After returning to Jerusalem, Jesus knows his time on earth was coming to an end. Before he gets arrested and taken away by the Roman soldiers, Jesus chose to spend his last, precious hours with his disciples over a Passover dinner…
Scripture Reading: Luke 22: 14-20; John 13:2-7, 12-17
Luke 22
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.[a]
John 13
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Devotion Questions
- Jewish culture is very similar to Chinese culture in which friends and families love to dine together, not just for the food, but for the fellowship over dinner table. Take a moment to reflect on your church and cell life today, do you give thanks for the fellowship you have with the brothers and sisters at PGC? Or are you still praying for God to lead you to closer relationship with them? Love is always a 2-way street, would you be willing to show more love and care for your cell members to further strengthen our relationship?
- At the last supper, Jesus knew full well this would be the last time he put food in his mouth – the final hours when his flesh is still in whole, for soon he would have to endure the most excruciating physical pain, emotional stress and shame known to men. Close your eyes and try to imagine yourself in this little room where Jesus and his dearest disciples have their last supper.
- In his final hours with his disciples, Jesus gave his final, lasting message to them, by wrapping a towel around his waist, getting down on his knees and washing his disciples’ feet. Jesus told them “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Meditate on this for a while, how does this impact your life? Do we have Jesus’s heart today? Do we sacrifice ourselves and our resources for others? Or do we get served by others more? Do we humble ourselves for the good of others? Or do we wait for others to do good to us?
- Holy Communion is a religious practice that started with the Last supper and has endured almost 2,000 years. Inevitably sometimes we forget its meaning and simply go through the motions, yet this is the only thing Jesus asked us to do in remembrance of him, for the kind of love we can never repay. Let’s try to sincerely and genuinely observe the holy communion from now on!