MATTHEW LESSON 55

     We will pick up this lesson with Matthew 26:17  "Now the first
[day] of the [feast of] unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus,
saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the
passover?"

     Jesus said over and over that He came not to do away with the
law, but to fulfill it. He, also, observed the passover. The room where
the passover was to be observed had to be prepared ahead. There was
quite a cleansing that had to go on before the celebration to remove
the leaven (sin).

     Matthew 26:18 "And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and
say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the
passover at thy house with my disciples."

     In Luke's writings, he said that Jesus sent Peter and John. The
"where" was Jerusalem. The place, that is said to be the place of the
passover feast in Jerusalem today, is still a magnificent building. If
this truly was the home of the man, this had to be a very wealthy man.
The upper room is unbelievably preserved. The secrecy involved, perhaps,
was to keep Judas from knowing ahead of time where Jesus was. Some believe
that this is just a man on the street that Jesus had invisioned, and
that they, Peter and John, just followed him and made arrangements for
the celebration.

     My own personal belief is that God had, either in a dream or a
visit from an angel, prepared this man to accept Jesus and His
disciples at this special time.

     "My time is at hand" just mean the crucifixion of Jesus was near.
At this passover, Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb. There is no mention
of a lamb being served at this meal with the disciples. The lamb could
not be killed until the fourteenth. This was actually a remembrance of
Jesus. The Lamb the disciples ate, was when Jesus told them  "This is
my body"  "This is my blood"  speaking of the bread and wine which
symbolized His body and blood. This, commonly called "The Last Supper",
was with just His twelve; not even the master of the house dined with
them.  This large upper room is believed to be the same room where
over fifty days later these same disciples (except for Judas) would
come for the infilling of the Holy Spirit of God. The group would have
grown to 120, but this room was plenty large to accommodate that many.

     Matthew 26:19 "And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them;
and they made ready the passover." Matthew 26:20 "Now when the even
was come, he sat down with the twelve."  Matthew 26:21 "And as they
did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray
me."

     The thing that stands out to me over and over, and this alone
should have told the disciples who Jesus was, is that there was no
hassle in finding the man to whom Jesus sent them and the ease of
finding the room. This meal of bread, wine, and bitter herbs was to be
Jesus' last meal with the disciples before His crucifixion. Here
again, Jesus was speaking prophetically when He said that there was one
of His own who would betray Him. Remember now, Jesus knew exactly what
would befall Him in Jerusalem, but He came anyhow. He knew what His
mission was, and He is willing to perform it. Don't you know how this
saddened the disciples?

     Matthew 26:22 "And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every
one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?"   Matthew 26:23 "And he
answered and said, He that dippeth [his] hand with me in the dish, the
same shall betray me." Matthew 26:24 "The Son of man goeth as it is
written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is
betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."

     It is almost as if each disciple began to question Himself.
Jesus really did not tell them who it was, When He said one who dipped
with Him, because they all did. Of course, Judas knew who it was.
There are so many schools of thought on Judas. I personally believe
that Judas fell to the desire of the flesh. Judus loved money more
than anything else, even more than He loved Jesus. I believe Judas was
a free agent of his own will, the same as we are. The reason Jesus
knew who it would be, was because Jesus, as well as the Father, had
foreknowledge of what Jesus would do. Jesus was looking ahead to Judas'
killing himself and all of eternity, when He said, it would have been
better had he not been born.

     Matthew 26:25 "Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said,
Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said."

     Judas, probably, had not asked Jesus before; He was, probably, afraid
Jesus might expose him to the others. In the answer Jesus gave, He did
not just say, yes it is you. The rest of the disciples would have
suddenly realized if He had said that, but He answered in such a way
that Judas alone would be aware that He knew.

     Matthew 26:26  "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and
blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the disciples, and
said, Take, eat; this is my body."

     Jesus is the Bread of life. When He took this bread and blessed
it, it was like a wave offering. This bread had to be unleavened
bread, free of sin to symbolize the body of the Passover Lamb. This
unleavened bread, we call Matzah, is full of holes and stripes. The
stripes are symbolic for them whipping Jesus. The shewbread in the
Temple was symbolic of Jesus, and so was the bread (Manna) which fell
from heaven. Jesus was born in Bethlehem (house of Bread) He was and
is the Bread of life. Without Him, there is no life. this must have
been a shock to the disciples, for at this time, they had not been
filled with the Holy Spirit and did not truly discerned His body.

     Matthew 26:27 "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave
[it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;"  Matthew 26:28 "For this is
my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins."

     The word  "remission"  is interesting, it means freed from or pardon.
You see, we were bound down by sin, until we accept the sacrifice of
Jesus' blood which freed us from sin. This cup that Jesus raised was,
probably, the most important part of salvation, for without the
shedding of blood, there is no remission.

     "New Testament"  is an interesting statement , as well. This is
the last will and testament of Jesus Christ, and we are the heirs or
benifeciaries. Jesus purchased our salvation, healing, happiness and
very lives with His shed blood. We should never take the communion cup
lightly. We must take it reverently with a pure heart. remembering His
great sacrifice. We must never take it with hate for our brother in
our hearts, or we might become sick or even die. This cup taken
properly with a pure heart can bring many blessings of God. This blood
was shed for whosoever will. It is offered universally to old and
young, rich and poor, male and female.

     I Corinthians chapter 11 verses 24 thru 31,  I Corinthians 11:24
"And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat:
this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of
me."  I Corinthians 11:25 "After the same manner also [he took] the
cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my
blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me."
I Corinthians 11:26 "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this
cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." I Corinthians 11:27
"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink [this] cup of the
Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."
I Corinthians 11:28 "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat
of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup."  I Corinthians 11:29 "For
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation
to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."  I Corinthians 11:30 "For
this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."
I Corinthians 11:31 "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be
judged."

     Matthew 26:29 "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of
this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in
my Father's kingdom." 

     Jesus was telling them of His close departure from the earth. Here, 
He was speaking of the future marriage supper of the Lamb, in the Father's kingdom. 

     Matthew 26:30 "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives."

     The mount of Olives was Jesus' favorite place to go and commune with 
God. The garden of Gethsemane is on the mount of Olives.

    









                         Matthew 55 Questions

1.  When did the disciples come to Jesus and ask where they would
    celebrate passover?
2.  Jesus came, not to do away with the law but to ________it.
3.  Why was it necessary for them to clean up for passover?
4.  How could the disciples find the place for passover?
5.  What name did Jesus call Himself here?
6.  Who would celebrate with Jesus?
7.  St. Luke said what two disciples went to get the room?
8.  What city was this in?
9.  What can we learn about this man by his house?
10. Why were they secretive about where it should be held?
11. What does "my time is at hand" mean?
12. Who was the sacraficial Lamb for this passover?
13. What would this room be used again for fifty days after
    resurrection?
14. In verse 21, what bad news did Jesus give the twelve?
15. In reply to this, what did the disciples ask Jesus?
16. What statement was made of Judas when Jesus spoke the woe on him?
17. The author's personal belief is that Judas fell to what?
18. When did Jesus take bread and break it?
19. What did Jesus say the Bread was?
20. What did the wine symbolize?
21. What are three symbolic things we find in Matzah? Explain.
22. Why was Jesus' blood shed?
23. What is the New Testament?
24. When a person takes communion unworthily, what is he guilty of?
25. What are two things that might happen to you, if you take communion
    unworthily?
26. When Jesus said He would not drink the cup again until His
    Father's kingdom, what does it mean?
27. What did they do last before they went to mount Olives?
28. What garden was located on the mount of Olives?