The Desire of Jesus (Luke 22:14-16)
This sermon was preached on 5/12/2009
Our text is verses 14 to 16: ‘And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”’ In these words we have a remarkable insight into the heart of the Saviour. They reveal the priority that he had, what it was that was uppermost in his mind at the time. As we know, it was the evening when he would be arrested, but that arrest was not what occupied his heart. He was about to undergo the wrath of God when he would suffer on the cross, yet he wanted to spend the evening before this happened with his disciples.
The desire of Christ
The clear reality is that Jesus wants to be with his people. This has been the case throughout his existence, even before he came into the world. In heaven, before he came to earth, he looked forward to when he would become a man. This had been the focus of the eternal counsels which he had known with the Father concerning the redemption of human beings. He had received from the Father a gift comprising a number that no-one could count, and his desire was to come to earth to redeem them.
After he had lived on earth for thirty or so years, Jesus began his three years of public ministry. One of the first actions that he did was to choose his disciples. It is often assumed that this choice mainly involved teaching and preparing them for their future service of him. Yet he also chose them for their company: ‘And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach’ (Mark 3:14).
As he thought of the future, Jesus also intimated that he was looking forward to having his people with him. In John 14, as part of his teaching in the Upper Room he says to his disciple: ‘In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also’ (vv. 2-3). In the same sermon he assured his sad disciples that his looming departure would not result in permanent separation: ‘So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you’ (John 16:22). His words of comfort give insight also into the longings of his own heart.
And even at this unusual time of pressure for Jesus, when he was about to experience extreme distress, he prayed that those for whom he was about to die would yet behold his glory (John 17:24). Then on the cross, when suffering great physical pain and about to enter darkness indescribable, he said to the penitent thief, ‘Today, you will be with me in Paradise’ (Luke 23:43).
This occasion of the Passover, as he gathered in the Upper Room with his disciples, gave to Jesus a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb, when all his people will sit with him at the eternal feast. The small group of disciples that gathered there were a sample of the numberless throng that will spend eternity in his presence, enjoying his company and he enjoying theirs.
The Greek preposition indicates that Jesus was looking at his disciples as he spoke these words, ‘‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ We can imagine his eyes looking lovingly at each of them. As if he was saying, ‘These are my friends, my brothers, my fellow-heirs of the heavenly kingdom. For them I am going to die, and I want to spend my last evening with them.’
The disciples of JesusLet us cast our minds over the disciples who met with Jesus in the Upper Room. They were the ones whom Jesus chose to be with him when he began his public ministry and in one way or another they had interacted with him.
One of them was particularly close to Christ. John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, who leaned on his breast, who enjoyed an intimate relationship with his Master. There are clear similarities of outlook between John and Mary of Bethany in that the main aspect of their characters is that they enjoyed being in the company of Jesus. They were marked with a spirit of devotion. We know Christians like that who always seem to be near to Jesus. Such have a wonderful blessing.
John also comes into another category of disciple because, along with his brother James and Peter, he had been selected by Jesus to observe some of his greatest moments. They had watched him as he raised the daughter of Jairus back to life and had been astounded by his great power which he exercised in a gentle way when he tenderly held her by the hand. They had also been taken by Jesus up the mountain on the evening when his transfiguration occurred. What an occasion that had been when they had observed heavenly visitors, and even more importantly had seen the glory of Jesus. These three men had been given great spiritual privileges. Again we have met Christians like them who have enjoyed observing at first-hand the displays of the Lord’s power, perhaps in their prayer life or in their witnessing to others.
Yet we cannot forget that, on this evening, these men were not focused on Jesus, despite their previous privileges. We might have thought that they, with their earlier experiences, should have been anticipating more. Instead they were taken up with what high place they would have in the kingdom they imagined Jesus was about to set up. Their thoughts were on their own glory, not the glory of the Saviour. They were filled with pride, which is extraordinary given that only a few minutes before Jesus had revealed his humility by washing their feet.
One of the other disciples, Thomas, was marked by pessimism and doubt. On a previous occasion, when Lazarus had died, Thomas had imagined that all the disciples were going to die. Three days after the meal in the Upper Room, he would state his doubts more forcibly when, after the resurrection of Jesus, he would insist on hard evidence before he would believe that Jesus had risen, and a week later he would be rebuked for his words by Jesus.
Another of the disciples, Philip, had a bright beginning. Remember how Jesus had found him without the involvement of another person. How bright Philip had been then, when he went and found Nathaniel and told him, ‘We have found the One of whom Moses in the law and prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ He had not been discouraged by the initial sceptical response of his friend Nathaniel but instead told him to try Jesus for himself. The way he said this compelled Nathaniel to follow him to Jesus. I suspect the lustre had disappeared from Philip’s appearance, even although he was the disciples that Gentiles could approach if they wanted to get to speak to Jesus.
Similar to Philip was his fellow disciple Andrew. He had the privilege of being the first to follow Jesus as a disciple and the first to lead another person to Jesus. In addition, along with John and James and his brother Peter he had been in the first group to whom Jesus gave special training. Reading between the lines, it seems that Andrew had slipped a bit from his original prominence, although he still seemed to be the kind of person that young people would trust.
Another disciple was about to deny Jesus with oaths and curses. That was Peter, the spokesperson of the group, one to whom they all looked up. Not that anyone at the time would have guessed that he was about to deny Jesus because he had made strong statements of fidelity to his Master. He claimed that even if others would deny Jesus, he certainly would not. Yet the sad fact is that Peter denied Jesus.
Yet these were the disciple with whom Jesus passionately wanted to share this meal. None of them was what they should have been, despite their many privileges and blessings. In this, they are a picture of the disciples in every age. I am sure that it is a description of believers in the church today. None of us is what we should be.
Some of us have had times of sweet fellowship with Jesus in the past, we have been on the mountain-top with him. Perhaps not all have maintained their level of devotion and like Philip we have failed to develop. Maybe we are like Thomas, battered with doubts and unbelief. We may even be like Peter, self-confident, looking down on other Christians, but in a state, should the opportunity arise, of being ready to deny Jesus. Yet, to such, Jesus says, concerning the Lord’s Supper, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Supper with you.’
Dining with Christ and on ChristThese early disciples were meeting with Christ physically, and that is something that we cannot do at present. Physically Jesus is in heaven and he will not leave there until he returns at the end of the age. But that does not mean that he is not with us. His presence is achieved by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, who can be to us spiritually now what Jesus was to them physically then.
It is important to note that activity at the Lord’s Supper is twofold. Believers are active in feeding upon Christ and Christ by his Spirit is active, feeding each of them. What provision does Jesus promise to us at the Lord’s Table?
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives to us the fruit of the Spirit. We feed on Jesus, on his character, and in a mysterious way these blessings are communicated to us. His peace is given to us, his joy becomes our strength, we discover the dimensions of his love, and so on. The Lord’s Supper is a means of becoming Christlike.
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives to us foretastes of heaven. We have already thought of this with regard to Jesus himself, but it is also the case that we need to look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Sitting at his Table, we sense something of the atmosphere of heaven as we affirm our love to him.
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives to us the assurance that our sins are forgiven. When we contemplate the symbols, they speak to us of the great forgiveness that he gives to his people, even when they are in such a state as his first disciples were on that evening.
In closing I would speak to four groups in particular. First, I would address those of you who have been Christians for many years, yet you moan about your lack of progress and you wonder whether or not the Lord’s Table is a place for you. Of course, it may be that you need to reconsider what you mean by progress. Sometimes we liken progress climbing a ladder when perhaps we should liken it to a walk. There are times when a ladder is a good illustration of aspects of the Christian life, but we should be careful not to use illustrations in a wrong way. We may not think we are ascending (which would be indicated by steps on a ladder). Instead, ask yourself if you want to take another step onwards. The Christian is life is lived one step at a time, and the next step for you is to come to the Lord’s Supper. This weekend is the next stage in your spiritual journey, and if you come to the Supper with the right attitude, you will be making progress in you journey.
Second, I would address those who sense they are weak in faith. Sometimes this perception is a wrong one, and the person who makes it is actually strong in faith, having to persevere through difficult situations with no sense of spiritual support. At other times the perception is a correct one and a believer is weak in faith because he or she has not been using the spiritual provision that Jesus has provided for sustained growth. It is not surprising, indeed it is to be expected, for such a believer to be weak in faith. The remedy is not to refuse to come to the Supper. Instead such are to commence their spiritual recovery by using all the means of grace that are available this weekend, including private ones in which we confess our sins to God and public ones in which we participate together with God’s people. So those who sense they are weak in faith should come to the Lord’s Table.
Third, perhaps there are those who have been secret Christians for a while. It may be that your past life or perhaps a particular sin so bothers you that it prevents you coming to the Table. If that is the case, repent of your sins and come to the Supper. Or it may be that your natural temperament prevents you taking a prominent position, that you imagine you could not cope with being in the public gaze. You have to fight your own weakness here and tell yourself that you are invited to come by Jesus if you have repented of your sins.
Fourth, the occasions of the Lord’s Supper are very suitable occasions for new converts to profess their faith. It would be a great encouragement to the church if such were to profess. The sooner a new convert professes his faith in a public way, the easier it will be for him. Delay does not result in becoming better fitted for sitting at the Table, indeed delay only makes it more difficult to profess Christ’s name and gives an opportunity to the devil to accuse us of failure.
Remember that Jesus greatly desires that all of his people come to the Table in order to remember him. This is an opportunity for every believer to receive out of his fullness.
The desire of Christ
The clear reality is that Jesus wants to be with his people. This has been the case throughout his existence, even before he came into the world. In heaven, before he came to earth, he looked forward to when he would become a man. This had been the focus of the eternal counsels which he had known with the Father concerning the redemption of human beings. He had received from the Father a gift comprising a number that no-one could count, and his desire was to come to earth to redeem them.
After he had lived on earth for thirty or so years, Jesus began his three years of public ministry. One of the first actions that he did was to choose his disciples. It is often assumed that this choice mainly involved teaching and preparing them for their future service of him. Yet he also chose them for their company: ‘And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach’ (Mark 3:14).
As he thought of the future, Jesus also intimated that he was looking forward to having his people with him. In John 14, as part of his teaching in the Upper Room he says to his disciple: ‘In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also’ (vv. 2-3). In the same sermon he assured his sad disciples that his looming departure would not result in permanent separation: ‘So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you’ (John 16:22). His words of comfort give insight also into the longings of his own heart.
And even at this unusual time of pressure for Jesus, when he was about to experience extreme distress, he prayed that those for whom he was about to die would yet behold his glory (John 17:24). Then on the cross, when suffering great physical pain and about to enter darkness indescribable, he said to the penitent thief, ‘Today, you will be with me in Paradise’ (Luke 23:43).
This occasion of the Passover, as he gathered in the Upper Room with his disciples, gave to Jesus a foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb, when all his people will sit with him at the eternal feast. The small group of disciples that gathered there were a sample of the numberless throng that will spend eternity in his presence, enjoying his company and he enjoying theirs.
The Greek preposition indicates that Jesus was looking at his disciples as he spoke these words, ‘‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ We can imagine his eyes looking lovingly at each of them. As if he was saying, ‘These are my friends, my brothers, my fellow-heirs of the heavenly kingdom. For them I am going to die, and I want to spend my last evening with them.’
The disciples of JesusLet us cast our minds over the disciples who met with Jesus in the Upper Room. They were the ones whom Jesus chose to be with him when he began his public ministry and in one way or another they had interacted with him.
One of them was particularly close to Christ. John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, who leaned on his breast, who enjoyed an intimate relationship with his Master. There are clear similarities of outlook between John and Mary of Bethany in that the main aspect of their characters is that they enjoyed being in the company of Jesus. They were marked with a spirit of devotion. We know Christians like that who always seem to be near to Jesus. Such have a wonderful blessing.
John also comes into another category of disciple because, along with his brother James and Peter, he had been selected by Jesus to observe some of his greatest moments. They had watched him as he raised the daughter of Jairus back to life and had been astounded by his great power which he exercised in a gentle way when he tenderly held her by the hand. They had also been taken by Jesus up the mountain on the evening when his transfiguration occurred. What an occasion that had been when they had observed heavenly visitors, and even more importantly had seen the glory of Jesus. These three men had been given great spiritual privileges. Again we have met Christians like them who have enjoyed observing at first-hand the displays of the Lord’s power, perhaps in their prayer life or in their witnessing to others.
Yet we cannot forget that, on this evening, these men were not focused on Jesus, despite their previous privileges. We might have thought that they, with their earlier experiences, should have been anticipating more. Instead they were taken up with what high place they would have in the kingdom they imagined Jesus was about to set up. Their thoughts were on their own glory, not the glory of the Saviour. They were filled with pride, which is extraordinary given that only a few minutes before Jesus had revealed his humility by washing their feet.
One of the other disciples, Thomas, was marked by pessimism and doubt. On a previous occasion, when Lazarus had died, Thomas had imagined that all the disciples were going to die. Three days after the meal in the Upper Room, he would state his doubts more forcibly when, after the resurrection of Jesus, he would insist on hard evidence before he would believe that Jesus had risen, and a week later he would be rebuked for his words by Jesus.
Another of the disciples, Philip, had a bright beginning. Remember how Jesus had found him without the involvement of another person. How bright Philip had been then, when he went and found Nathaniel and told him, ‘We have found the One of whom Moses in the law and prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ He had not been discouraged by the initial sceptical response of his friend Nathaniel but instead told him to try Jesus for himself. The way he said this compelled Nathaniel to follow him to Jesus. I suspect the lustre had disappeared from Philip’s appearance, even although he was the disciples that Gentiles could approach if they wanted to get to speak to Jesus.
Similar to Philip was his fellow disciple Andrew. He had the privilege of being the first to follow Jesus as a disciple and the first to lead another person to Jesus. In addition, along with John and James and his brother Peter he had been in the first group to whom Jesus gave special training. Reading between the lines, it seems that Andrew had slipped a bit from his original prominence, although he still seemed to be the kind of person that young people would trust.
Another disciple was about to deny Jesus with oaths and curses. That was Peter, the spokesperson of the group, one to whom they all looked up. Not that anyone at the time would have guessed that he was about to deny Jesus because he had made strong statements of fidelity to his Master. He claimed that even if others would deny Jesus, he certainly would not. Yet the sad fact is that Peter denied Jesus.
Yet these were the disciple with whom Jesus passionately wanted to share this meal. None of them was what they should have been, despite their many privileges and blessings. In this, they are a picture of the disciples in every age. I am sure that it is a description of believers in the church today. None of us is what we should be.
Some of us have had times of sweet fellowship with Jesus in the past, we have been on the mountain-top with him. Perhaps not all have maintained their level of devotion and like Philip we have failed to develop. Maybe we are like Thomas, battered with doubts and unbelief. We may even be like Peter, self-confident, looking down on other Christians, but in a state, should the opportunity arise, of being ready to deny Jesus. Yet, to such, Jesus says, concerning the Lord’s Supper, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Supper with you.’
Dining with Christ and on ChristThese early disciples were meeting with Christ physically, and that is something that we cannot do at present. Physically Jesus is in heaven and he will not leave there until he returns at the end of the age. But that does not mean that he is not with us. His presence is achieved by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, who can be to us spiritually now what Jesus was to them physically then.
It is important to note that activity at the Lord’s Supper is twofold. Believers are active in feeding upon Christ and Christ by his Spirit is active, feeding each of them. What provision does Jesus promise to us at the Lord’s Table?
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives to us the fruit of the Spirit. We feed on Jesus, on his character, and in a mysterious way these blessings are communicated to us. His peace is given to us, his joy becomes our strength, we discover the dimensions of his love, and so on. The Lord’s Supper is a means of becoming Christlike.
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives to us foretastes of heaven. We have already thought of this with regard to Jesus himself, but it is also the case that we need to look forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Sitting at his Table, we sense something of the atmosphere of heaven as we affirm our love to him.
At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives to us the assurance that our sins are forgiven. When we contemplate the symbols, they speak to us of the great forgiveness that he gives to his people, even when they are in such a state as his first disciples were on that evening.
In closing I would speak to four groups in particular. First, I would address those of you who have been Christians for many years, yet you moan about your lack of progress and you wonder whether or not the Lord’s Table is a place for you. Of course, it may be that you need to reconsider what you mean by progress. Sometimes we liken progress climbing a ladder when perhaps we should liken it to a walk. There are times when a ladder is a good illustration of aspects of the Christian life, but we should be careful not to use illustrations in a wrong way. We may not think we are ascending (which would be indicated by steps on a ladder). Instead, ask yourself if you want to take another step onwards. The Christian is life is lived one step at a time, and the next step for you is to come to the Lord’s Supper. This weekend is the next stage in your spiritual journey, and if you come to the Supper with the right attitude, you will be making progress in you journey.
Second, I would address those who sense they are weak in faith. Sometimes this perception is a wrong one, and the person who makes it is actually strong in faith, having to persevere through difficult situations with no sense of spiritual support. At other times the perception is a correct one and a believer is weak in faith because he or she has not been using the spiritual provision that Jesus has provided for sustained growth. It is not surprising, indeed it is to be expected, for such a believer to be weak in faith. The remedy is not to refuse to come to the Supper. Instead such are to commence their spiritual recovery by using all the means of grace that are available this weekend, including private ones in which we confess our sins to God and public ones in which we participate together with God’s people. So those who sense they are weak in faith should come to the Lord’s Table.
Third, perhaps there are those who have been secret Christians for a while. It may be that your past life or perhaps a particular sin so bothers you that it prevents you coming to the Table. If that is the case, repent of your sins and come to the Supper. Or it may be that your natural temperament prevents you taking a prominent position, that you imagine you could not cope with being in the public gaze. You have to fight your own weakness here and tell yourself that you are invited to come by Jesus if you have repented of your sins.
Fourth, the occasions of the Lord’s Supper are very suitable occasions for new converts to profess their faith. It would be a great encouragement to the church if such were to profess. The sooner a new convert professes his faith in a public way, the easier it will be for him. Delay does not result in becoming better fitted for sitting at the Table, indeed delay only makes it more difficult to profess Christ’s name and gives an opportunity to the devil to accuse us of failure.
Remember that Jesus greatly desires that all of his people come to the Table in order to remember him. This is an opportunity for every believer to receive out of his fullness.
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