Preached at St. John’s Lancaster (God willing)
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| Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" |
Psalm 116
I Corinthians 11:17-34
Luke 22: 1-34
Do you remember that time in your life when you finally realized what you needed to do- and how much it was going to cost you? Do you remember the uncertainty, and that inner compulsion that drove you in spite of the uncertainty? Do you remember that sense of purposeful dread as the thought died away that you wished another option was open to you, and you decided to get on to the business at hand? It must have been something like that for the disciples that night in the upper room. They had started the week with such high hopes as Jesus entered the city in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah. And now as the week entered it’s climactic phase, they began to realize what Jesus had known from the beginning. The Passover meal was not just a family or tribal commemoration of some past defining event. It was all about sacrifice, and transformation, and God’s grace manifest in the most terrible of times. Now they began to understand that enigmatic passage from the Psalms about the death of God’s saints being blessed in his eyes.
God’s deliverance of the people from Egypt was the defining event in the life of the Jewish people. It was the common experience that bound them together and gave meaning and direction to their tribal existence. They were different from other people, not because they were better, or prettier, or could run faster or make more money or jump higher, but because God had called them and set them apart for a special mission. They were to preserve a special understanding of God’s love and grace. In what they ate and the way they dressed and how they lived and worshipped, they were the people who were designated by God to bear the Messiah, the Saviour, to all the peoples of the earth. The Passover meal was the reminder of that stark and demanding reality. It was the mechanism by which they taught their children about this special mission, and the day of remembrance which called them each year to remember that they had been chosen for this special mission. They had not chosen God. Rather he had chosen them. And even when they forgot, his commission remained valid and his demands on them were not lessened. The Passover was the reminder of how his grace came upon them that night when the death angel passed over them to demonstrate to all mankind that his favor rested upon these people who were called to do his bidding.
On that Thursday before he was crucified, Jesus ate the Passover, the last supper, with those whom he had chosen to bear the good news that the kingdom of God had come, and that Messiah had broken into history in fulfillment of all the prophesies that all people might know the love and salvation of God. No more were the promises some hope remaining in the distant future. Now they were realized as Jesus the Christ, known to his neighbors as Jesus Bar Joseph, became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. No longer would animal sacrifices be required, for his atoning death paid the price once and for all, and by God’s faithful and gracious decree, all who name Jesus as Lord and testify that God has raised him from the dead will be saved from sin and death forever. As Jesus broke the bread and shared the cup that night, he fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover Seder for all time, and proclaimed its completion as he said “This is my body, this is my blood, whenever you come together, do this in remembrance of me.”
And so we gather tonight in obedience to his command, with thanksgiving in our hearts. We gather to face the uncertainty of our lives in the knowledge that he has saved us from sin and death, and given us a message to carry to all the nations. None of us knows yet what it will ultimately cost us, but we know that as he laid down his life for us, we are called to dedicate ours to sharing the good news with everyone we meet that Jesus lives, and that in him we can be transformed and enabled to overcome our sinful ways. The habits and weaknesses of the past can be brought under his sway and we can live as his people: victorious in this life and immortal in the next. In him we can find purpose and healing and strength for the difficulties and uncertainties of this life, and hope for the next.
Tonight, as we come to this holy place to receive this holy meal, let us remember the price of our salvation, and the seriousness of our calling. As he gave himself for us, might we follow him in faithful obedience and commit to give ourselves that all people might know the joy and peace we have found, whatever the cost. This is a night for most serious reflection. It is a night for counting the cost. It is a night for renewing our choice to love him who loved us so much that he laid down his life so that we might be forgiven and live forever. Enter with me into this time of remembrance and rededication. Stand with me and renew your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as we say together the Nicene Creed, found on page 358 of the Book of Common Prayer.
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