Second Presbyterian Church

"This Is My Body
Preaching From the Gospel of Luke"
October 9, 2005

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2005 » Sermons for October 2005 » Sermons from the Series on Luke

#65 in the Series on Luke
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• Exodus 12: 1-13
• Luke 22: 1-23

If we were to compare our preaching through the Gospel of Luke with flying an airplane, then we are now in the final approach. For some of you the flight has seemed long. For others I trust that you have appreciated going through the Luke's Gospel in some depth and detail. Either way, the final approach is upon us and we need to realize that the trip is not successful unless we have a successful landing!

We are now at the section of the Gospel in which we read about the betrayal, arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus: his Passion. It is the heart of the Gospel. It is the heart of all the written gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It describes in detail what the disciples preached from the beginning: that Jesus was crucified and rose again from the dead.

Because this part of Luke is the heart of his Gospel, we need to remember and place in our hearts that our redemption comes from Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead for our reconciliation with the Father.

We have known all along that Jesus has encountered opposition. Sometimes it was with the Rabbis in Galilee. Sometimes it was with the Pharisees. Sometimes it was with the Sadducees. Here, the opposition that Jesus faced was from the Chief Priests and scribes. They were the ones who ran the temple in Jerusalem. And they wanted Jesus taken out. Up to this point, they believed that they could do nothing, because Jesus was so popular with the crowds. The Chief Priests and Scribes were waiting for an opportunity to destroy Jesus.

Judas was one of the twelve disciples. "Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot." We don't know how or why. We can assume that Judas became disillusioned about Jesus, or possibly Judas thought he might be able to force Jesus' hand to go in there and take over. He participated in the ministry with Jesus. He went out with the others when they went out two by two preaching that the Kingdom of God was at hand.

In the meantime Jesus sent James and John to find a man carrying a water jar and speak to him about preparing a guest room for the place where he and his disciples could celebrate the Feast Of the Passover. When evening came they all gathered around the table for the Passover meal.

This wasn't just any supper; it was the Passover meal. A yearling lamb or goat was slaughtered and it was roasted. Along with the meal would be bitter herbs and spices that helped portray and remember the hardship of the People of Israel during their time of slavery in Egypt. The bread was baked without yeast to denote the hurry in which this meal was prepared and eaten. Wine was also served and was to be drunk ceremoniously at certain points during the feast. Devout Jews still practice this ritual in their homes on the First Day of Passover.

Jesus yearned to have this time with his disciples, to have fellowship with him. But as they were eating, there was sadness in the air. Jesus knew that Judas had betrayed him. He knew that in a few hours he would be arrested, brought before ruling council of the temple (the Sanhedrin), crucified, and killed.

The disciples were sad, too. Perhaps they did not really understand what was about to take place, but they knew something was about to take place. They knew that Jesus expected to be arrested and killed. He had said so several times!

So they were lounging around the table on recliners. They didn't use chairs around a table like we do. As they lay around the table Jesus took the bread and broke it and said to them, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Then Jesus after supper took the cup and said, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."

Everyone was sad. Jesus was talking in a way that meant he would die. Broken body, blood poured out were all indications that Jesus did not intend to physically survive the next few hours.

Yet, through this sadness permeated a deep, abiding, and undying hope. Even as Jesus spoke how he would not eat this meal again, that wasn't all that he said. He said that this would be the last time he would eat this meal UNTIL IT IS FULFILLED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

When we look deeply into this passage we perceive that this was not a Savior who was losing control. It was, instead, a Savior who was obedient to the Father from the beginning. Perhaps it is woe to the one who betrayed Jesus, yet it had to happen. Jesus had to be betrayed, arrested, and executed. Even as Satan entered Judas Iscariot, even Satan was ultimately fulfilling the will of God! The sacrifice had to be made. One, like a lamb without blemish, had to atone for the sin of humankind. And the only one who could do that was God: Jesus in the flesh.

Here is Luke's account of Jesus establishing the new covenant. From now on the need for animal sacrifice would be over. It was a mere symbol of the supreme sacrifice that God made through Jesus of Nazareth. Animal sacrifices had to occur at least on an annual basis and more often when necessary. But this sacrifice made by Jesus was once and for all. It doesn't have to happen again. As Jesus said, in the Gospel of John, "It is finished."

Now, Christians are called to celebrate Holy Communion - the Eucharist - to commemorate the sacrifice that God made for us. And it is not just a celebration in sadness. Sure the disciples were sad; they had a good suspicion that something was going to happen and things wouldn't ever be the same again.

And they were right! But at that point they had no idea just how right their suspicions were! When we celebrate this meal we celebrate the sacrifice Christ made for us AND we celebrate the resurrection! How? Because we look forward to the time when Christ comes to the meal in the Kingdom of God. We believe he is here when we celebrate Holy Communion. We believe that Christ shall return and be at the head of the table, so to speak. Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.