Surprises at the Supper (Luke 22:24-38)

The first Lord’s Supper was a surprise for the disciples because they had been expecting to celebrate the annual Passover with all its connections to their faith in God and their experience of his power as a people. Although they probably did not realise it at the time, they had been the witnesses of a strategic change in the Lord’s methods of dealing with his people, of the replacement of a central practice for the membership of the kingdom of God.

Yet that change was not the only surprise that had happened to them on that evening. Another unusual event was the presence of a betrayer in the group, which caused great consternation among the rest. Although Jesus identified that the betrayer was Judas, the other disciples could not make sense of what was occurring. He had been an important member of the group and they had not seen any obvious sign before then that he would betray their Master.

There were three other features of the occasion that Luke wants to mention in his record of the events of that night. One he calls a dispute that the disciples had with one another over positioning, the second was a prediction of an imminent denial of Jesus by one of the disciples who usually defended him, and the third was an announcement from Jesus that later that evening he would be numbered with transgressors in fulfilment of a prophecy by Isaiah. We can consider the first and the third here, and we will look at the second next time.

Desire for position

The disciples had assumed that a great political kingdom was round the corner in which they would have important positions in running it. They recognised that they could not be Number One, but they all wanted to compete for the Number Two position. Jesus responded to their dispute with words of sober reality. It was probably round this time that he washed their feet, as recorded in John 13. He mentions a contrast, an example, and a future position.

The contrast is between his kingdom and all earthly kingdoms. In earthly kingdoms, those who are prominent exercise power, giving commands and arranging for things to be done, and get commended for their efforts. But in his kingdom, everyone is a servant, and everyone should be willing to do the least important activity (those usually given to the youngest). This was certainly a revolutionary statement, but not one that would cause any issues for those who would practice it. Of course, one can only serve if he has the heart of a servant.

Secondly, in order to make his point, Jesus drew their attention to himself. His outlook and behaviour had been very different from theirs Although he was their leader, he served them consistently in numerous ways. What ways are included in this statement? He had prayed for them, he had taught them, he had borne with them patiently, and he had defended them when they were attacked by religious opponents. He had given 100% for them, and even at that moment he was taking their sins to the cross where he would pay the penalty for them as their substitute. Truly he was an amazing servant.

Thirdly, Jesus commended them for having remained loyal to him throughout the difficulties and opposition that he had encountered in his three years of public ministry, and he announced to them that they would yet receive a prominent place in his kingdom. What does he have in mind in verse 30 when he refers to eating and drinking and judging the twelve tribes of Israel?

Various suggestions have been made, such as that he is referring to the eternal state and their involvement in the Day of Judgement. It could be, however, that he is referring to fellowship and governing in the church after he has ascended to heaven. The meaning is connected to when his kingdom commenced, and that occurred when he was exalted in heaven after his ascension. Perhaps both suggestions are included in his words.

The reality of the situation was that the disciples did not need to focus on a position of greatness. They were going to have such a position, but they were going to have it in a very different type of kingdom. And when that kingdom arrived, they would engage in servant leadership.

Yet it is worth asking why they each thought that one of them should be the greatest. We could imagine Peter, James and John saying that one of them should be the greatest because of the incredible experiences they had known with Jesus. Perhaps the others could advocate their own reasons, such as what they had given up in order to follow Jesus. Of course, the reason why we should ask about their motives is because it is possible that we also have similar reasons.

There is probably no more challenging statement in the Gospels for us than when Jesus said that he was among them as one who serves. We should take a long look at the King of glory. Paul reminded the Philippians that the mind they should have was one like the One who made himself of no reputation and took on himself the form of a servant.

Announcement of his death

Jesus obviously wanted his disciples to have an accurate awareness of what was going to happen to them and to him. He knows that in a short time he will be arrested and that the disciples will have a difficult experience. But the difficult experience would not be limited to the next couple of days.

In addition, they would face a very different environment after the resurrection of Jesus. Previously, when they had gone out on a mission in Jewish territory they did not have to take money or a bag with them because they would have received hospitality. They were still going to go on a mission even if the current state of things made that seem unlikely. In the future, when they went on mission, they often would not be offered hospitality, therefore they would need to make preparation. It is amazing how concerned Jesus was at that moment that his disciples would have an accurate expectation of what their ministry would involve.

Often when we prepare for a difficult time we will read appropriate passages from the Bible. Perhaps we will turn to Psalm 23 or Psalm 46 or Romans 8. It is good to turn to the Word on such occasions. And we can see that Jesus also followed this practice. What scripture would help him as he faced the ordeal that was coming his way? He was focussed on Isaiah 53, the prophecy that details the awful experience that would come upon the Messiah. It almost reads like a report by a witness of what happened there.

One of the statements in that passage is that the Messiah would be numbered with the transgressors. The statement invites us to consider who would perform the numbering. More than one option is available. The Jewish leaders numbered him with the transgressors because they imagined that he had broken their law on numerous occasions. Pilate numbered him with the transgressors or at least with two other transgressors, one of whom was saved and one of whom was lost. Yet we know that the One who did the most important numbering was God the Father. It was his plan that his Son would take the place of sinners.

Conclusion

The three incidents recorded by Luke are important helps for consideration after we have participated in the Lord’s Supper. Do we understand the spiritual nature of the kingdom and the necessity of a servant heart and lifestyle? Do we appreciate the danger of devilish activity attempting to make us deny our profession? And do we recall that our Saviour was numbered with the transgressors?