The Last Supper

The Last Supper

Luke 22:14-23

Rich Trotter

The Upper Room was where Jesus and the disciples had their final meal together as a complete group. Jesus was facing the cross before Him, and Judas Iscariot was soon to betray Him.

Judas had been with Christ for His entire ministry. Judas worked with Christ shoulder to shoulder. He traveled with Him and they walked along the same path. Judas was in fact very "close" to Jesus. Judas was a part of the fellowship of disciples, but he wasn't really with Jesus. Judas was "near" to Jesus, but even that experience did not change Judas' heart. Judas resisted and held back. He failed to respond to God's offer of grace and forgiveness. Eventually he agreed to betray the Lord and turn Him over to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver.

Thankfully, the example of Judas is not the one we have to follow. Instead, we can openly acknowledge before God our guilt of sin, and trust ourselves to His complete love and mercy.

So the question needs to be asked:  Am I simply allowing Jesus to walk "side by side" with me, or have I received His free gift of eternal life and allowed Him into the very core of my life, enabling Him to live in and through me?