Luke 22:7-12
The Lasts
Looking back over the gospel of Luke, I see we have been reading
about the last week of Jesus’ earthly life since \\#Luke 19:28\\ and
the last full day of His life since \\#Luke 21:1\\. Now we are
looking at the last evening of Jesus.
Let’s continue to note some lasts from our text.
I. The Last Service - The last opportunity to provide service.
A. If these are the last days of Jesus’ earthly life, then these
are the also the last days that mankind can serve Jesus in
an earthly manner.
B. Three people rendered service to the Lord that day.
1. \\#10\\ The unnamed man who was carrying the water
pitcher.
a. This is interesting for this must was able to be
recognized in Jerusalem (the largest city) at the
Passover (the most crowded time).
b. How is that possible? I believe it is because he was
the only man carrying a picture of water on the
street.
(1) Typically, hauling water was done by the women.
(2) On that day for some reason, this man was doing
that work.
(a) Maybe the woman who normally did it was
sick or hurt. (Water is heavy.)
(b) Maybe the man had a tender heart toward the
woman and so what doing her a kindness that
day.
(c) For whatever reason, this man was doing
something unusual and God knew he was going
to be doing it.
c. We don’t know this man’s name or reason for carrying
water that day, but God did.
(1) This illustrates how God knows the smallest
details even before they happen!
(2) I’ll be not a sparrow can fall to the ground
or a hair fall from your head without Him
knowing about it!
(3) By the way, what this man was doing was
important. He was the link between the
disciples and the house where the meal was to
be.
d. Did the man know he was being followed?
(1) Probably not. There was no need to communicate
with him.
(2) Probably unbeknown to him, this man was giving
directions to those that followed him.
(a) We all do!
(b) Somebody watches every one of us.
2. \\#11\\ The goodman of the house who gave use of the upper
room.
a. The goodman means this was the owner of the house.
b. It seems that this man must have known Jesus and the
disciples to allow them to have his room—or else God
had given him word through some dream to allow anyone
who asked to use his upper room.
(1) Luke called it a "guestchamber" \\#11\\ and a
"large upper room, furnished" \\#12\\.
(2) Guestchamber is a room for guests, maybe even
used for rentals.
(3) This room becomes important to the disciples.
(a) We think that is where the disciples
returned in three days, Sunday night, when
they want to talk about Jesus’
resurrection. (All the disciples except
for Judas was from Galilee.)
(b) That would mean they would meet there again
seven days later.
(c) We also think that is the upper room where
they met after the ascension of Jesus
\\#Acts 1:13\\.
(d) And we think that is where they were when
the Holy Ghost came upon them
\\#Acts 2:1\\.
(e) These are all just guesses, but if they are
correct, this upper room would have been
the first "church."
c. The goodman may be signing up for a long term
commitment, but it does not seem that he had any
concerns over doing so.
(1) If this was a rental property, it might have cost
him a good amount of money. (Passover was the
busiest time of the year in Jerusalem!)
(2) He seemed happy to serve our Lord in whatever
capacity that he was called upon to serve.
(3) What a joy this type of a servant must be to our
Lord!
3. \\#8\\ Peter and John served.
a. Luke is the only gospel that tells us the name of the
disciples that were sent, perhaps because their
enthusiasm might have been less than it should be.
(1) Peter and John followed the man with the water
pitcher and did whatever else was necessary to
have the supper.
(2) I imagine there was a lot of work that went into
getting this meal ready for 13 men.
b. But we know, no one was at the door to wash the feet
of Jesus and the disciples as they entered.
(1) I don’t know that Peter and John were assigned
that task but everyone knew it needed to be done
and they were assigned to get things prepared.
(2) Instead, Jesus will wash the disciples’ feet and
Peter almost will not let Him.
(3) And that night, there will be a debate about who
was the greatest disciple.
Luke 22:24 And there was also a strife among
them, which of them should be accounted the
greatest.
(4) I imagine among the many regrets the disciples
would carry with them, one of them was that they
missed the opportunity to minister to Jesus by
washing His feet the last night that they had
the opportunity.
B. Isn’t it amazing how time changes our perspective?
1. That night no one moved to wash everyone else’s feet
because they wanted to be the one who was served not the
one who did the servicing.
2. Washing the feet of others was just a mundane, lowly
servant’s task; but within a few days, they would realize
how special the opportunity would be had they been
thinking of Jesus and not themselves.
3. We need to learn to count our opportunities to serve as a
divine opportunity from God.
II. The Last Supper
A. This was the Passover Supper.
1. We know this is the Passover Meal because it is mentioned
as such several times.
a. \\#7\\ The disciples were sent to prepare a Passover
meal.
b. \\#11\\ The goodman was told that the room was needed
for the Passover.
c. \\#15\\ Jesus expressed his desire to eat the Passover
with His disciples that night.
2. Yet, no gospel writer gives us any detail about the
Passover at all.
3. Most of you have heard me explain at least some of why I
believe this meal was being eaten the day before the
Passover.
a. One of the reasons is illustrated in this text.
b. The Passover meal was to be eaten as a family.
c. Here we have 13 men—all of them with no families
present.
d. In fact, we know Peter was married so he was the head
of a family and should have been at home if this was
the Passover meal required by the Law.
4. Like we have holiday meals with those who are not our
family, I believe these were having a Holy Day meal with
those who were not their own family.
5. The actual Passover Lamb would be slain on the next day,
at the very time when the Jews are killing the Passover
lamb.
6. And while the people are partaking of the symbolic
Passover lamb, the real Passover Lamb will be giving
Himself for their sins.
B. This was also the Last Supper.
Luke 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any
more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God.
1. There is some question about what that means.
a. Jesus did eat something with the disciples present on
Sunday night to prove that He was not a spirit, but
it was no meal like this.
b. Others point out that Jesus took a sip of the vinegar
while on the cross. That vinegar was a cheap wine
drank by the poor, common folk.
2. I tend to think that Jesus was speaking this to the eleven
disciples—His friends.
a. Just like in \\#15\\, Jesus had looked forward to
having a final meal with His friends, I think He was
saying in \\#16\\ that they would not all be able to
gather together and eat a meal of leisure and
fellowship like this again until the Kingdom of God
is established on earth.
b. This might mean that this was THEIR Last Supper
together for a while.
C. \\#16-20\\ And this will be the first Lord’s Supper.
1. After the Passover meal was eaten, Jesus took a cup and
bread to illustrate what He was giving to the world.
a. Jesus was giving His body and His blood.
b. The bread and cup were symbolic, but we are told to
repeat this meal as often as we desired to remember
the sacrifice Jesus has made.
2. Luke did not try to give us a detailed account of what
happened in that room—just a summary.
III. A Last Salutation
A. Notice the title God gave to those gathered with Jesus that
night.
Luke 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat
down, and the twelve apostles with him.
B. God called them APOSTLES.
1. Not only that, God numbered them, the TWELVE apostles.
2. We all understand why eleven of them were called apostles,
but why is Judas being referred to as an apostle?
a. He has already made the arrangements to betray Jesus.
b. He probably has the 30 pieces of silver with him.
c. Once the meal is finished, he will leave to betray
Jesus.
d. Why call him an apostle?
C. We see something here about God’s loving, merciful character.
1. Even though what Judas HAD done was sinful and wrong, as
yet, he had not actually betrayed Jesus.
2. At this moment, God knows what Judas WILL do but he has
not done it yet.
3. God does not judge us for what we will do. Only for the
sin we have committed.
a. Jesus knows Peter will deny Him three times in a few
hours but he has not. Peter was one of the twelve.
b. One of the disciples will be so scared, he will run
out of his coat and flee away "naked" but he has not.
He was one of the twelve apostles.
c. And Judas will betray Jesus, but he has not. He was
one of the twelve apostles.
(1) Judas was there for the meal and the twelve ate
with Jesus.
(2) I think Judas was there for the foot washing.
Jesus washed his feet. He was one of the
twelve.
(3) And he will be one of the twelve up until the
time Judas kisses Jesus’ cheek.
D. That speaks very poorly for Judas but it speaks volumes on
the love and kindness of Jesus.
E. God isn’t the One that cuts us off. We are the ones that cut
Him off.
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