Never Forget
Matthew 26:17-30
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With just a few hours left before His death by crucifixion, Jesus chose to share a meal with His disciples (17-19)
This meal was not primarily for the Body, but for the Memory
Background on the Passover:
“You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.” (Exodus 12:24–27)
- The lamb was killed at the temple, where the blood was poured out as a sin offering.
- Unleavened bread represented the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt.
- The bowl of salt water represented the tears of slavery and also the Israelites’ passing through the Red Sea.
- Bitter herbs represented the bitter life of slavery.
- A paste of mashed fruit and nuts reminded them of bricks of clay made without straw.
- The singing of Psalms 113-118 (The Egyptian Hallel) reminded the people that it was God who saved and blessed them.
- Four cups of wine were poured to remind the Israelites of the four promises of God found in Exodus 6:6-7.
Three Things We Must Never Forget as We Approach the Lord’s Table
1. Never forget the Love God has for us
“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:7–8)
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
2. Never forget that you can be Near Jesus, but not In Jesus (20-25)
“So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.” (John 13:30)
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5a)
3. Never forget the Life Christ gave for us (26-30)
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.” (Exodus 12:5–7)
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18)
Either God will Remove your sin from you or your sin will Remove you from God