Luke 22:8-20 – Remember – Bible study

Luke 22:8-20 Remember In our church, we do not add the Lords Supper to the end of a preaching service. The Lords Supper is the service. In recent weeks, I have preached on the importance of worshipping. I sometimes wonder if the steadfast routine of our services may be somewhat detrimental to worship. We sing a little, pray a little, and preach awhile, but most watch as others perform the activities. The Lords Supper is definitely a service where that is not done. Tonight, I will give you just a few words, hopefully to move your mind to remember your Lord and your spirit to worship Him. The events of this evening are occurring just hours before the arrest, trials, and crucifixion of Jesus. I. \#Luke 22:15\ This was a meal of desire. A. Jesus desired one last fellowship with His disciples. 1. Jesus desired to speak with His disciples one last time. 2. Much teaching went on in that Upper Room and afterward. 3. Johns gospel devotes five full chapters to Jesus teaching and conversation with His disciples that night. 4. Just to read the conversation John records would take a few minutes. To have spoken so with His disciples could easily fill up several hours of conversation, not counting the meal. B. But Jesus did not just want to teach His disciples. He desired to love on them for awhile. 1. We often consider how much we miss Jesus physical presence with us. 2. I wonder how much Jesus misses our physical presence with Him. 3. Jesus could look around the table and see each disciples painful death for Him. 4. He could see every beating they would take. 5. He could see every hurtful word they would hear. 6. We learned how to love from Him. Dont you know that Jesus, knowing all things that would happen, reached out and loved on them that night? II. \#Luke 22:16\ It was a meal of significance. Many things would be changing within the next few days. A. The relationship with Israel certainly changed. 1. With the crucifixion of Jesus, God would completely cut Israel offfor a timeas His people. 2. Now the face of God is turned to judging Israel, as He spoke of in repeated prophecies in the Old Testament. 3. I am not for certain but this may well be the last Passover Meal that God would attend until after the rapture of the church. B. At the same time, a new relationship began with a previously unnamed affiliation of people. Isaiah 55:5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Isaiah 65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. 1. Jesus crucifixion was the birth pain of the church. a. Whereas the eyes of God has been fixed primarily on a specific people on a specific pl ot of land, now Gods attention would be on a diverse people, made up every nationality and tongue, scattered across the entire globe. b. God would welcome Jewish blood into that group the same as Gentile blood, but Jewish worship as it had been would cease. 2. In this new nation, every convert would be both the sacrifice and his own priest! Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 3. It was the last Passover God would attend, but it was the first Lords Supper. III. \#Luke 22:19\ It was a meal of remembrance. A. Tonight, the one commandment Jesus has left us concerning this service is to remember Him while we partake of it. B. The word REMEMBER means TO CALL INTO YOUR MEMORY, TO RECOLLECT or To RE-COLLECT THE THOUGHTS OF SOMETHING PAST. C. Would you bow in a prayerful spirit and remember for a moment? 1. We should remember His deity. 2. We should remember His incarnation. 3. We should remember His example and teachings. 4. We should remember His sacrifices. 5. We should remember His sufferings. 6. We should remember His death. 7. We should remember His resurrection. 8. We should remember His kingship. 9. We should remember His coming D. If remembering these things does not stir a spirit of adoration for Jesusa spirit of love, of exaltation, of honorthen I do not know of anything that will. Tonight, if you can, worship your Savior. If you cannot worship, please do what is necessary so that you can. 1. Do you need to make something right with someone? 2. Do you need to ask someone for forgiveness? 3. Do you need to ask Jesus for forgiveness? 4. Do you need to be saved? If you cannot worship Jesus with liberty tonight, do not partake of the Lords Supper.