“And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
Luke 22:15 (NIV)
As we consider Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11 regarding the proper observance of the Lord’s Supper – I thought it would be good for us to read one of the gospel accounts of the Last Supper. The first thing I noticed was that Judas was present, and that our Lord acknowledged his presence, and that the disciples questioned among themselves who Jesus was speaking of. In one of J Vernon McGee’s old radio broadcasts - he tells pastors that we should expect what our Lord experienced in His ministry, that a wise pastor counts the flock, divides that number by 12 and that is how many devils are in the congregation. Not sure if J Vernon is speaking truth in this, but for sure we should not be surprised at the presence in our congregations of Judases, and it should be part of a church’s practices to have leaders examine leaders on a regular basis.
The next thing I noticed was our Lord’s eagerness eat with His men. It wasn’t that He was hungry, it seems to be a sense that He is ready to give Himself as spiritual food for us. He was eager to die for the sins of all these men, including Judas, to offer that sacrifice that makes us clean before God and restores our souls. He was eager to set a table for us in the presence of our enemies, to overflow our cups with grace.
When we find ourselves looking forward to communion Sundays in Parkdale, we are reflecting our Lord’s eagerness to share Himself with all of us.
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