Matthew 26:17-35

Matthew 26:17-35

Matthew closely links three themes: Judas' commitment to betrayal, the Lord's Supper and Peter's denial. We must never imagine that Jesus was a victim. He was, rather, the master of the circumstances. He informs the group of the betrayal and then in what appears to be a private moment informs Judas that He is aware that he is the traitor. Judas would have never left that room but for the permissive will of Jesus. Peter’s willingness to kill in the garden would very likely have extended to Judas in that room. Jesus’ statement to say that it would be better to have never been born was an extreme statement in Jewish culture.

The Lord's Supper was a day before the sacrifice of the Passover lambs and so this meal would not have included the lamb; rather, it focuses on bread and wine. In the same way, participation in a Passover meal was at the core of being Jewish. Jesus now sets up a new point of participation in Him. The bread is His body; the wine is His blood. In eating and drinking we participate in the new community of the Messiah. It is a great tragedy that much of the church in an effort to attract the crowd has focused the gathering on the wants and wishes of men and not on the Lord's Supper.

For the Lord this meal was a priority even with the cross only hours away. The burdens and the horrors squarely before Him, the Lord stops to share the bread and the cup. As disciples we ought to return to the table often. No doubt it requires a great effort to deeply engage in communion. But the problem is not the frequency of the celebration, but the laziness of the worshipers or participants. Some would say frequency robs the Lord's Supper of meaning. This is a mistake. It is laziness that robs it of meaning, either by those who participate rarely or those who do so mindlessly every week. Jesus promises the victory in and of the Father’s kingdom. No doubt this was a serious occasion, but it was also profoundly hopeful.

On the way to the Mount of Olives Jesus, while facing the horrors of the cross, encourages the disciples with the promise of the resurrection and a warning to Peter about his denial.

"Lord bring Your conviction on me that I will never, because of laziness, treat the Lord's Supper as secondary to my wants and wishes. AMEN"