At the Table

Thank you for reading this sermon from Christ Fellowship. I hope and pray that this sermon will be a blessing of grace and truth to you. With that said, let me encourage you not to use this sermon as a replacement for your local church. Christ Jesus did not establish his Church simply for us to consume content. Instead, He calls us to be part of a real, covenant family. 

For 20 years, an FBI agent named Robert Hanssen sold government secrets to the Russians. He made 1.4 million dollars. His actions resulted in the deaths of multiple U.S. informants, compromised national security, and cost the U.S. billions of dollars in intelligence losses. When he was finally caught in 2001, he said to the arresting agents, “What took you so long?”

If there’s one thing everybody hates, it’s betrayal – especially when someone exchanges lives for money. In Dante’s Inferno, the deepest round of the ninth circle of hell – the closest to Satan himself – is reserved for people who betrayed their masters.

And that’s why nobody names their baby Judas… we’re in Luke 22.

1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.

This is the day before the cross. It’s the Thursday before Good Friday. The Jews were busy preparing for the most important meal of the year. But some of them were preoccupied.

2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Instead of preparing for this important celebration and remembrance of God’s incredible salvation, these religious leaders are still plotting to kill Jesus.

3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

You might be tempted to ask the question, “Who’s at fault here? Judas or Satan?” But it’s important to understand how Satan operates. Satan doesn’t make people do bad things. He entices them and helps them to do the bad things they already wanted to do.
Satan took advantage of a problem Judas already had with greed and unbelief. Judas willfully gave himself over to Satan’s influence.

4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.

5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.

6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

I want us to pause here and consider who this is and what he is doing. Judas was one of the twelve. He was part of the inner circle of Jesus’ closest disciples. They were his friends.

It took me about three years to finish seminary – 2005-2007. And I had some excellent teachers. But these disciples spent three years with the Son of God! Jesus was their pastor. Jesus was their seminary professor. Jesus was their small group leader. Jesus was their accountability partner… their coach… their mentor…
All that to say, you can sit under the best teaching and still reject Jesus. You can be a member of the best church on the planet and still reject Jesus. If a man can spend three years with Jesus and still end up betraying him for a few coins, then your proximity to Jesus is no guarantee. Do you trust Him? Do you love Him?

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”
The Passover meal is filled with prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The lamb, the bread, the wine, the herbs, the shank bone, the songs, and even the structure of the meal itself all testify to Jesus as the true Passover Lamb who delivers His people—not from Egypt, but from sin and death.

9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?”

10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters

11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”

13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.

I want you to imagine yourself there in the upper room. The disciples are reclining around a low table. They are resting on their left elbows and eating with their right hands. Oil lamps are flickering around them, casting long shadows on the walls. The smells of roasted lamb, herbs, and bread fill the room.
There’s also tension in the air. Jesus has been talking about suffering a lot. The disciples are nervous and confused.

15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.

18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
This is one of the most important practices of the Christian Church. At Christ Fellowship, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper once a month on the first Sunday of every month.

We use these same words as Jesus taught His disciples on this night. The bread and the cup – the body and blood of Jesus. Many churches believe that the bread and the wine are symbolic.

Some churches believe that the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus after they are blessed by a priest. Presbyterians take a different view. The Lord’s Supper is more than a symbol, but it’s also not literally the body and blood of Jesus.

The bread and wine are signs of Christ’s body and blood, and through faith, believers receive the spiritual reality signified by these elements. We believe Jesus is spiritually present with His people when we take the Supper and that it is a real means of grace.

Having said that, it’s important to understand that grace is not a substance, or a commodity separate from God Himself. Instead, Jesus Himself is God’s grace to us. When we come to the table, we are (by faith) feeding on Christ Jesus. In other words, we are simply preaching the Gospel to ourselves in a very tangible way.

And I think that was the point of the Last Supper. Jesus is making the connection plain for His disciples. Union with Christ is their way back to the Father’s table. They received with empty hands the grace of God.

But faith was necessary. This is why I don’t believe grace is a substance or a commodity. The act of eating and drinking the Supper doesn’t save us. Faith in Christ is necessary… receiving and resting in Christ alone. I know this because Judas was at the table!

21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.

22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Judas had unprecedented access to God! He was surrounded by the work of God. And it wasn’t obvious to anyone else that Judas was the betrayer. He has everyone but Jesus fooled. How? Because this is about the heart. It’s about faith.

On the outside, Judas was a disciple like all the rest. He appeared to be faithful and committed to the cause. But in his heart, he had already rejected Jesus.
Faith without works is dead, but works without faith are empty and powerless. Hebrews 11 says that without faith it is impossible to please God.

Examine your heart, not just your actions. Are you secretly treasuring something in your heart more than Jesus? Do you really love Jesus, or just the benefits of being around Him?

It’s very easy in our culture to slip into a transactional relationship with God and with His church. Imagine two college students who decide to become roommates, not because they like each other, but because it is convenient. One of them has a car. The other one is a good cook. They split the rent. They keep their spaces clean.

But if the car breaks down, or the other guy stops cooking, or if one of them stops paying rent – the relationship will quickly become strained. It’s a practical relationship, but there’s no depth or commitment or love.

And that’s how a lot of people relate to God. “I’ll do this for you as long as you do this for me.” And when suffering comes, it puts a strain on the relationship. There’s no love. There’s no trust. There’s no real commitment.

And so, what I want us to recognize this morning is that proximity to Jesus does not equal salvation. Judas walked with Jesus, heard His sermons, and witnessed His miracles, yet he still betrayed Him. Church attendance, Bible study, and religious service mean nothing without a heart that trusts in Christ.

We have to respond to Jesus in faith. The Lord’s Supper is not an automatic source of grace. It is a means of remembering Christ’s sacrifice and feeding on Him by faith. Are you partaking in communion as a living act of trust, or as a religious habit?

Finally, we need to learn to rest in the providence of God. Even as Judas was betraying Him, Jesus knew all things were happening according to God’s plan.

Nothing takes God by surprise. If you’re going through something, it is part of God’s plan for your life. He loves you, even in the midst of it.

If you are struggling with doubt or sin, turn to Christ in repentance. His grace is sufficient for the worst of sinners—even those who, like Peter, have denied Him in moments of weakness.

The Lord’s Supper is a promise that no matter what you’ve done, you are welcome at the Father’s table. Return to Him in faith and receive His grace.