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Monday 5 March 2012

Matthew 26:14-30 - The Last Supper

Judas infamously goes to the chief priests and asks for money in return for handing Jesus over to them. Now it might seem strange that they needed someone to do this for them, for Jesus was not hiding in a hole, but was regularly appearing in public. What they wanted was for someone to hand Him over, someone they could blame, so that they would not have to take responsibility.
Jesus ate the Last Supper with His disciples, this took place the day before the crucifixion. So again it is amazing how calm Jesus was. Again, He knew exactly what was going to happen, and He was preparing His disciples for all that would happen afterwards.
All this did not come as a surprise, things had been set in order for all this from the beginning of time. It is fitting that it is the Passover that was celebrated. The Passover remembered the exodus from Egypt. A much greater release from captivity was about to occur, the captivity from sin, from death, from this "evil age". 
Jesus knew that one of them would betray Him, and even knew which one it would be. There were no surprises for Jesus in all of this.
Strangely, Judas expresses surprise and says "surely not I", knowing full well that it was indeed him. Deception had entered his heart. There is a lot of nonsense spoken about Judas. Jesus says quite clearly here that it would have been better for Judas if he had not been born.
Then Jesus explains the meaning of the supper, and of what was about to happen. The bread which would give them true spiritual food was His body, and the blood of the true covenant was His own blood.
Then they went to the Mount of Olives, one can only imagine what thoughts were going through the disciples' minds at that point.

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