DCLM Search The Scripture Youth For February May 28, 2023 : Topic – THE LAST SUPPER AND CHRIST’S BETRAYAL
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YOUTHS STS
LESSON 63
THE LAST SUPPER AND CHRIST’S BETRAYAL
Texts: Matthew 26:1-30, 36-68; Mark 14:1-26, 32-65; Luke 22:1-30, 35-53
Memory Verse: “And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before l suffer: And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:15,22).
Passover which was a commemoration of the great was the practice of Christ to observe the yearly Jewish deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 12:1-31,41; Matthew 26:17). The ceremony was a pointer to the anticipated vicarious sacrifice of the Messiah. Not much record was kept of these occasions during the first two years of the Lords ministry but the last Passover has such unforgettable significance that its record rings through the gospels and the epistles The Passover was one of the religious feasts that God commanded the Jews to observe. In the last Passover observed by Christ, He gave the feast a new dimension that made it observable by all genuine Christians and not only by the Jews. He instituted the Lord’s Supper to replace the Passover and He made it a continual ordinance to be observed by believers to commemorate His death and in anticipation of His second coming.
During the Passover, He announced His imminent betrayal by one of them which will lead to His arrest, trial, crucifixion and death. After this, He prayed with agony in the garden of Gethsemane, but His disciples could not pray with Him. While discussing with His disciples, Judas lscariot came with the multitude to arrest Him
CHRIST’S INSTITUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER (Matthew 26:1,2,6-13,17-30; Mark 14:1-9,12-16, 22-25; Luke 22:1,7-20,24-30; 1 Corinthians 5:7,8;11:20-32; Revelation 19:7-9)
Before the Lords Supper, while they were in the house of Simon the leper, a woman with alabaster box of precious oil, anointed the head of Christ, which the disciples counted as waste, but Jesus Christ commended her for preparing Him for His death (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). After this was the observance of the Passover feast. The feast of Passover started with the children of Israel on the eve of their departure from Egypt which they observed yearly. “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?” (Matthew 26:17). This was the last Passover feast to be observed by Jesus Christ before His arrest, crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. He instructed Peter and John to prepare a place for the feast. He gave them a detailed description of the “good man whose guest chamber was to be used. This good man released his ‘guest chamber for the Passover without questioning or complaining. Every born-again youth must be willing and ready to release themselves and their possession for the Master’s use. We should not withhold our talents, skills, money, time and material things when the Master is in need of them. The Passover depicts death and destruction that passed over the Israelites in Egypt through the blood of the lambs on their door posts. Christ, the Lamb of God, has shed His blood for us on the cross at Calvary, so that death, destruction and eternal damnation may pass over us.
Question : What are the emblems used for the Lord’s supper and their significance
The Lord’s Supper was instituted during the course of the Lord’s last Passover with the disciples. This is because there is a correlation between the two. The Passover was kept in remembrance of God’s great deliverance that brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt. The Lord’s supper is to be kept in remembrance of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice. After Christ’s (passion) death, an end was put to the observance of the Passover with other Old Testament ceremonial and sacrificial laws (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 10:1,14-20).
The Lord’s supper is now to be celebrated perpetually by the redeemed in remembrance of the Lord’s death. Therefore, the Lord’s supper has replaced the yearly Passover. Two emblems are used for the Lord’s supper, namely unleavened bread and the juice from the fruit of the vine. Leaven means yeast. Yeast from Old Testament times has always been a symbol of sin. The unleavened bread (bread without yeast) is a symbol ‘of the sinless body of Christ which was broken” for us. It will therefore be wrong to use bread baked with yeast to serve the Lord’s Supper. However, the unleavened bread is not the actual body of Christ, it is only a representation. The juice from the fruit of the vine is a symbol of the blood of Christ which was “shed for many, for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).Jesus gave this to the disciples after He had blessed and given them the unleavened bread. Again, this is symbolic and not the actual blood of Christ. It will be wrong to substitute the juice of the vine with fermented or intoxicating wine, blackcurrant (or other artificial juices), water or any other liquid. In fact, the fruit of the vine shall still be used at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matthew 26:29). These are the only two emblems approved for use by the Lord.
Question 2:Who are the people expected to partake in the Lord’s Supper?
The observance of the Lord’s Supper is for all believers including youths. It is Christ’s command which requires complete obedience. All born again youths must always be ready to participate in the Lord’s supper. However, while Christ was talking about His imminent betrayal and arrest, the disciples were striving over who would be the greatest among them. Christ responded by teaching them the principle of the kingdom that to be the greatest in the kingdom of God, one must be ready to be a servant (Luke 22:24-30).
CHRISTS AGONISING PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42;Luke 22:35-46; Genesis 32:7-12,24-31; James 5:13-18;Hebrews 5:7.8)
“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsenmane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:36-39). Going into solitary place to pray characterised the ministry of Jesus Christ. He did not only believe in prayer, He practised it. He prayed when it was convenient and when it was not. Many Christian youths to day find it difficult to tarry in the presence of God in prayer. Some only pray when they encounter difficulties and challenges. We must emulate Christ by cultivating the habit of praying always and without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17). Victory over temptation is impossible for a born-again youth who is prayerless. ‘And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”(Matthew 26:40,41).
Question 3: What are the vital lessons to learn from Christ’s prayer life?
We learn important and great lessons from Christ’s agonising prayer at Gethsemane. (i) Christ prayed with intensity fervency and earnestness (Luke 22:44).
(i) We should pray when we are faced with great challenges, trials, persecution, failure, disappointment and so on (Luke 22:40). (ii) Prayer should not be an emergency duty for Christian youths. (iv) We should persist in prayer until we receive answer. (v) We should earnestly pray for salvation of others. By praying always, all Christian youths can overcome all their trials, persecutions and so on, and have all their needs met by the Lord Jesus Christ. While Christ was busy agonizing in prayer, Peter, James and John were sleeping. They surrendered to the .weakness, tiredness and weariness of the body. Prayerlessness promotes spiritual weakness, lethargy and backsliding. Christian youths should not allow physical tiredness, weakness, weariness and slumbering to hinder them from having their quiet time and praying always, as Christ did not allow His sorrowful heart to debar Him from praying.
CHRISTS BETRAYAL AND THE DOOM OF JUDAS ISCARIOT (Matthew 26:14-16,20-25,47-68; Mark 14:10,11,17-21,43-65; Luke 22:1-6,47-53,63-71; John 13:21-26,Proverbs 26:24-26)
After an agonizing prayer at Gethsemane, Jesus was fully ready to face the cross for the sin of the world. While He was still speaking with the sleeping disciples, Judas Iscariot came with multitude of soldiers having weapons to arrest Him. Judas Iscariot displayed fake affection by betraying the Son of man with a kiss. “Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, s. that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed Him” (Matthew 26:48,49). The attitude of Judas Iscariot is both deceptive and condemnable.
Question 4: In what ways do professing Christian youths betray Christ today?
Many youths today are following the bad and damnable example of Judas Iscariot! They pretend to be holy but they are unholy; they pretend to be innocent but they are very dangerous and harmful. They dress, speak, act and behave like people of God but they are not. They pretend to be loving, but they are only looking for fleshly satisfaction. Christian youths must not follow the footsteps of Judas Iscariot because it leads to eternal damnation in hell-fire. We must not manifest the character of Judas Iscariot neither to our leaders in the church nor towards one another. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man .For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14). We must also know that all forms of hypocrisy will be exposed on the last day. Judas Iscariot Committed s d suicide and died without the hope of eternity in heaven. Eternal punishment awaits any youth who betrays Christ and refuses to repent. When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples forsook Him. No one could stand with Him in His trial. Many Christian youth s keep away from their leaders and from other youths in the period of challenges. We must stand for Christ no matter the challenges we go through in life. We must also stand with fellow believers who are going through trials of life by praying for them, visiting and encouraging them.