Matthew 26:17-29
Jesus and His disciples had no homes in Jerusalem, and seem to have spent the nights outside the city. But the Passover supper was to be eaten within the city, at sundown of the certain day, and the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare it.
Jesus told them to go to a certain man and tell him the Master wished to keep the Passover at his house. It was not unusual for the people of the city to allow those who came from away, to use a room for this purpose. The man may have known Jesus, anyway he was willing for his room to be used, and the disciples made the meal ready.
So Jesus and the disciples ate this supper together. As they were eating, Jesus told them that one of them should betray Him to the priests. To betray a friend to his enemies is a very disgraceful act, and the disciples were sad to hear that one of them would do that.
It had been written in the Psalms long before, that such a deed would be done:
“Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me.” Psalms 41:9.
Jesus knew which disciple would do this, and He said,
“Woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.”
Each of the disciples had asked,
“Lord, is it I?” Judas seems to have been the last to ask; he said,
“Master, is it I?” Yet he had already made the bargain to do it!
Jesus answered Judas, “Thou hast said,” which meant that he was the one, then Jesus told Judas, “That thou doest, do quickly,” and he went away (John 13:27). From what happened after, we know Judas went to guide the soldiers to the place to take Jesus.
After the Passover supper was ean, Jesus showed those who loved Him a new “feast” to keep: He took bread, gave thanks to God, broke it in pieces, and gave to the disciples to eat: then He gave thanks for “the cup,” in which was “the fruit of the vine”, grape juice, and told them to drink it together.
In this way Jesus taught them of His death, the broken bread like His body, bruised in death; the drink, as His blood shed. He spoke of this being so sure, as though already done: saying, “This is My blood of the new testent (agreement), which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Many animals had been sacrificed year after year because of sin, but Christ was the sacrifice, “once for all”, His blood was the new agreement by which God can forever forgive the sinner. Since then, those who believe Christ’s words, do not keep., the old feasts, but the one simple feast of the “bread,” and the “cup”, to remember Him in His death for them. (See also Luke 22:19,20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
ML 10/31/1943