Sermon Audio: LINK
Welcome:
Last week we concluded our series on the Sermon on the Mount. Today we’re turning to the passion narrative of Christ as we move towards the celebration of Easter. This morning we will be in Matthew 26:17–30, where Jesus shares His final meal with His disciples before the cross.
Scripture Reading:
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
I. The Sovereign Preparation for Redemption (Matthew 26:17–19)
Our passage this morning opens with Matthew saying, “Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread…” (Matthew 26:17). The timing is full of meaning. Exodus 12:18 commands, “From the fourteenth day…you shall eat unleavened bread.” And now, on that very evening, Jesus isn’t just observing the tradition, He embodies it. The bread, the wine, and the lamb all point to Him. This is the day God’s people remembered how the blood of the lamb spared them in Egypt. Now, the true Lamb of God is preparing to offer Himself for our deliverance.
In verse 18, Jesus says, “Go into the city to a certain man…My time is near.” That phrase “a certain man” may sound vague, but it’s not random. Jesus had already arranged everything. He wasn’t reacting to events; He was directing them.
When He says, “My time is near,” He’s pointing to a specific, appointed moment. The Greek word “kairos” refers not to clock time, but to a decisive, purposeful moment. In John 10:18, Jesus says, “No one takes my life from me…I lay it down of my own accord.” That’s exactly what we see here. Jesus is walking toward suffering willingly, because saving us was always the plan.
The cross wasn’t a surprise to God, and neither is your salvation. Jesus chose it, and the same sovereign hand holds your life, too. If God can bring redemption through betrayal and pain, He can bring purpose to your pain as well. That’s what trust looks like, not just in peace, but in the shadow of the cross. Life may catch us off guard, but never God. As we approach Easter, remember: Jesus didn’t stumble into death. He marched into it, on purpose, for us.
II. The Betrayal Foretold: The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart (Matthew 26:20–25)
Now this Passover celebration that Jesus was preparing for was a sacred time for Israelites to remember the Exodus from Egypt, when the Lord passed over them in mercy. And yet, in that sacred moment, a shadow loomed. Matthew tells us: “When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, ‘Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’” (Matthew 26:20–21, ESV)
Again we see that Jesus is not caught off guard. He knows the hearts of men. He knows his betrayer, and yet, He still shares the table with him. Judas, the betrayer, is not pushed out. He is served. He is included. His feet were washed. His place at the table was prepared. Jesus extends fellowship, even to the one who is already turning against Him.
John Chrysostom, one of the early Christian teachers, marveled at this, noting that Jesus spares the traitor by not naming him outright. He says only, “One of you will betray me.” It is as if, even in this moment, Christ is offering Judas space to repent. He lets all the others feel the weight of uncertainty, just to give this one man a final chance to turn back. This is not weakness on Christ’s behalf. It is love. It is the patience of God on full display.
And then comes the moment of self-examination. “And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, ‘Is it I, Lord?’” (Matthew 26:22) Each disciple hears Jesus’ words and immediately turns inward. They don’t point fingers. They don’t accuse. They ask, “Is it I, Lord?” They ask this because they understand their own weakness. They know human nature is fragile. They know the enemy is real. They know none of them are above temptation.
But Judas answers differently. Matthew tells us, “Judas, who would betray him, answered, ‘Is it I, Rabbi?’” (v. 25) Do you hear the difference? The others say “Lord.” Judas says “Rabbi.” That shift is no accident. In Matthew’s Gospel, Judas never calls Jesus “Lord.” It’s always “Rabbi” teacher. Instructor. That small word reveals a massive truth: the betrayal didn’t begin with silver coins. It began with a heart that was attracted to Jesus’ teachings, but who never fully submitted to the Lordship of Christ.
Jesus then declares, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born” (Matthew 26:24). Jesus is going to the cross “as it is written.” The plan of redemption is unfolding exactly as God has declared. The betrayal is no surprise. The Scriptures are being fulfilled. And yet, “woe to that man.”
This is the mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God’s plan is never thwarted. He is in full control. And yet we are still responsible for what we do. Judas isn’t a puppet, he’s a man with a hardened heart. He chose greed over grace. He chose proximity to Jesus over surrender to Him. And Jesus says it would have been better for him not to be born. God may use all things for His purpose, but that doesn’t lessen the weight of our choices.
Paul echoes this warning in 1 Corinthians 11:28: “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” Before we sit at the Lord’s table, we must ask hard questions: Who is Jesus to me? Can I say with full confidence and assurance that He is my Savior and my Lord? Make no mistake, it is possible to be close to Jesus, to serve in His name, to sit at His table, and still have a heart far from Him.
III. The Bread and Cup: A New Covenant is Sealed (Matthew 26:26–28)
Now let’s turn our eyes from Judas, to the one who is truly the focus of this passage. Jesus takes the bread, the same bread that every Jew at that Passover table had eaten since childhood, and He gives it new meaning: “This is my body” (Matthew 26:26, ESV). What had once been the bread of affliction in Egypt now becomes the bread of redemption.
The broken bread is a picture of His body soon to be broken on the cross. And He gives thanks before He breaks it, because He is not a victim. He is a willing Savior. Christ gives thanks even as He prepares to suffer, teaching us to meet hardship with gratitude, because God’s purpose is still unfolding. And this bread becomes the sign of His presence with us until He comes again.
Then Jesus takes the cup. He gives thanks. He lifts it. And He says something no rabbi had ever said at Passover: “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28, ESV). That cup, filled with wine, now holds a new meaning. It echoes the covenant blood that Moses sprinkled on the people in Exodus 24:8, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you.” It echoes Jeremiah 31:31–34, “I will make a new covenant… I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” And it echoes Isaiah 53:12, “He poured out his soul to death… yet he bore the sin of many.” The blood of Jesus is covenant blood. It is sacrificial blood. And it is forgiving blood. This cup is not just a symbol of suffering, it is the fountain of mercy.
In that upper room, Jesus wasn’t ending a tradition, He was fulfilling it. The Passover lamb pointed to this moment. The bread of old was just a shadow of this bread. The wine of old was just a forerunner to this cup. The law was a tutor. Christ is the fulfillment. Jesus is both the giver of the law and its goal. What was foreshadowed is now fulfilled. What was promised is now present. The disciples couldn’t yet grasp the full meaning. But they would. After the resurrection, after Pentecost, the bread and cup would no longer be ritual, they would be revelation.
Today when we receive the bread and the cup, we are preaching with our hands what we believe in our hearts: that Christ died for sinners, and we are among them. When we eat, we are nourished by grace. When we drink, we are cleansed anew. This meal doesn’t save us, but it strengthens us, sustains us, and speaks to us. So every time we gather and partake of the bread and cup, whether in joy or sorrow, in strength or weakness, we come to a covenant sealed with Christ’s blood. As Christ himself declared, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28, ESV).
IV. The Promise of the Kingdom (Matthew 26:29–30)
Now Jesus had just taken the bread and the cup. He had redefined the Passover. He had spoken of brokenness, of blood, of betrayal. The atmosphere at that table must have been thick with confusion, sorrow, even fear. And yet Jesus ends the meal not with despair, but with a promise. “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29, ESV). Here, Christ is looking past the cross to the crown. He’s pointing His disciples, and us, to the coming Kingdom.
Jesus, the Bridegroom, is saying: “I’m not drinking again, not until we’re all together at the wedding feast.” It’s like a groom waiting for the wedding day to share the toast with his bride. He says, “until that day.” That day is the day of the Kingdom, the day when the wine will be poured in celebration, not in sorrow. The day of joy, reunion, restoration. This is more than a metaphor. It points to the end times banquet, the great feast promised in Isaiah 25, where “the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine… and he will swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:6–8, ESV).
Jesus is the Lamb, and yet He will be the Host. He is going to suffer, but He is also going to rise. He is going to die, but He is also going to dine again. This was His way of speaking of the resurrection. The wine of the Kingdom would be “new” because it would be shared in new, resurrection life. No longer in a body subject to death, but in an incorruptible, victorious body.
And then, after Jesus makes this incredible promise, Matthew says simply: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30, ESV). Now that might seem like a minor detail. But don’t rush past it. Can you imagine Jesus singing, knowing that this day would include His arrest, trial, and crucifixion? He knows all of this, and yet He sings. That hymn, sung on the way to Gethsemane, reminds us: worship always goes before the weight of trials. Praise equips us for perseverance. Jesus waked towards the cross with a song.
Conclusion:
This morning we took Communion, but it’s more than remembrance. We look back to the cross, but we also receive grace now, strengthened by His Spirit. And we look ahead, to the day we’ll share the table with Him in His Kingdom. Revelation 19:9 says, “Blessed are those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” That’s us, the Church. For now, we take Communion in a broken world, but we do it with hope. Every cup is a foretaste. Every piece of bread points forward. One day, sorrow will turn to celebration, and we’ll see the Lamb face to face.
Monday: A Sovereign Plan
Scripture:
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. – Matthew 26:17–19 ESV
Devotional:
Jesus did not stumble into suffering, He walked into it with purpose. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, Jesus sent His disciples to prepare the Passover, but not randomly. He had already arranged the details. His words, “My time is near,” remind us that His path to the cross was deliberate. The cross was not a detour but a divine appointment. Jesus knew what was coming and embraced it, showing us what true obedience and love look like.
When Jesus speaks of “kairos,” He means more than a point on the clock. He speaks of God’s appointed time, a sacred moment charged with eternal meaning. His willing sacrifice was not reactive but redemptive. He chose the cross because He chose us. In a world of chaos, that truth brings comfort: God is never surprised, and His sovereign hand holds us, even in uncertainty.
As you begin this week, remember this: the same God who orchestrated redemption at the cross is still at work in your life. His plan is not always clear, but it is always good. You may not see the purpose in the pain now, but Jesus shows us that even betrayal and death can be part of resurrection glory.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does Jesus’ purposeful preparation for Passover shape your understanding of God’s sovereignty?
2. Where in your life do you need to trust that God’s timing is not random but “kairos”?
3. What is one way you can walk in obedience today, even if the road is hard?
Prayer:
Father, thank You that nothing takes You by surprise. Help me trust that You are working all things together for good, even when I cannot see it. Give me faith to follow, courage to obey, and peace in Your perfect timing. Amen.
Tuesday: Betrayal and the Heart
Scripture:
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” – Matthew 26:20–22, ESV
Devotional:
When Jesus reclined at the table with His disciples, He made a chilling declaration: “One of you will betray Me.” His words cut through the celebration like a knife. Yet what stands out isn’t just the betrayal, it’s the disciples’ response. Instead of pointing fingers, they looked inward and asked, “Is it I, Lord?” That’s the heart of true humility: a willingness to examine ourselves before accusing others.
This moment invites us into the uncomfortable but necessary work of self-examination. The disciples understood their capacity for weakness, and so must we. We are not above temptation. We need grace daily. And Jesus, knowing what Judas would do, still extended fellowship, still washed his feet, still offered a seat at the table. That is love deeper than betrayal.
God is patient, even when we hesitate. He offers space for repentance. But like Judas, we must decide who Jesus is to us, Lord or merely teacher. That small shift makes an eternal difference. Today, let’s not just reflect on Judas’s mistake, but on our own need for daily surrender.
Reflection Questions:
1. When was the last time you honestly examined your heart before the Lord?
2. What does it mean to call Jesus “Lord” rather than just “Rabbi” or teacher?
3. How does Jesus’ grace toward Judas challenge your view of love and forgiveness?
Prayer:
Jesus, You know my heart, its brokenness and its need. Give me the courage to examine myself honestly. Help me trust Your love and receive Your grace, even when I fall short. I want to follow You as Lord, not just admire You as teacher. Amen.
Wednesday: The Danger of Distance
Scripture:
He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” – Matthew 26:23–25, ESV
Devotional:
Judas’s betrayal didn’t begin in the garden, it began in his heart. His question, “Is it I, Rabbi?” reveals his posture toward Jesus. While the other disciples called Jesus “Lord,” Judas kept Him at arm’s length, as teacher, not Savior. That subtle distinction made all the difference. You can be near Jesus and still not belong to Him.
Jesus offered Judas space to repent, but Judas had already chosen a different path. The mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility plays out here. God’s plan was unfolding, yet Judas was fully responsible for his choices. That tension reminds us: proximity to Jesus is not the same as surrender to Him.
Don’t let familiarity breed complacency. It’s possible to serve, attend church, even take communion, and still have a heart far from Christ. The call today is to full surrender. Not “Rabbi,” but “Lord.” Not near Him, but belonging to Him. Judas teaches us what happens when the heart stays hard.
Reflection Questions:
1. Is there a place in your life where you’re keeping Jesus at a distance?
2. How does your view of Jesus influence your obedience?
3. What’s one step you can take today to fully surrender to His Lordship?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I don’t want to just walk beside You, I want to belong to You. Expose any part of my heart that’s distant or hard. I choose You today, not just as teacher, but as my Savior and King. Amen.
Thursday: Bread and the Broken Savior
Scripture:
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” – Matthew 26:26, ESV
Devotional:
As Jesus broke the bread and gave it to His disciples, He declared, “This is my body.” These familiar words take on deeper meaning when we realize Jesus was pointing to His own suffering. The bread wasn’t just tradition, it was a picture of His body, broken for us. And yet, before breaking it, He gave thanks.
What kind of Savior gives thanks before suffering? Only one who is fully surrendered. Jesus teaches us that gratitude and sacrifice can coexist. His thanksgiving in the face of agony reminds us that God’s purposes are never wasted. Even in brokenness, there is meaning. Even in suffering, there is grace.
When we take the bread, we don’t just remember, we receive. Christ meets us in our weakness, and His brokenness becomes our healing. Communion is not about what we bring, it’s about what Christ gave. Today, give thanks, even in trial, because the broken bread reminds us: we are not alone.
Reflection Questions:
1. Why do you think Jesus gave thanks before breaking the bread?
2. How can you practice gratitude in the midst of hardship?
3. What does Jesus’ broken body mean for your broken places today?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for me. In Your brokenness, I find wholeness. Teach me to give thanks in all circumstances, knowing Your presence is enough. May this bread remind me daily of Your nearness and grace. Amen.
Friday: The Blood of the Covenant
Scripture:
“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” – Matthew 26:27–28, ESV
Devotional:
Jesus took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” These words are the heart of the gospel. His blood was not spilled in tragedy, it was poured in purpose. The cup is more than a symbol; it’s a declaration of mercy, forgiveness, and eternal promise.
This cup echoes the covenant Moses made in Exodus and the promise of Jeremiah that God would forgive our sins and remember them no more. It points to Isaiah’s suffering servant who bore the sin of many. The cross was the fulfillment of it all. And in this cup, we find a fountain of grace that still flows.
When you drink from the cup, know this: you are drinking from a covenant that cannot be broken. His blood speaks a better word over your past, your present, and your future. Today, rest in the truth that you are fully forgiven, not because of what you’ve done, but because of what Christ has done for you.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the imagery of covenant deepen your understanding of communion?
2. What does it mean to you personally that Jesus’ blood was poured for you?
3. Do you live like you are forgiven? If not, what holds you back?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the blood that was poured out for me. Let me never take for granted the cost of my forgiveness. Help me to live in the freedom and grace You purchased with Your sacrifice. Amen.
Saturday: A Kingdom Promise
Scripture:
I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. – Matthew 26:29–30, ESV
Devotional:
Jesus ended the meal with a promise: “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Even with the cross looming, He spoke of the Kingdom to come. He looked beyond betrayal and suffering to reunion, restoration, and resurrection.
Jesus is the Lamb, but He is also the Host of the great wedding feast to come. The meal we share now is a foretaste. Every piece of bread, every sip of the cup, points forward to the celebration still to come. In the shadow of suffering, Jesus sang a hymn of hope, a song of trust in God’s plan.
As we prepare for Easter, let’s not just look back to the cross, but forward to the crown. Jesus walked toward the cross with a song. We walk through our trials with that same hope. One day, we will feast with Him, face to face. Until then, we sing and we wait with hope.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the promise of the Kingdom shape how you live today?
2. What does it mean that Jesus sang before walking to the cross?
3. How can worship prepare your heart for trials?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the promise of the Kingdom. As I remember Your sacrifice, help me look forward with hope. Teach me to sing in the darkness, to trust in the waiting, and to live for the joy set before me. Amen.
hardincrowder.com 