“Matthew 26:17-29”

Friday, June 19, 2020

“Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?’ 18 And He said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’”’ The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. As they were eating, He said, ‘Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.’ Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ And He answered, ‘He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.’ And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, ‘Surely it is not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself.’ While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper while sharing in the Passover meal with His disciples for the final time. The Passover was a commemoration of the time that Israel was liberated from their slavery to Egypt (Exodus chapter 12). The blood from the Passover lamb was smeared on the doorposts and the lintels of the houses where the Israelites ate their final meal in Egypt (Exodus 12:7). The Lord killed all the firstborn in Egypt that awful night, but all the houses marked with the blood of the lamb were saved from that final, gruesome plague.

As Jesus ate the Passover with His closest friends in Matthew 26, He was also preparing to be our Passover Lamb. Jesus called the blood that He would shed “the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (verse 28). Every first day of the week when we assemble with the saints to take the Lord’s Supper, we are to remember how the Lord saved us from certain destruction and liberated us from the slavery of sin by the blood of Jesus. Sin is mankind’s greatest taskmaster. Thank you Lord for the blood of the Lamb that makes us truly free!

Please read John 13:1-17 for tomorrow – Jesus washes the disciples feet.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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