#134 Luke 22:20-23 The Last Supper – My Blood Poured Out for You

On July 30, 2023 by Amy Burgin

Joy:
Episode #134 Luke 22:20-23

Welcome

Amy:
Welcome to The Christgazing Podcast. We are so glad you are here! I’m Amy Burgin.

Joy:
I’m Joy Burgin.

Amy:
Christgazing, kind of like stargazing, is the act of looking steadily and intently at Jesus. This podcast makes room for that. I am reading a book, The Awe of God written by John Bevere. I wanted to read a paragraph from Chapter 6 titled Beholding Him.

John Bevere wrote:

In the stillness of our souls, in union with the Holy Spirit, we can behold Jesus as we ponder His Word. Gazing into His face illuminates God’s glory in our hearts and subsequently causes our holy awe to level up. We become like Isaiah and the other greats … who encountered Him, walked with Him, pleased Him, received covenant promises, and finished well. Best of all, in beholding Him we are promised to be made “more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Those words “In the stillness of our souls, in union with the Holy Spirit, we can behold Jesus as we ponder His Word.” I’m so excited to behold Jesus with you today.

We’re in a series that takes us through the book of Luke. In today’s episode, we continue with a six-week sub-series titled The Last Supper. We get to see, know, and ponder the way Jesus prepared, thought, and spoke at the last supper, only hours before his arrest. Last week we incorrectly referenced Luke 22:14-29 but we should have said, Luke 22:14-19. Please forgive us. Today we start at verse 20.

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Amy:
But before we read, take time to share your heart with God. We do this each week; we draw intimately close to God, pouring out our hearts to him to make room for him to pour out his heart to us. So bring God your thanksgiving, grief, fear, joy, anger, excitement, questions, and concerns in this next minute.

[Pause and pour out your heart to God]

What Does This Passage Say About God?

Joy:
As I read today’s passage, consider the question, what does this say about God?

Luke 22:20-23 In the same way, after the supper [Jesus] took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

Again?

Take the next few moments to consider what this says about God.

[Pause and know]

What Does This Passage Say About People?

Joy:
As I reread today’s passage, consider the question, what does this say about people?

Take a minute to consider what this says about people.

[Pause and know]

Lord, What Would You Have Me Know Or Do Today?

Joy:
As I read for the last time, ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do today in response to this passage?” If it helps, put yourself in the narrative.

Take a minute to ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do in response to this passage?”

[Pause and listen]

Blessing

Joy: Christgazer, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. And may you keep your face turned Jesus today and know him more.

One Response

Amy:
Jesus is speaking about his blood and a new covenant. Matthew records the dialog in chapter Matthew 26:27-29 as “Then [Jesus] took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. 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 from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus is speaking about his blood poured out for many and his imminent departure from Earth.

Jesus goes on to tell about a chosen friend who chose to break faith with Jesus and sell him out.

And the disciples are a lot like me. Rather than asking Jesus more about his blood poured out, about this cup they are commanded to drink, they instead began to question among themselves which of them might be the traitor.

Sometimes I worry I might be a double-crosser. I’m not immune to turning from God’s beautiful ways. Like King David, a man after God’s own heart, who lied, committed adultery, and murdered, I am susceptible to sin.

Am I the only one who sometimes feels an onslaught of sinful thoughts? I think of God’s word to Cain in Genesis 4:7 “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

In my own strength, I can’t seem to rule over it. But with Christ, I can—when I bring my sinful thoughts to him and ask him to take them away. He has been faithful to put a stop to the onslaught. To summarize Hebrews 7:22, 25, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God…He is able to save completely those who come to God through him.

Psalm 18:32 is printed on the wall next to my desk. I read it often. It says, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Closing

Amy:
You can find a link to a transcript of this episode and all our episodes at amyburgin.com. Joy and I will be back again next week to go Christgazing together. Until then, don’t forget, when you put your trust in Christ, you are one in whom he dwells and delights, a dearly loved child of God. You are royalty in his everlasting, unshakeable kingdom. Though trouble abounds, Christ prevails, and so do you.