St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2003 Mark 14:12-26

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?” “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said. I tell you the truth, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the Kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in Hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

I read the other day about a condemned man down in the state of Indiana. This condemned man was guilty of the crime of murder in a convenience store on the interstate in Indiana. It seems there was a pastor in the convenience store—a pastor who helped people in prison—and helped prisoners—when they were released—to adjust to being on the outside again. The pastor recognized the robber and the robber recognized the pastor. And so he took the pastor’s life. Just before his execution—this condemned man had his last meal—his last supper. He asked that this last meal be prepared by his mother. And so—for the first time anyone could remember—this last meal was prepared by a family member of the one condemned. Tonight we see Jesus—having his last supper—his last meal with his students and followers and imitators. It is a meal prepared for Jesus by his Heavenly Father. And from this wondrous meal—the Passover—Jesus establishes a new meal for you and for me. As we stop at one more place of Jesus’ passion today we stop at:

The Last Supper: A Place for a Feast

We will see 1. Bread and wine—body and blood

We will see 2. God and sinners

We will see 3. People and people

We live in a country where people are more and more concerned about what they eat. More and more—people talk about eating things that are all natural. People talk about eating things that are organically raised—raised without chemical fertilizers and pesticides—no preservatives. It’s a little scary sometimes—to read the labels—the fine print on say—salad dressing? There are things like water, corn syrup, cultured buttermilk, vinegar, onion juice, sugar, garlic juice and salt that all sound pretty harmless. But what is xanthan gum, phosphoric acid, propylene glycol alginate, monosodium glutimate, potassium sorbate and calcium disodium EDTA as preservatives and yellow #5 for coloring! Are those things good for you? Sodium stuff is salt stuff right? And I don’t know about something that sounds kind of like algae and acid? Do all those chemicals make your food fresh and safe so it isn’t spoiled and you get food poisoning? Or do those chemicals pickle you like they do down at the funeral home? I don’t know. But I do know that what Jesus has prepared for us is good. Just look and listen. “While they were eating Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples…Then he took the cup, gives thanks and offered it to them.” When you come to Lord’s Supper—the bread is still bread—made from the whitest—purest flour—imprinted with the image of Jesus dying on the cross. The wine is still wine—poured from large bottles into a white cup with a little plunger device so that you can very carefully fill each small plastic cup without spilling. The wine in the common cup is dark purple wine. If you are a little person—too young to come to Lord’s Supper yet—you can smell that wine—when your mom and dad—when your big brothers and sisters come back to your pew from Lord’s Supper. You can smell that wonderful unique grape smell. And through that smell—Jesus is telling you—I love you and I forgive you. God’s Word says, “”He took bread…and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took the cup…and offered it to them…’This is my blood!’” Through and through the bread and wine—are Jesus’ body and blood. Jesus’ body that was nailed to the cross. Jesus’ blood that was shed for you and for me. How that can be—I can’t explain. I can’t understand. I simply know it is God’s Word and God’s truth. There are all kinds of things I can’t explain—and don’t understand. I don’t understand how ½ of a little white pill before you go to sleep makes your liver behave while you are sleeping. I don’t understand how microwaves pop my popcorn. I don’t understand how digital cameras take pictures without film. I don’t understand how people knew long ago—to chew on the bark of certain willow trees makes headaches go away. I don’t understand how cordless phones can take pictures. I don’t know how you can put a whole movie on a DVD. I don’t understand lots of things. I don’t understand the miracle of infant baptism. I don’t understand the power of God’s Word—or the presence of angels—or the joy that we will know in Heaven. It is enough to know Jesus said—this is my body—this is my blood.

In just a few minutes God’s people will kneel down. We will hear the words repeated again and again, “Take and eat…take and drink!” I heard the other day the average adult opens their refrigerator an average of 22 times every day. That’s a lot! How many of those 22 times don’t we take out something to eat? I don’t think there is another place in this world where people eat more snacks—more junk food! There is microwave popcorn—with lots of butter and salt—with butter and salt like at the movies—or dump trucks of salt and buckets of butter. There are chips—ripple chips—wavy chips for dipping—chips with the sour cream and onions or cheddar cheese already on them. There are all sizes and shapes of pretzels and corn chips—little scoopers for cheese or salsa and much much more! It is tempting to eat all those Twinkies and Hohos and Ding Dongs—the chocolate cake and pecan pie and rocky road ice cream. But it is the broccoli and the sprouts from Brussels and the fresh fruits and whole grain breads that make us strong. Our faith needs nourishment too. The apostle Paul talked about the sincere milk of the Gospel which is rich and nourishing. Only milk is great when you are little. But we need to grow and mature in our faith through the Gospel—to the living water—the Bread of life—the meat and potatoes that are the whole Scriptures. Not just Matthew and Mark and Luke and John. Not just Christmas and Good Friday and Easter—but the Old Testament Scriptures—Isaiah and Jeremiah—Hosea and Joel, Amos and Obadiah and much much more!

Jesus said, “This is my body…this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many!” Amnesty International reported there were in the neighborhood of 1,526 executions last year. 1,526 people put to death for their crimes—their lawlessness. 81% of those 1,526 people were executed in China, in Iran and in the United States. Jesus died for every single one of those 1,526 people. Jesus didn’t just die for a few. He died for 1,526 people condemned and executed for their crimes. There are more people in Nigeria than any other country in Africa. There are millions and millions of Nigerians. Jesus didn’t die for only a few. He died for every single one of them, too. He died for the children in Lagos and Port Harcourt and Abuja and Jos—where they stand out in the traffic—where cars and trucks with no mufflers at all—make huge clouds of purple and black smoke so thick you can’t see through it. Exhaust so terrible it makes your eyes burn and water—your lungs hurt from trying to breathe it. Jesus didn’t die for only a few. He died for every single one of those children, too. Jesus died for the mother and the little baby that washed ashore in California this week.

Jesus gave his disciples his body—through and through the unleavened bread. Then he took the cup and gave thanks and offered it to them. They all drank from it. He said—this is my blood! There is a closeness—when you break bread with someone. There is a closeness—when you have company over and you have a meal with them. There was a closeness—the past 6 Wednesdays when we had supper together downstairs here in church. During those Wednesday days—you could smell the food being prepared. And then after 4 o’clock church or before 7 o’clock church—people would go downstairs to eat. There was often a line—people visiting—while they waited to get their food. There were happy people who would help serve the food—the soup, the hot sandwiches, the baked beans with chunks of bacon, the Jell-0, the coffee and ice water—the desserts. There were people to sit beside—to visit with. Please pass the crackers—can I get you some desserts? There was a closeness—that lasted past the food—when people were finished eating—and still they visited. How are you? How are you doing? How are your children? There is a closeness—when you come to the feast Jesus prepared for you tonight! They say the last meal Mahatma Gandhi ate consisted of goat’s milk, cooked vegetables, oranges and a combination of ginger, sour lemons, melted butter and the juice of an aloe plant. As different and healthy as that meal might have been—it could only help your body. It could do nothing for your soul. The last meal Jesus prepared is nourishing for your soul and for your faith. The meal Jesus gives us is nourishment that heals what is hurting deep within our hearts.

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus and his disciples sang Psalms as part of their Passover Feast. Then out into the night they went—step by step closer to Jesus’ dying to save us. The other day a terrible murderer was arrested. A man named Abu Abbas was arrested. He was convicted in court of the murder of a grandpa in a wheelchair on a cruise ship. This terrorist murdered this helpless grandpa—then dumped his body overboard! They interviewed the surviving daughters of the man who was murdered. They asked them—if you could meet Abu Abbas—what would you say to him? They both said—if we could meet him—we would spit in his face! Spit in his face? I don’t pretend to know how you would feel—if someone murdered your father. At first I am sure—the devil would work very hard to fill your heart with a bitter and abiding hatred. But after weeks, months—years of time to think it through—you would have to—by the power of the Gospel—replace that hatred with forgiveness. Jesus knew what was going to happen in Gethsemane. He would be arrested and dragged from courtroom to courtroom. He would be beaten and battered and finally crucified. He would bleed and suffer. They would spit in his face. Jesus would endure all this willingly and patiently—without complaint—to pay for all my sins and your mistakes!

I read the other day about a man named Victor. He was the last person to be executed by the Federal Government for many years before Timothy McVeigh. For his last meal Victor said all he wanted to eat was an olive—with the pit—with the seed still inside. So that’s what he got—one olive with the pit still inside. Sound strange? The idea was—he hoped after he died and was buried—that the seed would become an olive tree—a symbol of peace. Victor was executed. Nobody claimed his body—so it was buried in the corner of a cemetery—unmarked and untended. No tree has grown there yet! Two thousand years ago—a carpenter and at the same time—the very Son of God—had a last meal of lamb and unleavened bread—bitter herbs and wine. Then he established a wondrous supper—for you and for me. Not just to remember rescue from slavery in Egypt—but rescue from slavery to the guilt of sin—the fear of death and rescue from eternal destruction. Jesus gives us a simple meal of pennies worth of bread and a small taste of wine—that is the concrete assurance heaven is our home. Today we feast in this place. Perhaps very soon we will be at the eternal wedding feast of heaven. Amen!

To God alone all glory!