The Last Supper

Memory Verse: Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was chastised that we might have peace, He was lashed – and we were healed!” TLB

NKJV Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed."

These words were written by the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born. They spoke of the Messiah suffering and shedding blood in order for us to have peace with God.

What do these words mean to you? How are we healed by His stripes? How did Jesus’ sufferings heal us? Why did Jesus choose to suffer so much for you and me and all the rest of humanity?

At His last meal with His disciples Jesus used a broken loaf of unleavened bread and the wine to symbolize His broken body and His shed blood. He did this before He was arrested, beaten and crucified.

Jesus said the bread symbolized His body and the wine symbolized His blood.

Mark 14:22-24 22" As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is My body.” 23 And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. “

Luke 22:19-20 19 "He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is My body, which is given for You. Do this to remember Me.” 20 After supper He took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with My blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for You."

Matthew 26:26-28 26 "As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is My body.” 27 And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many."

The bread was unleavened signifying His sinlessness and it was broken symbolizing His broken body. The blood was shed for us to cover our sins as the shed blood of the Passover lambs covered Israelites and protected them from the Death Angel – as the shed blood of animal sacrifices had atoned for the sins of the people all through the Old Testament.

Hebrews 9:13-28 13 "Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why He is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. 16 Now when someone leaves a will, it is necessary to prove that the person who made it is dead. 17 The will goes into effect only after the person’s death. While the person who made it is still alive, the will cannot be put into effect. 18 That is why even the first covenant was put into effect with the blood of an animal. 19 For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool. 20 Then he said, “This blood confirms the covenant God has made with you.” 21 And in the same way, he sprinkled blood on the Tabernacle and on everything used for worship. 22 In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. 23 That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals. 24 For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25 And He did not enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, He has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by His own death as a sacrifice. 27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.”

Jesus knew what was ahead of Him the night of the Last Supper. He gathered together with His disciples for the last time, knowing one of them, Judas, would betray Him and all of them would abandon Him before the night was over.

Notice that He didn’t treat them badly, even knowing who would betray Him, that all His disciples would abandon Him, and one of them would swear that he didn’t even know Him. Would you have been as kind?

What did Jesus do instead? He prayed for His disciples and He prayed for strength to endure His suffering. He prayed.

John 17:6-19 6 “I have revealed You to the ones You gave Me from this world. They were always Yours. You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from You, 8 for I have passed on to them the message You gave Me. They accepted it and know that I came from You, and they believe You sent Me.

9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You. 10 All who are mine belong to You, and You have given them to Me, so they bring Me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, You have given Me Your name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During My time here, I protected them by the power of the Name You gave Me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

13 “Now I am coming to You. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with My joy. 14 I have given them Your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your word, which is truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give Myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by Your truth.”

He prayed for those who would come after – for us. John 17:20-26 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in us so that the world will believe You sent Me. 22 “I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. 24 Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began! 25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me. 26 I have revealed You to them, and I will continue to do so. Then Your love for Me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

Later on He even prayed for those who crucified Him, those who condemned Him to death and for one of the prisoners who was crucified with Him.

Jesus demonstrated humility when He washed His disciples’ feet Jesus demonstrated love for His disciples when He prayed for them Jesus demonstrated love for us when He prayed for us Jesus demonstrated love for His persecutors when He prayed for them. Jesus demonstrated trust in God’s plan for His life when He prayed in Gethsemane.

Prayer is so great and so powerful that Jesus used it to show us how much He loves us, loves His disciples and to gain strength for His betrayal, His abandonment by His disciples and His beating and death by crucifixion.

NKJV 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Powerful words that show us how much He loves us.

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