Text: Luke 22:1-2, 7-30
It’s become a running joke in my family that my mother always gets skipped at communion. In our church we stand up, pew by pew, and file to the front to kneel at the communion rail. I don’t know how or why it happens, but almost always, the bread and cup are distributed to the person on my mom’s left, then almost immediately, to the person on her right. She’s left with the choice to either leave empty-handed or disruptively wave her arms, demanding the bread and cup.
Most of the time, she sits quietly, questioning what she did wrong. Is it the way I held my hands? Was I supposed to say a certain prayer? Did I not make enough eye contact?
It’s just a fluke, of course, that the service plates somehow pass her by, but it makes for some pretty amazing lunch conversation.
Isn’t it interesting how Jesus chose our faulty human hands to distribute a reminder of the perfection found in Him? And yet, the coordination of the Last Supper was anything but flawed.
I love it when Jesus sends Peter and John to arrange the meal and they ask, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” I wonder if they expect to help Jesus brainstorm a place to hold the supper, or even anticipate offering to open their own homes. Little do they understand that this night has been set into motion from the beginning of time. The disciples think they’re the hosts, when they’re really the guests.
From the man carrying the pitcher of water, to the guest room already set aside for the event—every detail was perfectly planned. But my favorite phrase in the whole passage is, “and they left and found everything just as He had told them.” Just yesterday, I opened my pantry to an entire bag of rotten avocados, so the concept of finding everything just as I expected is rather foreign to me.
The flawless coming together of the Last Supper isn’t a coincidence or even just a final miracle on Jesus’ last day. Look closely and you’ll see Jesus building the framework for countless times in the days ahead when the disciples would find things just as He had told them. Like the disciples, we hold this track record of our Lord’s faithful fulfillment of His promises close to our hearts, so when the time comes, like the hymn writer says, we’ll remember — although “The Father turns His face away,” “The wounds which mar the chosen one bring many sons to glory.”
Jesus knew we would struggle to grasp the weight of His sacrifice and the fullness of His forgiveness.
He knew we’d be tempted to load that weight on our backs in an effort to re-do the work He’s already completed.
He knew, even then, we’d forget the depth of our need for Him and trick ourselves into believing our faulty hands are clean.
So, He spent the final hours before His arrest reminding us to remember by instituting a meal of remembrance—by instructing us to use the simple elements of bread and wine to remind us of His body and blood.
Another name for communion is the Holy Eucharist, which I love, because it comes from a Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.”
And so, we remember His body broken. And we beg not to forget His blood spilled. And we give thanks, because “He who has promised us is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)
Friends, we’ve been through some tough passages during the Lenten season, and revisiting the Crucifixion will be no different. Let’s fix our eyes on the framework of faithfulness Christ has laid before us. Approach in your hearts the table of thanksgiving established by our Savior, and find everything just as He told us.
“Bread of the world, in mercy broken,
Wine of the soul, in mercy shed,
By whom the words of life were spoken,
And in whose death our sins are dead:
Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
Look on the tears by sinners shed;
And by Thy feast to us the token
That by Thy grace our souls are fed.”
—Reginald Heber
Kaitlin Wernet is a Carolina girl who now plants her feet in Tennessee as the Community Coordinator for She Reads Truth. Each day, she excitedly celebrates grace with her SRT sisters while attempting to tame her curly hair and avoid parallel parking.
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78 thoughts on "The Last Supper"
He came for us friends! What wonder this stirs in me. Thank you God for your mercy and grace. Amen
I need Jesus! I need his love and encouragement! Unworthy, yet made righteous by Christ. GRACE MERCY LOVE
Wonderful piece Ellie!
God works things out. He did then and He does now. Praising Him today for all the things He sets up ahead of time.
Reminded of this song as Easter approaches: “What love is this, that always gives And never counts the cost, That beats within the heart of God With passion for the lost; That lifts me from my wretchedness And clothes me in His righteousness? Everlasting love … Be my joy and my light”.
Thank you Lord
In the Catholic Church we call it the sacrament of the Eucharist. It’s always been explained that we are coming together.
In our church we call communion 'Holy Supper' or 'Lords supper' but I never knew people called it Holy Eucarist… That's a beautiful meaning as we come together and remember what Christ did for us and how we together as a people can serve him.
Christ before me. He is faithful, and I am thankful he is faithful, full of grace, love, sacrifice and love. Thank you for all you have done and will do.
Luke 22:13 And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
This gives me encouragement to take God at His Word and a picture of what it looks like to have unquestioning faith in Jesus. Whatever He lays on our hearts and instructs us to do, we have to do it, without worry, doubt or fear. Then will we see His PERFECT plan manifested in our lives.
Hebrews 10:23 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
Well said!! Love it
Im so thankful for this reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness. That He is to be trusted and His promises will never leave us disappointed.
I LOVE this. A much-needed encouragement in this season that has been so difficult. It's as though the moment I decided to give up my "security blanket" for Lent, the whole world fell apart. I have been questioning if what I'm doing is really making a mite of difference—working full-time at a women's org in Los Angeles' Skid Row, when there's so much fear and pain and brokenness, so much more than I can possibly know what to do about. I know God called me there, but in the past few weeks, when there was a shooting across the street and protests flooded the downtown community, I felt/feel lost and under-qualified and just rattled to my core—the polar opposite of the peace I thought I would feel when I decided to say yes to participating in Lent for the first time. But… to know that Jesus has in mind something better, exactly as He told us. To know that He is here with me, with the women I am serving as I learn their names and hear their stories, I remember that He is speaking peace into my life moment by moment. Mostly in the moments I overlook, just like the one you pointed out—"Where do you want us to prepare it?" I am realizing that I'm so unprepared, compared to what Jesus has planned for me. He's letting my world be rocked, and I don't know why yet, but I will hang onto the promise that He who has promised us is faithful.
He is SO faithful, Samantha! Trusting with you and praying alongside you! Thanks for joining in today, friend!
xoxo-Kaitlin
Kaitlin, I love the part about the rotten avacados and expectations. It is so good to be reminded that the Holy Eucharist is tied in with the word thanksgiving. I'm reminded today that if I can set my attention on the enormity of Christ's forgiveness, my eyes and heart are open to a deeper level of thanksgiving. Whew!
I LOVE that, Sarah! May we set our attention on the enormity of His forgiveness. So grateful!
xoxo-Kaitlin
I PRAY JESUS KEEP ME NEARER TO THE CROSS
“Just as he told them”. This makes me think back about thirty some years ago. It was a few months after I got married,listening to Pastor Joe,,out of the blue and clear as bell I hear,”I’m going to take you through some things”, ,it was repeated one more time. It wasn’t my a Pastor who said it either,, it was a very strange but peaceful feeling. The Lord was telling me he was going to take my husband and I through some things,,,,not “Put” me through,but Take me through some things. He has,He is and He will. I truly believe “just as he told them” applies to me. He has taken us through many trials,and he is with both of us as I battle through stage 4 cancer too. “I’m going to “take” you through some things”,,,, I cling to this,and he knows it. Have a good day ladies. xo
Thanks Beth for sharing such a personal word.
Sending you a sister's hug, and thanking God for you…Beth..Love Tina..xx
I love that. Such a reminder "Take you through". So often we forget, we hear about what God puts us through, we forget to say or feel that He walks it with us. Prayerful over you Beth! ~ B
This reminds me to look around the table at each meal…it is possible that someone may not ever be joining us again…Jesus' followers did not know this to be the last meal but we have the opportunity to treat each encounter with others as the last encounter…will are we satisfied with our interaction? Have we shown a spirit of love, understanding and tenderness of the Last Supper?
“And so, we remember His body broken. And we beg not to forget His blood spilled. And we give thanks, because “He who has promised us is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)”
These words are brilliant.
Ka pow. Thank you, Lindsay, for bringing this scripture. It's my prayer today!! (I'm a day behind)
This passage just remind me of how I'm so gratefully thankful for communion and taking part in it at my church cause the bread and the wine symbolize the blood which was shed for me wiping away my sins and I thank him for that often times we don't take time out just to say thank you Lord for the Blood……
When I read about The Last Supper, I like to bring to my frame of mind the image of the Nativity. I like to do this because something that seems like religious tradition suddenly takes on a huge context: Salvation came in the form of a baby with the only purpose of dying for our transgressions. Putting those two events together as I reflect on Lent brings forth the magnitude these events. God made himself human– defenseless– because He loves us. This is overwhelming love. And I am so thankful that He loved me before generations of my family were born.
Jesus knew every step that would be taken on the day of the Last Supper, just like He knows every step that we will take as we journey day by day. It’s comforting to know that He already knows our future, He is ready to take our hand and show us amazing things on this very day today!
Bethany as I read your comment I thought to myself how many times I wonder why am I in this situation….what a great reminder that I am here, experiencing whatever because I am supposed to be….the question is what am I supposed to learn or who am I supposed to touch? Thanks Bethany
Love this. “Just as He told them.” I love thinking of this supper as an event planned from the beginning of time. I’ve been clinging to Jerusalem 29:11 about God’s plans for me. To put all of this in the same story–all part of God’s plan–is a comforting reminder that nothing surprises God. I’m going through a rough season, but God is in charge and nothing surprises him. Blessings, sisters.
I always have such a hard time emotionally connecting to this time of year. I have always known that Jesus died for our sins. I knew that Jesus was the son of God and that his death was a sacrifice so that we could know everlasting life through God. To be cleansed. But I get hung up on the part where Jesus was divine and that this act was set in motion since the beginning of time. I forget that while Jesus was divine he was also human. He felt pain. I'm sure at times he was scared. I have such a block in this area and I need to ask God to lift it.
Thank you for your vulnerbility and humility in sharing! This has been an area of struggle for me as well–praise the LORD that in all things he is faithful and gives wisdom to those who seek! Praying for you right now!
Me too Tracy.
Verse 23 stood out to me as they began to question among themselves who would betray Jesus. It was shocking yet relieving when I first realized that the disciples didn’t always get it either. Their entire time with Jesus went just as He told them, and they still doubted. Today I see Jesus as my living water…I cannot go without water or I will die. I can work as hard as I want but I still need water. What has me on my knees is that the water of Jesus is always there. Always. Just as he told us.
What a promise that will never be broken…He is faithful! I am thankful!!!!
So grateful for the Lord's sovereign provision over everything in my life, even of the things that hurt and force me to grow and depend more deeply upon him.
"Just as He told us." Thank you for drawing my attention to this verse in particular this morning. I never really thought about the Last Supper as being something that had been planned since the beginning of time with every detail taken care of. I call to mind the various big dinners/feasts/parties we've had in my life– a retirement dinner for my grandfather, wedding receptions, birthday celebrations, anniversary dinners– and how much planning and care went into each of those meals. To think that the Savior of the world put even more time and thought and love and sacrifice into the planning and preparation of that final meal is amazing to me. Everything was perfectly orchestrated and went off without a hitch or a hiccup. I sometimes feel like communion at church is something that has become routine for me. May I remember next time I partake of the break and wine what I am truly consuming. May I remember the planning and the sacrifice Jesus went through to save me.
I’m not Jewish either but had the pleasure of attending a Passover Meal with my best friends Jewish family in middle school. I didn’t understand its importance then and would truly like to prepare and participate in this again. Was actually thinking about reading up on it and cooking the meal just not sure yet. Only know I’m thankful for my Savior and his sacrifice and glad I understand now…
If you are unable to do the whole meal, having just the key elements which serve as symbol reminders would be a great step: some matzah, a bone, bitter herbs, salt water, etc. Just those alone would be so helpful in talking through the salvation of Israel and the salvation of man through Jesus.
The Beautiful weight of my forgiveness shown in the Glory of His mercy. My tears flow and I can not stop them. My heart so filled with him it just about bursts. I pray to stay in this moment……planned… It was planned. Set in motion by so many other things. His arms wrap around me and I rest in Him.
I remember the first communion where I realized the depth of this act and it’s true meaning. As a child brought up in church I participated in communion so very often and after becoming saved at 13 I still didn’t see. It was in 2010 during a small church service after teaching youth Sunday school and leading the choir that I sat in my pew prepared to partake. When that moment hit me during the reading I broke down in gratitude for my Saviors sacrifice. Cried freely while eating the wafer and drinking the grape juice realizing at age 32 what it meant by His body, His Blood… I am so very thankful today for this message which reminds us all! Thank you Jesus!
Oh how we forget sometimes that it will be just as He told us…It will be just as He marvelously planned. We can so rest in His arms because He surely has it all taken care of..Thank you for this message today.
How wonderful that Jesus set these things in motion long before they were to happen, that they found everything "Just as He told them". At a time in my life where everything is uncertain, I know I can cling to God's good and perfect plan for my life. Thank you Lord.
I am in a similar season of uncertainty, Katie. Grateful of His perfect plan for our lives. Praying for you and your season now.
Just as Jesus told them. That’s how it always is. So thankful.
So simple, so beautiful, so profound….
First let me begin by saying thank you to those of you who sent prayers on my behalf after my post on Monday. The load has surely lightened .
I have read this passage so many times over the years and it never occurred to me that Jesus had made arrangements ahead of time. Or was it set in motion long before He even walked this earth? Perhaps this is another one of those questions I must save to ask Him myself. Lord how did you do that or why did this happen? I just look forward to seeing him fully. My friend. My savior
A little farther along in the story when he is praying in the garden I came across one of those “ah ha!” moments along time ago. He prays for those that will come after. That’s me! That’s you! He literally thought of each one of us. I have gotten much comfort from that over time. He knew what lie ahead and He thought of me…..
To know His love for us didn't just start the moment we took our first breath on this earth…but that His love for each of us was there with Him as a suffered for our sake!
I am so glad your burden felt lighter. Prayeful it remains! ~ B
Nana, what we take for granted huh? I was the same, I hadn't actually thought it through…praise God that He had!!..Blessings sis, and I pray God continue to lighten your yolk…reminds me of the verse…' come to me all who are weary..and I will make your burden light…x
This is so heavy. I had a much easier time going over and repenting of all my failings, my wrongs, my sins than I’m having slowly coming to understand that I have to finally humble myself and accept his payment on my behalf. A week or two ago, there was a quote about the proud human heart revealed in the humiliation in admitting bankruptcy and accepting his payment on our behalf.
I thought I had finally crumbled and humbled myself, but today and yesterday I’m realising that I’m still trying to do this alone.
Allowing God to fully humble us is a hard but beautiful place where only He can meet us! You are not alone sister….Your precious Father is right there with you always! "I am with you ALWAYS!" (Matthew 28:20)
Yes, I am in the same place, I was struck by the line about tricking ourselves into thinking our filthy hands are clean. I have confessed my sins, believe I have repented (although it is a process), but am I really putting my whole life into his hands or trying to pick it back up and do what I want with it? I don’t want to do that.
At a time in my life where graduate school is about to finish and I am job hunting praise God that I will find everything “just as He told them.” Most days that is my only comfort: my God has a plan for my good and His glory!
“Jesus knew we would struggle to grasp the weight of His sacrifice and the fullness of His forgiveness. He knew we’d be tempted to load that weight on our backs in an effort to re-do the work He’s already completed.”
I find myself trying to earn what was gifted to me. Oh Lord let us take and eat.
Oh, dear One ~ YES, He has a perfect plan already set in motion for your life! Congratulations on nearing the end of graduate school! What an accomplishment; what an exciting time to experience God's faithfulness! Remember Deuteronomy 31:8: "The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Trust and seek, dear Anna! I'll be praying for you!
Anna, I am with you on this! When I find myself wrapped up in the stresses of my to-do lists and endless tasks, I try to remember that He orchestrated His story AND our story exactly as they were meant to play out. I pray that you find comfort in His promise and that you enjoy this exciting season in your life, knowing that He’s had your life’s purpose and vision covered from the beginning :)
Love this, Anna. Praying for your job hunt! Trusting in His plan for you!
xoxo-Kaitlin
What a great reminder of His guidance and direction even in the smallest of details. I’m working on my independent spirit, trying to focus on His will, not mine, gratitude for the small things just as much as the great. There is much comfort in knowing that things are “just as He told them” even when I don’t always grasp the significance or magnitude.
Amen! Praying for you as I’m working on the same things :)
I have never had the opportunity to attend a Sedar dinner, although I've always wanted to. I think the entire thing so beautiful. If you aren't familiar with the process of a passover meal, I would encourage you to read about it. In short, I will say that Sedar means "order", which explains the meal itself. Each part of the meal has to be done in a certain order as it's a reflection of the Exodus, taking the Jewish people from slavery to freedom. Each step in the meal has profound significance and is overall a great appreciation for God's great work in their freedom. How I would have loved to sit near or next to my Savior as we enjoyed this meal. What must it have been like for Jesus to partcipate in this tradition annually, being God in human form Himself. So many questions swirl in my brain, but the thing I look think to most is whole meaning …. FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM. God's amazing intertwining at work again here, from the planning to the preparing to the meaning. All precise and with intention.
As Christ spoke, indicating His body broken, His blood shed, He, the new Lamb for all, not just those at the table, what did He feel? With each step, was He more and more physically aware of His painful fate. Eating this meal with those closest to Him, and yet no one really understanding what was being said. We know there were a few questions, but the entire air in the room heavy with Jesus' fate. To hear that this would be the last time He would partake in the meal until they were all in God's Kingdom, I would be filled with so many questions, this wasn't a random meal. It was annual tradition. To know after this meal, Jesus wept, asking briefly for His cup to be spared. I can imagine the experience of the Passover Meal an extremely emotional one for Him, I'm not Jewish and just the thought of thanking and honoring God in such a way makes me weep and yet, it is nothing compared to our Savior, serving Himself up for our freedom, buying us out of slavery. The weight of it heavy for me. As my heart hurts for what my Savior endured, for ME, I know that NO meal, NO time, NO act of worship will ever be enough. My heart, my life are truly the only things that remotely says to Jesus, "Thank you"……Thank you for your great sacrifice, thank you for your love over me, thank you that you have given me freedom. I want to honor Christ's sacrifice with my heart, with my life. I am overwhelmed by God's great love of me, by His sacrifice, by HIM! ~ B
Thanks for this! It really adds to the devotion!!
~from slavery to freedom~ Our God is The Great Poet orchestrating each and every detail. It was not a coincidence that Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice during Passover. It is the fulfillment of the plan to redeem His people and set us free. He's so very beautiful!
Amen! Nothing I can ever do will ever be enough. As Kaitlyn said, "He knew we’d be tempted to load that weight on our backs in an effort to re-do the work He’s already completed." That's exactly what I try to do…thinking there must be MORE I HAVE to do to be worthy of what HE has done.
But we don't. He was the ultimate sacrifice, the ONLY sacrifice. He was ENOUGH! The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back! Be blessed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fZ-tBR7LJ0
I had the opportunity to cater a Sedar many years ago. It was beautiful. Much food, much community, much tradition, so much celebration. It was a long enjoyable event that I’m grateful to have witnessed. It puts this part of what we believe, of Jewish tradition in clearer perspective. I had never connected the experience to the Last Supper until now, for whatever reason. Thanks for bringing this to my mind, B.
I love what you wrote, especially: “My heart, my life are truly the only things that remotely says to Jesus, “Thank you”……Thank you for your great sacrifice, thank you for your love over me, thank you that you have given me freedom. I want to honor Christ’s sacrifice with my heart, with my life.” Yes! I also want to honor Him and His sacrifice for me, for us all with my whole life. Praying this intently and intentionally this morning. Thanks, B!
Wow what truth you have spoken today B…we have no idea what the feelings were that day…that last supper…but one thing is for sure it was all to be for us..US..and how often do I say Thank you Jesus…Thank you for doing all of this for me..my family..for us…I have for a long time, had a hurt in my heart..this time of year…when I am reminded of the sacrifice and love of Jesus…May I, as my sister's have stated, also, intentionally and purposefully, commit my life and all I am to Jesus, for what I have received, I can never repay…but with all I am, LORD help me to show my gratitude…x
I never truly "got" communion until this past year. I understood that the little tiny cracker represented His body that was broken for us and the grape juice in the tiny cup was His blood. And it also served a nice appetizer before we had lunch. But I couldn't figure out what people were doing before they partook in the bread and the cup. They would close their eyes, bow their head and just sit there in silence. Now, any Christian would know this means they are praying, but about what? I typically just lowered my head and waited for the pastor to tell us to partake. But I came across a passage in the Bible that really helped me understand. In 1 Corinthians 11:18-34, Paul is speaking to the church of Corinth about how they've treated communion (or The Lord's Supper) in an unworthy manner. He says we are to examine ourselves and truly judge ourselves before partaking in the bread and the cup. Each time we take communion (do communion?) we are proclaiming the the new covenant we have in Jesus. This covenant is not to be taken lightly, as the church of Corinth, or me until this past year, did. People were even getting weak, sick, and dying because they were not treating communion as seriously as they should have. But why must we examine ourselves? So, as the passage clearly states, we may not be condemned along with the rest of the world.
This isn't to be merely an outward display of religious ritual, but an inward, humbling experience of worship and confession with God. If all I get from communion is a little snack time before lunch, I've tragically missed out on what it truly means to "do those things in remembrance of Him."
Thank you for that reminder Lori.
It is good that this holy remembering is so simple, else we would make it more about the feast and less about the depths of love and sacrifice it represents. The Martha in me would have run around the man with the jar to prepare a feast fit for a king. The disciples get it right, though. Perhaps they learned that lesson when they were collecting those 12 baskets of left over loaves and fish. In our right-now world, I imagine Pinterest would cause us to use this holy feast to showcase our talents and culinary skills were it anything more than bread and wine. The simplicity of it leaves all of our performance out of it so that only Christ remains.
Oh, your Martha needs to meet my Martha! I’m so glad I’m not the only one facing this struggle. Thank you for your candidness and reminder of what should be our focus.
Kelly I’ve never thought about how simple communion is. What a profound thought that even the elements make room to view our Savior as ultimate.
Oh YES! We would have been pinning up a storm for a few weeks and spent some serious time at the craft store making beautiful decorations…Thank you Lord it wasn't up to us and I could take a lesson today myself!
Love this: “The simplicity of it leaves all of our performance out of it so that only Christ remains.” Thanks, Kelly!
God works things out. He did then and He does now. Praising Him today for all the things He sets up ahead of time.
Amen Heidi…x
It's funny Kaitlin, just the other day as I read the passage of instruction to the disciples to go set up for the Passover meal…in Luke..I found myself thinking…how is the man carrying the pitcher going to know who these people are, even with instructions to say 'The Teacher says..' My mind wondered off to …when was Jesus alone to speak to this man?..He was always in company…either the disciples or the crowds….and when He was alone He took himself off to pray to His Father God…to have His quiet time with Him…So boy am I glad of this enlightenment today…Thank you…
I love that…'They found everything as Jesus had told them…' words I'd never actually taken on board to be significant….until today…Little did I understand, like Peter and John…but today…How perfectly planned…Jesus sacrificing, the Cross..even the last supper … I guess, as I write, yes indeed, I can recall some prophesies in Isaiah,…Jesus's last days were truly planned, as you put it Kaitlin, ..been set in motion from the beginning of time…amazing….WOW…
Fixing my, now opened eyes, on the framework of faithfulness Christ has laid before me, and with a thankful heart, approaching the table of Grace and pure and total love, set out by my Saviour, believing… I will find ..'everything just as He told us…'
Thank you Jesus…for everything…Thank you..
Kaitlin, beautiful and definitely a changer for me…Thank you…
Happy Wednesday friends….Be Blessed..xxx
Ladies, this was the phrase of the day for me as well! I am still surprised every time I find things, "just as He had told them." It is hard to grasp how perfectly faithful our God is!
Beautiful ♥