April 14, 2022 – Maundy Thursday Text: John 13:21-30
Dear Friends in Christ,
It took three years to complete and is one of the most recognized paintings in the world. The 15 x 29-foot painting became an instant masterpiece. We are talking about The Last Supper by the great master Leonardo da Vinci.
When he was 43 years old, the Duke of Milan asked him to paint the dramatic scene. He worked from 1495-1498 though not constantly on the assignment. He grouped the disciples into threes – two groups on either side of the central figure Jesus.
When he finished, da Vinci asked a friend to look at it and give his honest opinion. “It’s wonderful,” exclaimed the friend. “Christ’s chalice is so real I can’t take my eyes off of it.” Immediately, da Vinci took a brush and painted over the chalice, exclaiming, “Nothing shall detract from Jesus.”
Nothing shall detract from Jesus. Why is that? Because Jesus was betrayed. Let that sink in. Tonight in our Witnesses for Christ sermon series we meet Judas Iscariot. We meet him in the Upper Room the night Jesus was betrayed.
Betrayed by a disciple. Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Betrayed with a kiss of all things. Betrayed in a garden. Jesus was betrayed for us and why da Vinci exclaimed . . .
“NOTHING SHALL DETRACT FROM JESUS”
According to Matthew 26:25 Judas was seated close to Jesus. Close enough to carry on a private conversation. Jesus gave him some bread, and this is when satan entered him.
Da Vinci depicts the disciples eating herring. In da Vinci’s northern Italian dialect, the word for herring is renga. Renga – in that dialect – also describes someone who denies religion. Judas isn’t the only sinner at the table. Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard. The disciples denied Jesus in Gethsemane. Renga. All of them. Renga. All of us.
Why did Jesus allow all this to happen? It was for you. Those are powerful Gospel words. God is not against you. God is not your enemy. God is for you. His love is intensely personal. It is for you.
Martin Luther wrote, “This is something more than the sermon; for although the same thing is present in the sermon as in the sacrament, here there is the advantage that it is directed at definite individuals.” Even if you give up on yourself, Jesus never gives up on you. When soldiers spit in his face, He doesn’t give up. When a whip ripped his back, He didn’t give up. When nails crushed his nerves, He didn’t give up. Jesus will never give up on you.
Since its completion The Last Supper has been falling apart. Da Vinci – always the inventor – tried using new materials for this painting. He used dry plaster instead of wet plaster. It was good artistically but not for sustainability. Experts continue to work on restoring the original even to this day.
Fitting isn’t it? The Lord’s Supper is for people whose lives, like the painting, are always falling apart. In this life, we never get it right. Thank God for the Gospel words, “for you.” God acts for you – right now. Holy Communion is a meal with a man who lives.
A middle-aged and slightly overweight Scottish woman walked out from behind a theater curtain. Her hair was going in all different directions and she was wearing a dress that wasn’t flattering. People rolled their eyes and didn’t expect much. That is the way it was on April 11, 2009, when Susan Boyle began to sing.
After her song, people exploded with applause. The video clip of Susan Boyle became the most-watched YouTube video at the time. Her first recording broke many sales records. Susan Boyle wasn’t what people expected. Susan Boyle was much more.
Here’s the point. What may look ordinary can be completely extraordinary. The Lord’s Supper is like that. When Christ’s words – “Take, eat; this is my body; and take, drink; this is my blood” – are spoken over bread and wine, it’s not what we expect. It is so much more. What may look ordinary is completely extraordinary.
Da Vinci’s The Last Supper includes a view of heaven. The Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of the feast to come. Jesus coming to restore all things. At the heavenly banquet, we will no longer have to look at our sin. We will be perfect, wearing white robes washed in the blood of Jesus. At the heavenly banquet, we will not have to deal with broken hearts and broken lives. In heaven we are gathered with the angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. At the heavenly banquet, we will no longer need Jesus to come to us in the Sacrament. We will see Jesus face-to-face, and He will fill us with unspeakable joy that will never end.
Some of the most important words about Communion are two short words, with three letters each – “for you.” For you – in the past. For you – right now, Christ is present. For you – in the future, you will partake of the marriage feast of the Lamb that will have no end.
Amen