Jesus didn’t run away from the cross. He went to it willingly, knowing full well the pain it would cause Him. As we read today about the Last Supper, we recognize that He went to the cross for our forgiveness, for our salvation.Our devotion comes from Church Year Connections: Year C.
Scripture Readings
Deuteronomy 32:36–39
Psalm 118:19–29 or Psalm 31:9–16
Philippians 2:5–11
Luke 23:1–56 or John 12:20–43 or Luke 22:1—23:56
Devotional Reading
In Luke 22:14–16, we see Jesus sitting at the dinner table, sharing the Passover meal with His closest friends. Jesus told His disciples that they had no idea how much He had looked forward to eating this Passover meal with them before He entered His time of suffering. The Passover was a meal practiced to remind the Israelites that God had rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians. We also know from Scripture that Jesus was about to leave His disciples and enter into a time of suffering.
We know that Jesus’ suffering would kill Him. He would take our sins to the cross and die in our place so our sins could be forgiven. What joy we have that He would go to the cross for us. We do not get the punishment for our sins that we deserve. We can have hope of being in heaven with Jesus because of His love for us.
But before we end this lesson, let us consider why Jesus would want to be with His friends on His last night. Why didn’t He just run away so He would not have to die? In verse 21, Jesus said, “Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying Me is at this moment at this table?” Jesus already knew what was going to happen—that He must be crucified to save us. Therefore, instead of running, He chose to spend His night with His closest friends. In the coming days, we will learn how His closest friends ran away and pretended to not even know Jesus. But thanks be to God that Jesus never ran away from us. He never pretended not to know us. He allowed Himself to get arrested, beaten, and crucified so that we may have eternal life with Him in heaven.
Hymn
Devotional reading is adapted from Church Year Connections: Year C, page 40 © 2015 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
Hymn is “My Times Are in Your Hand” © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.
