PREPARATION

 In my scriptures today, I have read about the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples.  It was amazing to me that, just as Jesus told the disciples where to go to get the animal for his "walk" into Jerusalem, he did the same with his instructions to his disciples about the location of the last supper.  They were told to go see the man carrying a waterpot.  One of the gospels, Luke maybe, said they followed the man into his house and asked for the use of his upper room.  Isn't it amazing that in that whole large city of Jerusalem, these disciples found the exact man and the exact upper room that Jesus intended?  I was thinking that Jesus gave them specific instructions, they followed those instructions, and success was made.  Maybe that's a bit where I have a problem.  Do I receive the instructions and follow them just as Jesus intends?  Hmmm.....

The Bible says that Jesus gathered in that upper room with his twelve disciples.  The scriptures talk about their discussions a bit....you know the breaking of the bread representing Jesus' body and the drinking of the wine representing his blood.  He even in one gospel washed their feet.  Now I'm not going into the Baptist church's tradition of feet washing.  My church does that twice a year.  That's a blog post for another day, but I will tell you it's an humble time.  I guess I'm quite taken with the fact that Judas, the betrayer, was one of those 12 disciples gathered there in that room.  And I guess I'm even more taken that Jesus broke bread and drank with him at the same table.  More I'm even most taken that Jesus probably washed Judas' feet.  Have you even wondered how Judas felt?  I'm telling you, I have such a guilty conscience, I would have been eat up with guilt and spilled all.  But then I remember......all this is the fulfilling of the plan for Jesus to die for MY sins....and YOURS.

I think a lot, too, about Peter at this time.  Peter was the bold disciple.  I wonder how he felt when he was so bold in saying he would never deny Christ.  Never.  Ever.  And Jesus said that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny him three times.   I think Peter really thought he would never deny Christ.  I think he fully intended to never deny Christ.  But you know what?  Peter was human just like you and me.  Think about that.

I always think, too, of what Jesus told Peter in one of the gospels and it really bears on my mind often.  I will paraphrase here....Jesus said to Peter, "Peter, Satan desires to have you and sift you as wheat but never fear, I have prayed for you."  That to me is a scary, big and comforting scripture all at the same time.

So at the end of the supper, they sang a hymn and went out.  Think about "The Plan."

Consider....