The Last Supper

Jesus' Last Supper

Jesus sat at the table and looked around at his 12 disciples. Here were the men his Father had chosen. They didn’t realize it was their last night together, but he knew. He knew that around that table were people he loved – men he had spent a lot of time teaching and preparing for ministry. And he knew they didn’t have a clue what it was all about – at least not yet.

As he looked around the table I believe he recalled when each one of the men joined him. As he looked at how much each one had grown, his heart must have filled with pride. And as he looked forward to their future ministries, I believe his heart was full of love.

He knew that Peter would be a tremendous pastoral leader. He would be the rock Jesus had told him he would be. Sure, Peter would deny him three times that night, but Jesus looked beyond that denial to what Peter would become.

He looked at James and saw a humble man who would be the leader of the Jerusalem church – headquarters so to speak. Yes, he realized James would desert him later that evening, but he knew James would be a true leader among men and the words he would write would inspire many.

He looked at John and his heart skipped a beat. Here was a man whom Jesus had gotten especially close to. In fact, he was going to ask John to take care of his mother. He knew John was trustworthy. And though he knew John would desert him this evening, he saw a man who was going to teach a lot of people about God’s love.

He looked at Judas and his heart broke at what this man was going to go through in just a few hours. He knew Judas did not understand and that he would regret his decision. He also knew Judas was necessary for prophecy to be fulfilled. He looked at Judas with love, seeing the pain and turmoil in Judas’ eyes.

Jesus knew these men would all deny or desert him in a few hours, but he chose not to dwell on that. Instead, he thought about how these men would serve him and his kingdom.

His heart filled with love, Jesus rose from the table and washed the feet of his friends – always looking forward. He does the same for you and me. He serves us and loves us, never focusing on our sin, but on our life in His service. – Rick