Iscariot should not be taken lightly. We do not know how many believers are living their faith in the image of Judas Iscariot. Humans belong to one of two categories: People who were really good at being born and people who shouldn't have been born. where do i belong
3. Verses 26-29/ The Mystery of the Eucharist
- If you look at John 13:30, you can see that Judas Iscariot had already left the place at this communion meeting. Only 11 disciples remain. The Lord gave the bread to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” And sharing the wine, he said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
- These are the words that the Lord had already given to the Jews before (John 6). However, they, who were filled with the things of this world, could not receive the word of the Lord and eventually forsook the Lord and went away (John 6:51-66). But the difference between these 11 disciples was that they were with the Lord now, even though they did not understand these words of the Lord. This is faith. I do it because I understand it, but if I don't understand it, I don't. This is never a life of faith. Even if you do not understand it, it is the word of the Lord, so simply following it is faith.
- Now, these 11 disciples are breaking bread and sharing wine without knowing the meaning of it. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them after the Lord died, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven, all these mysteries were realized in an instant. They learned the secret of what it means to eat the body of the Lord and drink the blood of the Lord. Today we all partake of the sacrament. This sacrament is an ordinance commemorating the death of the Lord. Those who know the secret and participate in gratitude and emotion are the blessed ones. Heaven is theirs. For this, the Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross. Those who discovered the mystery of the cross are the heirs who will inherit the kingdom of heaven. May the grace and power of the Lord's atonement always fill your lives. Amen.