REMEMBER ME

FIVE PLACES YOU’VE JUST GOT TO SEE

THE UPPER ROOM

MATTHEW 26 (MARK 14, Luke 22, John 13)

REMEMBER ME

Last week we traveled to the Mount of Olives and sat and listened as Jesus told His disciples about the events leading to the second coming.  Tonight we will come down from that “high place” and walk the ½ mile back into the city of Jerusalem.  We will wind down the narrow streets, bumping into the crowds that have gathered there in the city for the Feast of the Passover.  Before we get into the meat of the lesson let’s see if we can understand what this holiday and Holy day was all about.  I think it will help us better understand the events. 

THE PASSOVER: is a predominantly Hebrew or Jewish Holy day and festival. It commemorates the Exodus, in which the Israelite slaves were freed from Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, which is in the spring.  It coincides with our months of March or April.  The Passover is celebrated for seven days. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

Of course you know how the Passover came about.  God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt causing Pharaoh to release the Israelites.  The tenth and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord or angle of the Lord passed over these homes their fist born was not killed. This is where the name Passover comes from. 

When Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise. So in the celebration of this holiday for the entire week no leavened bread is eaten.  The Passover is also called "The Feast of the Unleavened Bread".  Matzo which is flat unleavened bread is the primary food symbol for this holiday just like turkey and pumpkin pie is the primary food symbol for our Thanksgiving. 

The biblical regulations for the observance of the festival require that all leavening be disposed of before the beginning of the 15th of Nisan. An unblemished lamb or goat is to be set apart on Nisan 10, and slaughtered on Nisan 14.  It is then to be eaten "that night", roasted, without the removal of its internal organs with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Nothing of the sacrifice on which the sun rises may be eaten, but must be burned.

So as we walk with Jesus and His disciples and travel across the town to find a place to celebrate the Passover meal we encounter another story.  That story in itself shows us another thing we need to touch on.  In the version of this story written in Mark 14, it tells that Jesus told two of His disciples to go into town, there they would find a man with a pitcher of water, follow him and whatever house he enters tell the owner of the house that The Master needs the guestroom to eat the Passover.  Last week we heard Jesus tell of wars, famines and earthquakes and showed evidence that those thing have already come to pass.  Isn’t is wonderful, Jesus not only tells us about great things like that but He also knows about little things like a servant carrying a pitcher of water.  He knows exactly where that man is going and what he is doing.  He sees all and knows all and HE iS EXACTLY RIGHT EVEREY TIME.

You might be here tonight and be faced with problems and things that you see as something that can easily overcome you.  You may feel alone and outnumbered.  But Jesus knows about your situation.  He cares about your situation.  He’s never missed a call.  He’s never left one of His own alone.  He never has and He won’t start with you.  Trust His wisdom, His knowledge, His understanding and most of all His LOVE.

THE UPPER ROOM: Well, we’ve arrived at the upper room.  It’s nothing fancy, just a block like house like all the others surrounding it.  It has an outside staircase that leads to a large room on the second floor. 

A lot of stuff happened in this place.  This is of course where the Last Supper took place (we are about to study about that event) and where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  It is where Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection. (Remember how he simply walked through the locked doors?)  It is where the followers of Jesus met after the ascension and it is where the Holy Spirit came with the sound of a rushing mighty wind and tongues of fire and fell on the 120.  What a room this must have been.  What it must have been like to simple walk into this place. What a special place for Christians.

The place that is now called the Upper Room might not be the room or the place where the original one stood.  Many pilgrims go there to see it, but most believe the original building was destroyed and rebuilt many time since those days that Jesus and His disciples were there.  But come on in, sit down at the table.

Oh, sorry ladies.  If it were in the time of Jesus you would not be allowed to sit here.  It’s a men only club.  You could serve, you could wash feet, you could see to the comfort of the men, but you could not sit with them.  (Oh for the old days…ha) 

This is not a typical room as we would see it today.  You see you didn’t just pull up a chair and sit down.  The meals at that time were eaten in a reclining position.  Your head would be toward the table and you feet stretched out away from the table.  (Remember how Mary came up to the feet of Jesus and washed them and wiped them with her hair?)

It is doubtful that this was a stuffy occasion.  This was a time to enjoy a good meal.  Think of this holiday as something like our Thanksgiving.  Actually the word, Eucharist, which is what the Catholic Church calls the Lords Supper and the bread, means thanksgiving.  They ate together, drank together and talk and had a good time. 

But then, sometime near the end of the meal, Jesus gets serious.  “Men, I want to tell you something”.  They all stopped talking and turned their attention toward the Master.  “One of you is a traitor”.  Wow, what a bomb shell to drop at a time like this.  “One of you will betray me”. 

And get this; the Word tells us that when they heard this “they were all sorrowful”.  All means every one of them, even Judas.

I think this shows us that sorrow is not the thing that brings deliverance from sin.  Judas was sorry that he sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.  He knew what he had done. He knew what he was going to do, but he was sorry.  His sorrow however did not stop him from continuing in his sin.

Many people who are sinning and doing wrong are sorry.  If you asked them, they would say, “I’m sorry I did that”.  But that sorrow does not bring them to forgiveness.  Forgiveness comes when we confess and repent (turn away from) our sins, not when we are sorry for them.   Then all of them begin to ask Jesus. “Is it I”?

QUESTION:   Why did Judas ask “Is it I”? 

Was it a trick to throw the others off his trail?

Was it a guise to try and make Jesus think that he was innocent?

Did he not realize that what he had done was betrayal?  

Do you think Judas thought he was doing something good?

Jesus then does a simple thing.  He does something that most people would do at this kind of meal.  If it was our Thanksgiving meal He would have carved the turkey and passed it out to everyone.  It wasn’t a ritual or a SUPER HOLY thing except for the fact that it was done by Jesus. 

What He did was not uncommon.  This was an average, normal thing for someone to do at a meal like this.  He took a loaf of bread and broke off pieces and passed them around the table to each of the men. Then He took the drink and did the same. It was simple, common, something that these men would do just about everyday for the rest of their lives. 

Why then has “the church” made it into some super spiritual, mystic, do it once every quarter event?  Some churches do this every service.  Some do it only on special occasions.  In some churches they have open communion, and some closed communion.  In some the elements must be delivered by a deacon, or elder.  In some you must use unfermented wine and truly unleavened bread.  It surprised me at the number of traditions and rituals that have come about from this simple act. Have we missed the meaning?

REMEMBER ME:  It is obvious that we all are going to die.  You will die.  Your husband/wife will die.  Your children will die.  Your parents will die. 

QUESTION:  How will you remember them?  How do you want to be remembered?  What event, song, item will make people think of you?

My dad had a thing that he would say when we parted.  He’d say. “Bye son, I love you, remember the old man when you pray” or sometimes he’d say “Remember the old taxi driver when you pray”. 

I knew what he meant.  He wanted me to pray for him when I prayed.  But to me it has meant more than that.  Often when I pray, I’ll remember my old dad.  I’ll remember things he said to me and things he did for me and it makes me smile because I know where he is and I know he is much better than he ever was here, and I remember “the old man” when I pray.   

As I study my genealogy I’ve wished so much that I could know something about these people on my family tree. I wished that I knew something about Westley Collum and William Clark Collum.  I wished I could remember them for something more than Born____Died________.  I want to be remembered for more than that, don’t you?

Jesus did too.  And this may be way off base.  It may be sacrilegious for me to even say it.  But I believe Jesus was simply taking a common event and saying to his men, “Hey guys, every time you sit down to eat…remember what I am going to do for you”.

He could have said, “Every time you come to Jerusalem, remember me”.  Or He could have said, “Every time you go to the Grand Canyon or see a rocket launched or see a Zebra, remember me”.  But that wouldn’t be very often would it.  Jesus knew how important it was for us to remember Him and a daily basis. He knew we would be eating a lot, some of us more than others.  So he took a common, simple act and with a few words and a prayer tied His followers to Himself …Forever.  “Remember me, guys.  When you do or see the common things of life, when you sit down to eat, when you break bread, when you have a drink, remember me.

But I don’t do that.  I bet you don’t either.  I forget so often. I start off well.  I have my Bible study and prayer but as I go through the day I get busy and tied up in what I need to do that I forget Jesus!  Lord, I don’t need a ritual, I don’t need a special kind of bread and wine, but I sure do need to remember. I need to remember that you came to earth for me.  I need to remember that you suffered for me.  I need to remember that you went through Hell so I wouldn’t have to.  Oh, God.  Tie my memory to the common things I do.  Remind me about the SUPERNATURAL by using the NATURAL. 

I’m not convinced that Jesus ever intended for the thing that He did that night in the upper room to ever turn into a ritual, a rite or a service.  But I am positive that He wants you and I to REMEMBER HIM and REMEMBER what He did for us. 

When I think of how He came so far from glory.

Came and dwelt among the lowly such as I.

To suffer shame and such disgrace

On Mount Calvary take my place

Than I asked myself a question

Who am I?

I hope I can keep in mind when I leave the upper room to remember what He did for me.  I hope the next time we sit down to eat a meal or drink a drink with someone, we will remember. I pray that we can’t come together for a monthly birthday supper, or Homecoming meal, or a burger and fries at McDonald’s that we are not reminded of how much He loved us and what He did for us.   Perhaps that is a very good reason to remember to say “grace”.  Perhaps at that time we should thank God for much more than the food.  Perhaps “Thank you for your body and blood” would be much more appropriate. 

 I hope the bread whether it is corn bread or light bread or rolls or hot dog buns, will remind us that Jesus body was broken for us.

 I hope that when I draw a drink from a well, or go to the faucet to get some water, when I turn up a Pepsi or Mountain Dew or glass of tea that I’ll remember Jesus’ blood was spilled out like water for my sins.   

I need to remember that more often and so do you.

Well, Jesus tied that event to a truth with a tiny thread of memory and then they sang a hymn and left to go to another place.  We can’t stay long here.  There are other places we just have to see.  Let’s follow Him…I think He is headed to a place called Gethsemane.  We will continue our trip next week as we finish chapter 26.