22 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.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 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.”
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 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.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
At that final Passover meal, Jesus took the bread and the cup of wine and gave them new meaning, instituting what we now know as The Lord’s Supper, or Communion. He broke the bread and said it symbolised His body (broken for us). He gave them a cup of wine and they all drank from it. He said it represented His blood which He shed to secure the New Covenant. It is through His blood, His death, that we have salvation. Jesus concluded that He would not drink wine again until the kingdom of God is fully established. The Lord’s Supper is an opportunity for us to look back at the sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation but also to look forward with hope to His return.
Jesus told the disciples that they would all soon abandon Him as it was prophesied in Zech 13:7. But He promised that after He was raised, He would go ahead of them to meet them in Galilee. Peter boldly declared that He would not abandon Jesus even if all the others did. But before the night was out, he would not only abandon Jesus but deny Him three times. He insisted that even if he must die with Jesus, he would not deny Him. All the other disciples said the same thing.
When we make bold, brash statements, it is an indication of pride and living in our own strength. Prov 16:18 tells us that pride comes before the fall. Where do you need to humbly admit your frailty and depend more on God?
If the disciples could mess up so badly and still be forgiven and loved by Jesus after His resurrection then our sins can also be forgiven if we confess them. This does not excuse our sins but will help us feel less defeated when we sin.