Matthew 26:17-30
The season of Lent could be described as a yearly journey to the cross for disciples of Jesus. In this series, we are studying the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 26-27, which describe the account of Jesus’ journey to the cross. By meditating on this journey, we hope to better grasp the words of Jesus for us: “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mt. 16:24).
This season invites us to reflect on the significance of the cross in our lives. Our hope is that the cross might become bigger for us this year. By examining the institution of the Lord's Supper, we uncover profound insights about the cross and its implications for our journey of faith in life.
1. The Reason for The Cross
Our passage describes Jesus' deliberate and sovereign control over the events leading to his crucifixion. Jesus confidently declares the inevitability of his betrayal and crucifixion (v. 2, 20) and concurs with the possibility of going through such a painful process “just as it is written about him” (v. 24). It is clear to him that the plan of God for salvation and restoration of humanity stands or falls on his death. The cross transcends mere historical significance as the ultimate demonstration of God's love and the means through which salvation is made available to all who believe.
Jesus teaches something shocking: I am your teacher, example, and Lord, but none of it matters unless I am your substitute. He willingly offers himself as the sacrificial lamb, thus satisfying the demands of divine justice and providing a pathway to reconciliation with God. Jesus illustrated this for his disciples and for us today by instituting the Lord’s Supper. There was no lamb in Jesus’ Passover meal with his disciples because He was the substitute! We see this in one little but powerful word: “for” (in the place of). When he breaks the bread and pours the wine, he declares that it is given for us. We are not given self-help advice, a pep talk, or even a stern warning. We are given Jesus Himself.
2. The Power of the Cross
Jesus completely reinterprets and reframes the central and most important feast of the Jewish people around himself and his death. God instituted the Passover meal before he delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. A liturgy grew around its celebration, called the Seder, which is still practiced today. The unleavened bread blessed at the beginning of the meal, called the “bread of affliction,” symbolized their liberation. Jesus takes the bread of his own affliction and becomes our liberation. Four cups were used at the Passover meal, each representing one of the fourfold promises God made to Israel in Exodus 6 to deliver them. The cup Jesus took( v. 27) is almost certainly the third cup, the cup of redemption (blessing). Jesus shows that His blood represents full, complete payment for the debt we owe to God for all our sins, a redemption that becomes a blessing by the power of forgiveness.
We can put together His words and actions to see the great power of the cross. Just as the people of Israel were delivered from slavery in Egypt in the Exodus, Jesus brought a greater Exodus, by a greater liberation, from a greater slavery (sin and death) by a greater power. The power of forgiveness in His blood is found and offered to us – in His cross and at His table. When we receive this forgiveness, we gain the power to grant forgiveness to others. Jesus always ties together the power of our being forgiven with the power of our being able to forgive. The transformative power of the cross goes deep to secure our individual salvation and extends wide to restore broken relationships and establish God's kingdom values of love and reconciliation.
3. The Goal of the Cross
Despite the pressure of His impending suffering and death, Jesus presents a picture of hope in the institution of the Lord’s Supper. He looks beyond the cross to the joyous fellowship awaiting believers in his Father's kingdom(v. 29). Jesus’ anticipation of sharing a future feast with his disciples reveals the ultimate goal of his redemptive work - intimate communion with God and fellow believers in celebration. This goal of fellowship affirms God's deep desire for relational intimacy with humanity. Some of us feel that God merely tolerates us, but the cross demonstrates that He welcomes us as cherished guests to partake in the joyous celebration of His kingdom. The cross is too small for us if we think God wants to forgive us but doesn’t want to feast with us.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
When we lose sight of the power of the cross and Jesus’ substitutionary work, we will live as if we must add to His work. Do you wrestle with this? Why or why not? What are some ways that you have seen this tendency in your life or others?
What does it mean to receive the power of forgiveness? What does it have to do with the cross and the Lord’s Supper? How does receiving this power enable us to share it with others? What does that look like in our world of deep division?
What resonates with you about Jesus’ redefinition of the Passover meal, particularly in terms of the symbols of the bread and wine? How does partaking in communion deepen your understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice and its significance in your life?
Do you sometimes feel that God has forgiven you but doesn’t delight in you (or is merely ok with you)? Why or Why not? How can we overcome feelings like this or help others who wrestle with them?
Which one of the four perspectives mentioned - calculating, practical, academic, or comfort - resonates with you the most? Is there another one you can think of? How do you confront and grow through the harmful impact these perspectives can have on your obedience to Jesus?
How does the anticipation of fellowship with God in the fullness of His kingdom motivate us to live out the Gospel values of love, forgiveness, and hospitality in our everyday lives? What does that look like for you now, and how could it grow? Consider praying about receiving God’s love and forgiveness and asking how He might use you to share it with others.