Series: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “What’s the Last Supper About?”
Scripture: Matthew 26:17-30
Bottom line: The Last Supper birthed the Lord’s Supper reminding us of God’s amazing love for us. (Romans 5:8 articulates this well)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study. Reflect and Discuss:
1. Explain why Matthew 26-27 is so crucial to our understanding of God, the world, sin, salvation, etc.
2. What impact should the cross have on our reading of the previous chapters in Matthew's Gospel?
3. Discuss how the following attributes of God are displayed in the cross: sovereignty, righteousness, wrath, and love.
4. Explain what is meant by the idea that the cross is fundamentally for God's sake.
5. How does the cross expose our sin? What does it say about the seriousness of our sin?
6. How would you explain the terms substitution and propitiation to an unbeliever with little or no theological knowledge or vocabulary?
7. Why is it important to see Jesus as our substitute, propitiation, and reconciliation, and not just a loving example?
8. How does the truth of Christ's substitutionary death impact our daily pursuit of holiness?
9. Discuss several ways in which the cross fulfills Old Testament prophecies and expectations.
10. How does the cross rule out the possibility of a works-based righteousness?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. What the Last Supper is about. (The death of Christ that brings forgiveness for those who believe)
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because this is where Jesus transforms the Passover meal to the Lord’s supper to connect the Passover to the cross which brings us 1) Forgiveness from God, and 2) Fellowship with God forever.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Confess/Repent and believe, and then (re)enter into fellowship with God forever.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. This glorifies God for his mercy poured out on those who’ve trusted and obeyed Jesus Christ.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. Begin to really believe what you say you believe. This will look like someone sharing good news like they believe it’s too good to keep to themselves. Repent/believe and receive forgiveness as you step into fellowship with God and his people forever.
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
The Story
“This is my story, this is my song. Praising my savior all the day long…”
In 2010, I took our oldest daughter Kelsi to the great city of Franklin, TN (just outside of Nashville) to spend a day with our favorite author at the time, Ted Dekker and 200 of his best fans. In the course of that amazing day, we heard Ted talk to us about why he writes the stories he wrote. He said, in essence, that he writes the stories that he writes as a way to tell The Story from another angle. In other words, he wants to retell The Story in different ways to both engage it personally in a fresh way while taking others there.
It has been said that Matthew’s gospel is the Passion narrative with a very long introduction. Well, I can see that. Starting in chapter 26, THIS IS THE STORY OF STORIES. THIS IS THE STORY THAT MATTERS. We must not miss this story.
So we find ourselves looking over the disciples shoulders as Jesus begins to assert himself, dare I say, in a more kingly manner. After tall, he does have ALL kingly authority. So it’s the festival of unleavened bread, one of 3 annual feasts.
It’s the Passover so I need to explain what that is and why it matters.
SERMON OUTLINE
The Last Supper in the Upper Room (26:17-30)
I. The instructions (26:17-19): Jesus directs two of his disciples to prepare a room in Jerusalem for the Passover.
A. What’s the Passover?
The Passover refers to the time when God passed-over any Hebrew who followed Moses’ instructions just before the 10th plague in Egypt. They sacrificed an unblemished lamb and painted the door frame of their home with it’s blood. This caused the angel of the Lord to Passover that house and not take the life of the firstborn male.
The Hebrews were instructed in the law (Leviticus) to celebrate this festival very year in remembrance of that event so that they could connect it to Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
B. Why does it matter?
This foreshadowed Jesus coming as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (J the B) by shedding his blood. All who believe his blood covers us are passed over by God as well and receive abundant, eternal life.
It’s the blood of Christ that covers us with mercy when we stand underneath it by grace through faith. Ask God now to pour out his mercy on you as you trust him.
II. The indictment (26:20-25)
A. Jesus' betrayal (26:20-24): The Savior announces that one of the Twelve will betray him.
B. Jesus betrayer (26:25): He then identifies Judas as the one. (It appears; confirmed in John 13:26)
III. The institution (26:26-30)
A. The supper (26:26-29): The Lord's Supper is now instituted as the last supper (the last Passover meal) is celebrated and transformed all at the same time.
He speaks concerning the bread 26:26): It is his body. He made it about himself instead of about the lamb and it’s blood.
He speaks concerning the cup (26:27-29) Itis his blood, poured out to forgive sins. Again, Jesus makes it about himself. This is when the Passover meal becomes the Lord’s supper.
B. The song (26:30): They sing a hymn, then go out to the Mount of Olives.
Conclusion
Bottom line: The Last Supper birthed the Lord’s Supper reminding us of God’s amazing love for us.
This week I was having lunch with three guys, two of which I had just met that morning. All three are in gospel ministry in some capacity in the area. We’ll call the guy next to me Alan. In the course of our meal, Alan engaged our server and asked if she knew Jesus. It was a little abrupt and I could tell she wasn’t wanting to have that conversation right then and there. Nevertheless, he moved through a short gospel presentation. You could tell from how she answered the questions that she didn’t know the Lord nor was she interested in the implications of her answers to her questions. At least not at that time. Her responses were sad but in my mind I kind of moved on as well that didn’t go well.
Our table was very quiet. No one spoke. I turned and looked at Alan next to me and noticed his head in his hands. Then I saw the tears. He was crying. He was crying because she was lost and seemed unconcerned about the path leading to destruction she was on. What Jesus calls “The broad road that leads to destruction.” I was immediately ashamed at my lack of compassion for that young lady. I was convicted over my lack of belief that the gospel is called good news for a reason—it’s great news! And that when someone rejects it they miss out (at least for the moment) in the grace and mercy of God.
It’s this lack of feeling that infects our churches today. This lack of believing in the sacrifice of Jesus made on the cross on our behalf.
We celebrate the Lord’s supper nearly every Sunday so that this doesn’t happen. As you can see, it’s no guarantee. The spiritual gravity of this world pulls us away from believing that the good news of Jesus is really good news—for us and others. I still have a long way to go.
My prayer today is that God will rekindle our love for him so much that we’ll actually believe this news is good enough to share it (even awkwardly) because it’s such good news.
“Jesus Loves Me” song
Yes, Jesus loves me. Hear it again for the first time. Embrace the reality that Jesus took your place. Death passes over us because we’re under his blood of mercy.
How much do you love me? THIS MUCH! (Arms spread out wide)
Questions
Do you have trouble remembering why the good news is good news?
Do you believe that the good news is really good news for you?
Do you share the good news with others like you share other good news?
“Every time you receive communion, you are reminded both of the hostility of the world towards Jesus and of his love for that same world.” -Nicky Gumbel
Let’s pray
Notes
Understand God’s solution
Have you ever been falsely accused or betrayed by a friend? Have you had people plotting against you? Or have you ever experienced some other form of personal hostility? Jesus experienced all these things.
God has revealed himself in creation. However, his supreme revelation is in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ.
God himself has come to be part of this hostile world to do something about it. In this passage we see a glimpse of God’s solution, which he achieved through coming in the person of his Son Jesus. Yet the world was hostile even to Jesus.
Plotting
We should not be surprised by the world’s hostility to Jesus and to Christians today. Jesus knew he would be ‘handed over to be crucified’ (v.2). The chief priests and elders ‘plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him’ (v.4).
Jesus says to the Twelve, ‘One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators’ (v.21, MSG).
Accusations
When a woman came to Jesus ‘with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head’ (v.7), even the disciples regarded what was done for Jesus as a ‘waste’ (v.8).
There is something deeply moving about this incident. Jesus is given for us. The cost is beyond anything we can ever imagine, and his death is imminent. A jar of expensive perfume is only fitting, and yet the disciples are fussing about waste.
Most people understand your works of social action (for example, in response to poverty) but they find it harder to understand your worship of Jesus and all the things associated with it. They regard these things as a ‘waste’ and think that surely there is a better use of your time and money (v.9), but Jesus sees things differently: ‘She has done a beautiful thing to me’ (v.10). She showed her extravagant love for Jesus.
Betrayal
What people will do for money! Judas waited for an opportunity to hand Jesus over for ‘thirty silver coins’ (v.15). How painful this must have been for Jesus! Judas was one of his closest ‘friends’; one of the inner circle of twelve he had chosen. He knew – ‘one of you will betray me’ (v.21).
Yet Jesus in his extraordinary love, dies for them all. During a meal together, he begins to explain the meaning of his death. He explains through the breaking of the bread and drinking of wine that his blood is to be ‘poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’ (v.28). Jesus’ answer to a hostile world was to be crucified in order to make forgiveness and redemption possible.
Every time you receive communion, you are reminded both of the hostility of the world towards Jesus and of his love for that same world.
''Lord Jesus, thank you that you died for me and demonstrated how to love a hostile world.''
Outline Bible
OUTLINE MATTHEW 26
Jesus and disciples celebrate Passover in the upper room. Jesus predicts Judas's betrayal and Peter's denial, both of which come to pass. After supper Jesus prays in Gethsemane, then is arrested and taken before the high priest.
I. THE ACTION PRECEDING THE UPPER ROOM (26:1-16)
A. The prediction (26:1-2): Once again Jesus predicts his betrayal and crucifixion.
B. The plots (26:3-5, 14-16): On two occasions wicked plans are made to kill Jesus.
1. The plot by Caiaphas (26:3-5): Jewish leaders meet at the palace of this high priest to discuss ways to murder the Savior!
2. The plot by Judas (26:14-16): He agrees with Jesus' enemies to betray the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver.
C. The preparation (26:6-13): Jesus is anointed by a woman at Bethany.
1. The dedication (26:6-7): A woman pours a very expensive alabaster jar of perfume over his head.
2. The denunciation (26:8-9): The disciples criticize her for not selling the perfume and giving the proceeds to the poor.
3. The defense (26:10-13): Jesus defends the woman, referring to two aspects:
a. The preparation aspect (26:10-12): She did this to prepare his body for burial.
b. The prophetic aspect (26:13): Her act will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached!
II. THE ACTION IN THE UPPER ROOM (26:17-30)
A. The instructions (26:17-19): Jesus directs two of his disciples to prepare a room in Jerusalem for the Passover.
B. The indictment (26:20-25)
1. Jesus' betrayal (26:20-24): The Savior announces that one of the Twelve will betray him.
2. Jesus betrayer (26:25): He then identifies ludas as the one.
C. The institution (26:26-30)
1. The supper (26:26-29): The Lord's Supper is now instituted.
a. He speaks concerning the bread 26:26): It is his body.
b. He speaks concerning the cup (26:27-29) Itis his blood, poured out to forgive sins.
2. The song (26:30): They sing a hymn, then go out to the Mount of Olives.
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
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