Jon Fry - Class 1 - The Supper

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   So to introduce to this talk, this talk is on the supper. We'll start at the supper in Bethany and consider the polar opposites of Jesus and Judas, a selfless versus a selfish mindset. Jesus the teacher levels the disciples in their moments of self-grandeur and despair. Our participation in the emblems is calling us to a greater participation in the way of Jesus. In the garden, we see the depths of Christ's sorrow and learn much about how prayer and suffering connect. As Jesus is arrested, we see his light in the darkest hour.

2. 1:09

   And we'll now have a reading, Mark 14, verses 1 to 42, and we'll be led with this through our brother Ben Morgan. Reading together with you from Mark chapter 14, verses 1 to 42. And I'll be reading from the English Standard Version. It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people. And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly. And she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, why was this ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor. And they scolded her. But Jesus said, leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could.

3. 2:39

   She has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money, and he sought an opportunity to betray him. And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover? And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and whenever he enters, say to the master of the house, the teacher says, where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready.

4. 3:42

   There, prepare for us. And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the twelve, and as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, truly I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me. They began to be sorrowful and say to him one after another, is it I? He said to them, it is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born. And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, take, this is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, you will all fall away, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.

5. 5:20

   Peter said to him, even though they all fall away, I will not. And Jesus said to him, truly I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But he said emphatically, if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said the same. And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. And he took with him Peter, and James, and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch. And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. And he came and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And again, he went away and prayed, saying the same words.

6. 6:44

   And again, he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough. The hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.

7. 7:11

   Well, good afternoon, everybody. It's very good to see you. It's very good to be here. And good afternoon to the people who are online this afternoon. It's nice to be able to give a talk and not have to worry about being on mute. I can be confident that I'm talking and that the people here can hear me. And thank you to our tech people who are helping those at home participate with us today.

8. 7:56

   We'll just have our first slide, please. There's a lot of different topics, very worthy topics that we could give our attention to this weekend. But really, there's nothing better. There's no better singular focus for us today, especially today, after the tumultuous times that we've had in recent years for us than to look at Jesus. In this series, we're going to follow Jesus closely, particularly through that time in his last hours at the supper, his arrest, his trial, and his execution. The apostle Paul, when he met people, directed their attention to Christ and to Christ crucified. And so our meditations this weekend are going to encircle this. From the upper room to the empty tomb, Jesus, the teacher, would have us today learn endless lessons. But in particular, what I'd like us to do, to be able to take practical help and strength from this time in Jesus's life, ponder and consider what he called the suffering and the glory. Because like all of God's children, we, each one of us, are subject to sorrows.

9. 9:35

   They're unique, aren't they, to each one of us. We all have our different challenges in life. Yet we know, and we're gathered here together, and we're joining together this weekend because we know and we remember that we've been called to follow a greater pattern and a path to glory. So we'll begin at a supper.

10. 10:03

    In a house in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, and in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John, we hear about this event. And the reason we're starting here is because what unfolded in this place, at this meal, would start a chain of events that really changed the course of history.

11. 10:30

    Next slide, please. When we pieced the Gospel records together, we were able to really get a beautiful and complete picture of Jesus' experience. And we read, didn't we, just from the Gospel of Mark, about this beautiful offering that this woman gave to Jesus. And we also read of disciples who were begrudging her gift.

12. 11:03

    And it's only when we pieced the Gospels together, and we realized that John, in his Gospel, tells us that the supper was being held in honor of Jesus. I'm going to have most of the passages on the screen. I'm going to attempt to read from the back on the screen. You can read them on the wall behind me, but feel free to look them up as well as we go.

13. 11:28

    So John tells us that Jesus, therefore, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary, therefore, took a pound of expensive ointments made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.

14. 11:53

    The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. So it's only John who identifies Mary as the woman who anointed Jesus with this expensive ointment. Mary, the sister of Lazarus. And it's only in this Gospel that we find out this was a celebration. This was a very special meal. It wasn't just a daily evening meal.

15. 12:17

    It was actually a celebration in honor of Jesus at the raising of Lazarus for what he had done for that family. And we can imagine the atmosphere and the joy and all the emotions that would have been coursing through that room as they met together and celebrated their brother being raised, their friend being back with them.

16. 12:44

    And we wonder, don't we, whether this venue, which we're told very particularly, was chosen to protect Jesus and Lazarus. Because we know that Jesus was a wanted man. We've read that he had a price on his head. And not only him, but his friend Lazarus. We know they wanted to kill him as well.

17. 13:09

    So possibly they were at Simon's house to find a bit of protection from those who would harm them. And next slide, please. So not only do we find out from John that it was Mary, but we find out exactly which disciple it was who had this begrudging attitude. In verse 4, John chapter 12.

18. 13:32

    But Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, he who was about to betray him, said, Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. And having charged the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put in it.

19. 14:00

    And so what in the other gospels, when we hear about Judas' act of betrayal, is quite abrupt. For example, in Mark that we've just read. Here in John, we have this identification of Judas as the disciple who scolded Mary. Who considered her offering a waste. But what it did was it revealed his selfish motives.

20. 14:30

    He wasn't concerned about the poor. He was actually feeling like he'd been shortchanged. The money that he'd seen that had been spent on this ointment, he felt, could have gone into their purse and ended it up in his back pocket. But what we discover in this encounter where Jesus critically replies to Judas and the disciples and really pulls them up and pulls apart their thinking about what this woman has done, we find it is a very, very critical...

21. 15:07

    And they paid him 30 pieces of silver. And from that, he brought an opportunity to... This is the spark that starts the fire. This moment at this supper where Judas is chastised and pulled up and caught out in his thinking is the moment that makes him decide to go and betray Jesus. And it makes us wonder, doesn't it, how do we respond to criticism?

22. 15:46

    If you're anything like me, it's often difficult to receive. We can deflect. We can find fault and blame others. We get defensive. We get reactionary and retaliatory. And so here we find Judas doing just that when he is criticised by the Lord Jesus Christ. And so two people confront us. Two men confront us here.

23. 16:18

    Jesus and Judas. And these two men show us, they epitomise to us two very different ways, two very different paths. Which one do you walk? And you might think that that is an easy question to answer. But when we understand and when we dig into Judas' motives, we find it to be a most uncomfortable question.

24. 16:53

    Next slide, please. What were the words that Judas spoke? The first words that came from his lips when he went to betray Jesus? What will you give me? I might not be able to associate and think about what it must be like to crucify Jesus. But when we think about betraying Jesus, we maybe can start to associate.

25. 17:25

    But when we dig deep into Judas' mindset and we see at the heart was somebody who was being selfish, we find that so very confronting. Because we know, don't we, that it's that same selfish way of thinking that exists in our own lives.

26. 17:50

    Just go back a slide, please, Matthew. Thanks. It's that same selfish way of thinking. It's that same voice that shouts aloud in our heads. You know, what's in it for me?

27. 18:09

    And so this stands in abrupt contrast to the way of Jesus, which we'll remember together tomorrow. When we think of his words compared to Judas saying, what will you give me? We think of Jesus handing to each one of us the bread and saying, this is my body, which is given for you.

28. 18:29

    When we take that cup tomorrow, we think of him speaking to us and saying, this cup that is poured out for you. And so this is why it's so important for us to decide to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. To each day move a little bit closer to each day, move a little bit closer to Jesus and the heart of Jesus and further away from that Judas that hides in each of us.

29. 19:00

    Judas, what will you give me? Or Jesus, what can I give you? Which is the story of your life? As we leave here today, will we leave in the spirit of Judas or the spirit of Jesus? And we pray, don't we, that we might be like our gracious Lord, that we might be poured out for others.

30. 19:26

    So Jesus is described in many ways throughout the Gospels and indeed throughout the scriptures. And we listen really carefully to hear how he describes himself at this crucial time with his disciples before his death. The teacher. And we're about to witness in what he does the greatest lesson of love. Matthew, Mark and Luke all describe Jesus in this way and he calls himself the teacher.

31. 19:57

    He is the teacher of teachers. And Jesus is like a teacher assessing his students. Not just to give them a curriculum and some information that they need to know, but a teacher who cares about the growth of his disciples. A teacher who is assessing his students to give them just what they need to grow.

32. 20:21

    In grace. And the Gospel of John records his final words to his disciples. And it spans five chapters. It's almost a quarter of the book of John. It's a rich treasure. And it's unparalleled really in its value for us as disciples to be able to read those words today. Yet those words commence with something silent.

33. 20:53

    Next slide please. During supper, when the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

34. 21:17

    And then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Isn't that astounding?

35. 21:30

    Jesus knew that the eternal, the almighty God, the creator of the universe, the Father, had given him all things. Jesus knew that he was born. He understood. He understood. The immeasurable riches of his inheritance.

36. 22:04

    He knew that he was born of God. And he was going. To God. He had everything. Yet he made himself nothing. He's the son of God, yet he took the form of a servant. And it's just amazing how John in his gospel writing puts these two things together, this juxtaposition. It's meant to shock us.

37. 22:38

    It's meant to knock you out of your seats. This is the lesson that Jesus would have them learn. And so how does a teacher, how does the teacher teach? He doesn't just deliver a lesson. Of course, we read those words. But we know that Jesus didn't leave us a book. He didn't hold on to a lectern and talk out like this.

38. 23:04

    He didn't use Zoom or do webinars or anything like that. In humility, Jesus counted his disciples, including Judas Iscariot, more significant than himself. That was his practical lesson. And it's long been known that we learn best through experience. So Jesus is motivated by love and he cares for his friends. And by serving them in this way, he's giving them the greatest lesson of love.

39. 23:43

    But he's also addressing the needs of his disciples right then and right there. Next slide, please. In the account of this supper, the Lord's Supper, we have two verses side by side that are really quite startling. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined. This is Jesus speaking to his disciples.

40. 24:08

    But woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who is going to do this. So we can imagine, can't we, the talk, the side chatter, the questions, the wondering, the questions around who this might be. And the very next verse, the very next verse, we find out where else their conversation went that evening.

41. 24:37

    Next slide, please. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. Isn't that incredible? You know, we've got topics of conversation tonight at our supper. It's going to be who's the worst and who's the best. These were the things that occupied the minds of the disciples.

42. 25:04

    So when Jesus took that towel and wrapped it around his waist, he was actually trying to teach them both those attitudes and how to grow in grace. And so we see, don't we, that the disciples were swinging from thoughts of doubts, of betrayal, to thoughts of grandeur and loftiness. And, you know, we read these words and we find them startling.

43. 25:37

    We almost find ourselves laughing at such contrariness until we realize that we ourselves are sitting with the 12. Does this behavior really surprise me? Does it surprise us? Because you know as well as I that at times in our lives, we are proud. We are self-elevated and we cast judgments on others. And at other times, we're doubting.

44. 26:15

    We know we've betrayed our friendship with Jesus. And so we can find ourselves, can't we, in this perilous pendulum swing. So really rather, I'm learning rather than lambasting the disciples to do some soul searching. And to join them and ask, is it I?

45. 26:42

    So how did Jesus both level them, bring them down and lift them up? How did he make low the mountains of pride and lift up those who are deep down in that valley of self-doubt? He does it not in one word or in words, but in one act. And without a word, he adorned himself as their servants.

46. 27:11

    And the glory of the Lord is revealed in him. I wonder if Peter, when writing his first letter, recalled that night. I wonder if you could vividly picture Jesus adorning himself at supper when he wrote these words. Next slide, please. Next slide, please.

47. 27:49

    It's not coming on the screen, but I'll read them for you. It's in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5. So Jesus was teaching them that salvation, that God's grace is found in the servant's hands. And all this in the midst of his suffering. So before we follow Christ into the garden, into that garden of Gethsemane, to really dwell on that and conclude our first session, I'd like us to take a moment to think about what we're going to do tomorrow, what we do each week as we have the bread and the wine, as we take part in our memorial meeting.

48. 28:54

    It might have been something that's been brought more closely into focus in the past year, as we've remembered Christ in a very different way in isolation at home. We've maybe thought about it and looked at it in a new way because we've been forced to do it in such a different way. But what we want to do is think about some of the things that Christ has said about that memorial that we have of this supper, this night, and what Jesus would want us to do with our memorial.

49. 29:27

    So if the slides are working, we're going to go on to two slides. On to the next one. Thank you. So Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 26, says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

50. 29:50

    And so we've got to ask ourselves, when we participate of the bread and the cup together, what does it mean for us to proclaim his death? Well, really, when we think about that word proclaim, we know it means to announce something. It's not a hushed whisper. When we proclaim something, we announce it.

51. 30:14

    Usually, it's also something we don't do inside a closed, hidden space. It's something we do publicly. That's what to proclaim means. We announce something publicly. So Paul is directing us to realize that the supper that we share, that we all share together tomorrow, is about more than just thinking of Jesus and remembering Jesus in our minds.

52. 30:43

    It's more than that. That is important, but it's more than that. It's more than self-reflection. What Paul, I think, is asking us to think and see is that what we're going to do tomorrow isn't just a mental exercise alone. It's about a commitment to indicate something clearly in our lives, to show the Lord, to show his sacrifice in the way that we live.

53. 31:23

    It's almost as if Paul is asking us, as we share the bread and the cup, to ask ourselves, have I been broken these past days since I last shared this meal? Have I given my life? Have I been poured out for others? If you share the emblems but then fail to share your life and blessings with others, then Christ's message is lost.

54. 31:54

    Paul puts it this way. Next slide, please. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

55. 32:14

    Just like his real-lived lesson, this act that we're going to do tomorrow is meant to propel us. It's meant to reflect not only Jesus but in some small way us and our lives as the body of Christ. And this has brought really home when we consider John's gospel. Because after Jesus served his disciples and washed their dusty feet, he said, next slide, please.

56. 32:45

    I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. And it's interesting, isn't it? Because we often think of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and we think about the Last Supper, and we think about the bread and the wine on this side, and then we think about Jesus washing the disciples' feet on this side.

57. 33:06

    But it's the same night. It's the same event. It's the same thing. And what we're being asked to do and invited to do is to bring these two aspects of the Lord's Supper together. And these words, these words are just so important for us to hear. Jesus says, I've given you an example.

58. 33:25

    My body's been broken. My blood's being poured out. That you also should do just as I have done to you. So Jesus and his disciples departed the upper room for a familiar place. It was a garden refuge. We know from John and Luke in their Gospels that this place was a special place for Jesus.

59. 33:55

    It all began in a garden, didn't it? In the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. And it's in this garden, and a garden again, that we will see Jesus overcome. And from the events in the garden that I'd like us to ponder now as we bring our thoughts to a close this afternoon is particularly to think about prayer.

60. 34:22

    And prayer in the midst of our own suffering. It was Christ's desire to pray. We're told that. He wanted to pray. He was here to pray. And we're also told that he was greatly distressed. He was greatly troubled and sorrowful about what was going to happen to him.

61. 34:48

    Just think about that for a minute. The weight on Jesus' heart about what was just about to happen to him. I don't think we can begin to comprehend, really understand how he felt. Because, you know, Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to him. Down to sort of surprising details. Like he knew that people would spit on him.

62. 35:21

    He told his disciples that that would happen. But specifically, down to those sorts of details. And so we see Jesus about to face this terrible time in his life. To face a cruel, cruel death. And in Gethsemane, we are greatly privileged to have this insight into such an intensely personal and painful moment in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.

63. 35:50

    The next slide, please. Jesus, with immense courage, told his disciples, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Stop for a moment. To ponder the weight of his sorrow.

64. 36:31

    Jesus shares his distress with his friends. And what an example he's left us of openness. Of being able to communicate how we feel honestly. And he shares it not only with his friends, but of course, with his father. Christ's prayer, his request is wrapped. It's completely enclosed with this acknowledgement that the will of God be done.

65. 37:12

    Your will be done. It was an early and a consistent part of Christ's message. And here we see it made flesh in his own life. Next slide, please. So he praised my father. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. And this gives us a model for our prayers.

66. 37:42

    In our times of great sorrow and trouble, whatever it may be, let us be embraced and cushioned by such confidence. That we, too, are guarded and shielded by our father's love. And by his best interests for us. He goes to God. And consider the Lord Jesus Christ's continued prayer. We read today that he went and prayed a second time.

67. 38:21

    The same words. It says specifically the same words. But what you might not have noticed is it's not so clear from Mark's gospel what those third words were. And we'll just put them up on the screen. Thank you.

68. 38:42

    Just have the next slide as well. So he starts his prayer. My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. But he ends his prayer in a slightly different way. Very subtly different. My father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it.

69. 39:11

    Your will be done. Next slide, please. Can you see how subtly different those words are for us in our English translation? This is the English standard version. But nevertheless, we see in them a change in Christ's prayer. In his initial prayer, he's actively asking if it be possible for the cup to pass from him.

70. 39:38

    And in his third prayer, there is an acknowledgement and an openness to this other path where the cup cannot pass. Through Christ's continued prayer and God's comfort, Jesus is strengthened to know and accept that there is no other way. And so God can and often does intervene in our lives in answer to prayer.

71. 40:14

    But not always. We've all had experience of that. But if we can be constant in prayer through such struggles as these, it will help us, like it did Jesus, to accept the will of God. And to endure whatever that might be for us. We may start our prayer. Let this pass from me.

72. 40:40

    But we're being led by Jesus to always finish praying. Your will be done. Next slide, please. We read in Luke's gospel, and being in an agony, his troubled mind was physically painful to him.

73. 41:08

    Being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow. This imagery of great drops of blood. Surely we should be reading about that later, when we're reading about the crucifixion or the trial of Jesus.

74. 41:41

    Great drops of blood falling from Jesus. Or we might anticipate reading of him being in agony as he hung from the cross. Or as they lashed his back. And yet we read it here.

75. 41:58

    In the garden. We are witness to Christ's living sacrifice. It speaks, doesn't it, of the sacrifice of his self-will. It was an agonizing experience. And we're reminded that the battle that Christ faced and that we face isn't one that's fought on the battlefield. It's one that's fought in here in our heart, in our heads.

76. 42:33

    And that's where sacrifice begins. Deep within us. We have to sacrifice in Gethsemane before we can sacrifice at Calvary. So what have we seen and learnt from our Lord this afternoon? Just to recap what we've covered in this first session. Next slide, please. So we started at the supper in Bethany. And we considered those two opposites, those polar opposites of Jesus and Judas.

77. 43:16

    And we're reminded that we each have that path and that choice to make. Whether we're going to have a selfless or a selfish mindset. We look to Jesus, the teacher. And we learnt from his way of teaching and how he levels his disciples in their moments of self-grandeure. And he lifts up those disciples who are in despair with grace.

78. 43:42

    And we've considered our participation in that thing that we do week after week after week in the emblems. And been reminded that it's actually calling us to a greater participation in the way of Jesus. And in the garden, we see the depths of Christ, his sorrow. And we learn how prayer and suffering intertwine.

79. 44:08

    And how we too can pray to God. And the great power in this through our own challenges in life. One of the saddest moments for us in all of this experience for Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane is really his loneliness. When he speaks to his disciples, we feel the same pain that I'm sure they did when he said, So could you not watch with me one hour?

80. 44:45

    When none of his friends could watch with him, the Lord sent a comforter from heaven. So as we finish our first session, Jesus' words speak through the centuries to confront our discipleship and our commitment today. Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

81. 45:18

    When the Lord returns, will he find us awake?