Intro “Father, forgive them,” Jesus prayed on the day of His death, as He prayed for those sinned against Him (Luke 23:34). So also are we to pray for our own forgiveness when we also sin against God.
And this evening, we have before us the answer to that prayer to be forgiven. We call it the Lord’s Supper. For in His Supper, Jesus gives us what He tells us: “the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Main Body What is forgiveness all about, anyway? Forgiveness has two parts. The first is that the one offended forgives the offender. The second is that the offended one lets the offender know that he is forgiven. And if the offender is guilty of some great offense, or has often offended, the forgiver will have much convincing to do, so the offender believes that he is, indeed, forgiven. We know how grave each sin is that we commit against God Almighty. And we also know that our sins against God are many--way too many for us even to count! And so each of us is guilty of great offense, and each of us has also often offended. That is why, through His Son, God created a way to let us know that our sins are, indeed, forgiven. That’s the truth we take in this night. St. Luke tells us about the Passover, the predecessor to the Lord’s Supper: “When the hour came, Jesus and His apostles reclined at the table. And He said to them, ‘I have longed eagerly to eat this Passover with you’” (Luke 22:15). The apostles were eager as well, eager to eat the Passover meal with Christ. For, after all, Passover was the climax of the year for them. For the Jews of the Old Testament, it was Christmas and Easter all rolled into one. And the high point of the festival was the Passover meal. But Jesus’ passionate wish to share this meal with the Twelve was much more than a holiday spirit, or even some religious fervor. This Passover was more than the highlight of the ceremonial calendar: it was the peak and summit of the entire history of Israel. For every celebration, every ritual observance, every ceremony and sacrifice, every Passover, had led up to this exact day and hour with Jesus. That’s why Jesus was so eager to eat this particular Passover with His Apostles. To understand why this was so, we must remember what the Passover supper was. It was a meal to remember the days of Moses when the Lord God, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, had saved the Israelites from slavery and death in Egypt. For four centuries, the people of Abraham had lived in the land of the pharaohs, the last few generations as slaves. But finally the day of their deliverance had come. The Lord, their God, had sent His messenger, Moses, to the palace of Egypt and had demanded from the Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” But Pharaoh refused. And to change his “no” into a “yes,” the Lord let loose devastating plagues on the land of the Nile. These plagues brought a strong and prosperous empire to the brink of ruin, while Pharaoh’s heart hardened all the more against God. So God unleashed the tenth and final plague on the land of Egypt. This was the plague that would finally force Pharaoh to let God’s people go--the slaughter of the firstborn in every house of Egypt. Moses wrote what God would do: About midnight, I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn male in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the female slave who uses the hand mill, even the firstborn of the animals. Then there will be a great cry of anguish throughout Egypt, like there has never been and never will be again. But among the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl. (Exodus 11:4-7) Not even a dog would snarl. But there would be a price to pay. The Israelites were to slaughter a yearling male lamb without blemish, and paint his blood above their doors and on the side of the doorposts. This blood in the shape of a cross would save them. For it would be the sign that a death had already taken place in the house. And so the angel of death would pass over that house and not take another victim. And what were the people to do with the lamb once his blood was drained? They would roast and eat it as part of a meal that would include unleavened bread. And for every anniversary after that, the Israelites, as at the first Passover, ate the lamb’s flesh, remembering the death of that first lamb that bought them freedom and life through his bleeding and dying. Can you now see why Jesus was so eager to have the last Passover supper with his Apostles? For His dear people, the race--not only of Abraham, but also of Adam--whom sin had ensnared in its slavery, were condemned to eternal death because of that sin. But on this Passover night, Jesus would take the place of the Passover lamb. He would put Himself between His people and their destruction. As the body of the spotless lamb was slain in Egypt, so Jesus would offer up His body and His life for the sins of the world on the cross. As with the blood of the lamb in Egypt, Jesus’ blood is now the sign that a death has already taken place for sin. For those covered by Christ’s blood, the avenging angel is not to kill. On this night, Jesus’ Apostles, and even Christ’s own Church, would see Jesus fulfill the promise of the Passover. That is why Jesus told His apostles, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Until the end of history itself, Christ’s people will also meet and share in this meal to recall the salvation that He won for His people on the cross. The Supper itself becomes an act of remembrance. Here, we will eat and drink the salvation won for us by Christ--His true body and true blood. The Lord’s Supper, the Sacrament of the Altar, Communion, the Eucharist, is now the ritual meal for God’s people. Passover is no more. But unlike what we might think, in this ritual, God is the one doing, not us. We are simply here to eat and drink what Jesus gives us: His body and blood. And by faith, we receive what He says He gives us. Here, we are but the receivers of His gift, which makes the forgiveness of our sins all the more real to us. By our Lord’s own words, Jesus promised that His Supper is more than just bread. It is also His body, which, like the flesh of the Passover lamb, was given for us. And the wine, also, by Christ’s own words, becomes more than just the fruit of the vine. It is also Jesus’ blood, which, like the lamb’s blood, saves us from death. Look at how much God has given of Himself to give us His forgiveness. His forgiveness isn’t just sterile, abstract words written in the Bible for our eyes to see. No, Christ’s forgiveness is spoken from the pulpit for our ears to hear. Our forgiveness is held under our noses for us to smell; it is even put on our tongues for us to taste. Conclusion During our midweek Lenten meditations, we have barely touched the surface of how serious our sins are. How often have we strayed like the disciples, who fled in fear? How often have we acted like the Sanhedrin, who condemned in hatred and in weakness; or the mob that rejected; or the soldiers who mocked; or the women who would not weep tears of repentance? And now, here before us, is the answer to our prayers for God’s forgiveness. Your sins are forgiven, because Jesus is the Lamb whose blood has washed them away. His body was sacrificed on the cross, that you might have freedom from sin and life everlasting. Take and eat that body. Take and drink that blood. Taste and smell His dying love. Eat and drink the forgiveness He has won for you. Amen. -- Rich Futrell, Pastor Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO Where we are to receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body, soul, and spirit. ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. 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