Preparations for Death and Remembrance

Matthew 26:17-35 

    Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "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 at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"

19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."

22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"

23 He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes 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."

25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"
He said to him, "You have said it."

    Jesus Institutes the Lord's Supper

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 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."

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

    Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

31 Then Jesus said to them,
"All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."

33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."

34 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."

35 Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"
And so said all the disciples.

Jesus made preparations for His death and turned the Passover meal into a remembrance of His work of life and death for all who follow Him, even the ones denying these things like Peter.  The Lord was asked by the disciples where they should have the Passover meal remembrance together and He directed them to a certain named man to prepare a place for them.  This Passover meal that was once a celebration of deliverance for the people of Israel set free from bondage in Egypt would become a celebration of deliverance from sin’s penalty and power until the very presence of sin would be eradicated in heaven to come.  Jesus is the Lamb of God slain (Genesis 22:8, John 1:29, Revelation 5:6, 9, 22:3-4) to cover the doorposts (Exodus 12:13, 23, 24, 27) of our hearts and pass over our due judgment (Romans 3:25-26, 6:23) by keeping the destroyer from effecting our eternal death in the suffering of the lake of fire in judgment to come.  That evening, Jesus revealed the betrayal to come without mentioning Judas by name (Matthew 26:14-16) but they could not see who it was and began asking which one of them it would be.  They did not want to turn against Him and were each anxious to know it would not be them.  When Judas asked if it was him, Jesus agreed that he spoke rightfully to accuse himself.  Then the Lord explained the true meaning and intent of the Passover as He broke the bread and shared the wine to symbolize His body broken in place of theirs for their sin and His blood spilled as a sacrifice to cover their sin once and for all (Hebrews 7:27) as no mere yearly animal sacrifice could ever accomplish (Genesis 3:21, Hebrews 9:12, 13-14, 9:22).  This was then the new covenant sealed in His blood of atoning sacrifice for the taking away of sin’s penalty of death which Jesus promised to partake with them again in His kingdom to come in heaven.  The disciples sang a hymn to glorify God and they went to the garden in the Mount of Olives where Jesus would wrestle in the flesh to endure the cross (Philippians 2:7-8, Hebrews 12:2) that would follow.  Jesus told them they would be scattered and run away when the time came for the Shepherd to be struck down, but Peter arrogantly refused to be named as one of those turning from his Lord.  Jesus rightly predicted and proclaimed that Peter would deny Him not just once, but three times to remind him of his humanity of the fallen natural man as a son of Adam (Job 31:33, Romans 5:12, 18) who first rebelled against believing and observing God’s word.  May we learn from him to be humble in facing our proclivity to sin and seek forgiveness (1 John 1:9) when we do to find restoration in grace.  May we also remember our Lord while celebrating communion together of the Lord’s Supper together in recognition of His atoning suffering and sacrificial death on our behalf as we recall these preparations for death and remembrance, death to sin and remembrance of Him and His work to draw us to Himself.