April 08, 2025 | Be God's Family
The Last Supper
Scripture: Matthew 26:17-30(NIV)
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Devotional
The verses of Matthew 26:17-30 describing the Last Supper are some of the most holy words of the Bible. In these words, Jesus gave His disciples and all Christians the sacrament of Holy Communion. Jesus instructed His disciples to prepare the Passover meal for them to eat together one last time. It is likely Jesus was in anguish about the pain and suffering He would experience on the cross to forgive us our sins. During the meal, Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him. The disciples denied this statement, including Judas. “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). In asking who would betray Him, Jesus was possibly giving Judas a last chance for repentance (Spurgeon; Blue Letter Bible).
In the Old Testament, the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants were made between God and the people in which He promised that a new king would be born from their descendants. In the New Testament, Jesus made the New Covenant when He said, 26“Take and eat; this is my body” and 27“Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
The preparations and words of the traditional Passover meal were handed down from the time of Moses (Exodus 12:17-20 and 24:6-8), but Jesus’ words of “This is my body” and “This is my blood” were new. The disciples were knowledgeable of the words used in the traditional Passover meal and likely recognized that Jesus had given them a New Covenant (Blue Letter Bible). In Luke 22:19-20, Jesus said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Only God could give us a New Covenant.
Jesus’ use of the word “many” is important in the verse of Matthew 26:28. Spurgeon notes that we should rejoice in the use of the word “many” because the blood of Jesus was shed for all of us who seek and find Him. The significance of the word “many” is found in the hymn “One Bread, One Body” (by John Michael Talbot) which we sing during Holy Communion.
“One bread, one body, one Lord of all,
One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many throughout the Earth,
We are one body in this one Lord.”
Next week is Holy Week. The Last Supper was held on Maundy Thursday, the evening before Jesus’ crucifixion.
What actions do you need to take to abide in the New Covenant?
How will you be blessing to many during Holy Week?
Poem
Celebrate Unleaven Bread
Exodus 12:17-20
“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come…”
Exodus 12:20
Celebrate unleaven bread
How quickly it is ready
To feed your hungry, groaning gut
To give you strength, thus steady
Celebrate Unleaven Bread
The Body sinless given
To feed your hungry, groaning soul
The Bread of Life from Heaven
Celebrate unleaven bread
Remember now your freedom
Bought with a price, God’s sacrifice
Restoring you to Eden
Celebrate unleaven bread
This feast by prophets spoken
Given for you, your manna true
Take, eat—Christ’s body broken
