Sermon on The Lord's Supper

By Brian Pepper

The betrayal of Christ.  I read in 1 Corinthians 11:23 (later half) "That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread."  Now I am sure that most of us are very familiar with the words Paul uses in this passage of Scripture describing the Lord’s Supper. We have heard them repeated many times. It could be possible that we may be too familiar with them and they have lost their meaning as often happens in such a situation. I have heard clergymen repeat the Lord’s Prayer in such a way that it seemed to have no meaning at all, they had said it so many times it had lost its significance. I tell you there is a real danger in this. Because the message fails to strike home.   Commemoration of the death of Jesus Now I am going to ask you a question and I want you to think about it. Have you ever wondered why Paul starts out the way he does? Why does he open with these words, "That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread." Why did he not start out in a entirely different way? Why not start out like this, "On the night of the feast of the Annual Passover, Jesus took bread." I want to tell you that it was not by chance that Paul commenced the way he did. Looking closely at that opening statement we find the reason. The Lord’s Supper commemorates the death of Jesus Christ, and that death was brought about by the betrayal. As long as time will last, the death of Jesus Christ will be linked with the betrayal. Preparation for the Passover Feast Just for a short while, I want you to exercise all the imagination that you possess. Come with me to the hour in which the Son of Man was to be betrayed. It was a Thursday morning, the day of the Passover feast. Jesus told Peter and John to "Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat." Jesus directed them to go to a certain house in Jerusalem where the master of the house would show them a large upper room which was furnished, there they were to arrange the feast. In the days of Jesus and the disciples, in many cases the second floor of the houses in Jerusalem consisted of a single room which was used as a guest room, either for eating or sleeping. Also it was usual for the room to have an outside stairway making a private entrance. The room would be furnished with carpets, cushions and couches.   Jesus and the twelve apostles In Mark 14:17 it says, "And in the evening He cometh with the twelve." In Luke 22:14, "And when the hour was come he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. A trumpet was sounded to announce the beginning of the Passover, as the sun was setting in the west. "He sat down, and the twelve apostles with him." Low couches were arranged around a circular table. It was customary for the guests to recline on the left side with their legs stretched out, leaving the right hand free for eating. The setting made for a close intimacy and natural fellowship.   Jesus announces His betrayal Mark 14:18 says: "And as they sat and did eat Jesus said, verily I say unto you, one of you which eateth with me shall betray me." These words came like a bolt of lightning to the disciples. "One of you which eateth with me shall betray me." You might say, "No Lord, not me." I might say, "No Lord, not me." But the Lord says, "One of you which eateth with me shall betray me." Have we betrayed our Lord? I must confess that I do not like these words because they suggest that I could be guilty of the same terrible crime as Judas. We have to face square on these words penned by St Paul so long ago. Someone might whisper, "But they do not apply today, they just applied to Judas and the Last Supper." I need to ask myself the question, "Have I ever betrayed my Lord." There is one thing that we can never be sure of and that is ourselves, even the strongest of us have our weak moments.  Have I betrayed my Lord? There are so many ways in which we can do this. I assure you that it was not by chance that Paul started out as he did, "That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread." The hour of decision After the Passover feast came the experience of the Garden of Gethsemane. This was the crucial hour, the hour of decision. A decision that decided the destiny of every soul. Once again the disciples came to a crucial hour, a challenging hour, but how sad the record says, Mark 14:37, "And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?" Once again humanity failed. Jesus had to bear that terrible agony of soul, the blood anguish of Gethsemane.   The kiss of Judas And now we come to the kiss of Judas, why I shudder as I think of this terrible deed. Judas as he had done on so many occasions before, came and saluted Jesus with the words, "Hail, master, and kissed him." - Matthew 26:49 Luke 22:48 says, "But Jesus said unto him Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" We despise Judas, his act was one of the most despicable of which we have ever heard. Here was one of His own disciples.  One whom had seen the mighty miracles of the Master: His wonderful acts of mercy, the healing of the blind, the lepers, the raising of the dead. And yet he betrayed him. The world has always disliked Judas. He hated himself so much that he committed suicide.   Why do we dislike Judas? The reason we dislike Judas so much, there is just a little of Judas in most of us. There is always the possibility of betraying the Lord. What a terrible thought.  It is rather frightening isn’t it?  But if it does frighten us, well and good, for we will be more careful. "One of you which eateth with me shall betray me." A time for spiritual stocktaking Paul wants us to reflect on these words and it is on this very special occasion as we meet today that we need to do it. As we come to the table and partake of the sacred emblems, let us within ourselves ask for cleansing. What we need more than anything else is a new heart and a new mind. Let us make this a time of spiritual stocktaking, and then the Lord’s Supper will mean much more to each one of us.