John 13:2 shows that Judas came to worship with a wicked heart. After Jesus washed his feet and give him the bread, Satan himself entered into Judas (John 13:27).1 Corinthians 10:16 declares that we share in the body and blood of Christ when we observe the Lord's Supper. We get the word Communion from that Greek word, koinōnia (κοινωνία). After Jesus "gave thanks" (eucharisteō/εὐχαριστέω), he gave the bread to his disciples. So we may refer to what began with the Last Supper as the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper or Table, or Holy Communion.Conversely, when people participate in pagan worship, they have communion with demons (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).The Lord's Supper is a Memorial because it displays what the Lord Jesus did for us, once for all time (1 Corinthians 11:24-26; Hebrews 10:12). But 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 makes clear that the Supper is more than a Memorial. That's why we should partake with self-examination, lest we partake in an unworthy way. That's why people who partook as Judas did became weak, sick, and died (1 Corinthians 11:30). Many in the ancient church believed that the bread and wine were replaced with Christ himself. Aquinas used Aristotle to explain this; whereas, the Orthodox maintained it as a mystery.At the other end of the spectrum is the belief that the Supper is only a memorial, bringing to mind what Jesus did similarly to a flannelgraph.In between are Martin Luther and John Calvin. Luther taught that the human nature of Jesus took on divine attributes, so Jesus' actual body and blood could be present everywhere. Calvin taught that the Holy Spirit himself feeds us with Christ by seating us with him in heaven.

Acts 6-1 describes division in a church, a division rooted in cultural differences.--The solution was to create a new office, the office of deacon.--Just as -The Twelve- are the beginning of the office of elder -1 Peter 5-1-, so -The Seven- are the model of the office of deacon.--Scripture makes it plain that these two offices should exist in each local congregation -Philippians 1-1-, and Romans 16-1 points to Phoebe being a deaconess of the congregation at Cenchrea.--Scripture knows nothing of one-man rule- Each local congregation was to have at least two elders -Acts 14-23-.--Paul left Titus in Crete to put things in order, and this involved appointing elders over every local church. As Titus 1-3, 5 make clear, All Elders are Bishops, and all Bishops are Elders.--When we look at Acts 6-2, 4, we see that the work of elders or bishops is identical to what we call a pastor. When I sign a marriage license, I sign it as a Minister of the Gospel. This is confirmed in 1 Timothy 3-1-15 and Acts 20-17, 28.--We also see in Acts 6-2-4 that the work of deacons is handling the -business- side of the church, making sure that people's physical needs are met.--The result was a vibrant, unified church that expanded by evangelism and witnessed the conversion of many Jewish priests -Acts 6-7-.

Acts 6:1 describes division in a church, a division rooted in cultural differences.The solution was to create a new office, the office of deacon.Just as "The Twelve" are the beginning of the office of elder (1 Peter 5:1), so "The Seven" are the model of the office of deacon.Scripture makes it plain that these two offices should exist in each local congregation (Philippians 1:1), and Romans 16:1 points to Phoebe being a deaconess of the congregation at Cenchrea.Scripture knows nothing of one-man rule: Each local congregation was to have at least two elders (Acts 14:23).Paul left Titus in Crete to put things in order, and this involved appointing elders over every local church. As Titus 1:3, 5 make clear, All Elders are Bishops, and all Bishops are Elders.When we look at Acts 6:2, 4, we see that the work of elders or bishops is identical to what we call a pastor. When I sign a marriage license, I sign it as a Minister of the Gospel. This is confirmed in 1 Timothy 3:1-15 and Acts 20:17, 28.We also see in Acts 6:2-4 that the work of deacons is handling the "business" side of the church, making sure that people's physical needs are met.The result was a vibrant, unified church that expanded by evangelism and witnessed the conversion of many Jewish priests (Acts 6:7).

In Matthew 25-31 Jesus is clearly speaking about his second coming. When he refers to himself as the Son of Man, he is taking us back to Daniel 7-13-14.--He divides people into two categories- the sheep and the goats. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who dies in place of his sheep -John 10-11-, and his sheep include not only his current disciples, but also people who had not yet been born -John 10-16-. Not everyone is one of Christ's sheep -John 10-26-30-. --The rest of humankind are the goats -Matthew 25-41-46-. Hell was not prepared for humans, but for Satan and his angels, and the goats send themselves there -Matthew 25-41-46-.--Unlike the goats who get what they deserve, the Lord's sheep do not get what they deserve. The salvation of the sheep is due solely to God's grace in Christ, and God's kingdom was prepared for them before the world began -Matthew 25-34-.--We receive salvation by means of faith alone, but by a faith that is never alone, and the deeds described in the last part of the Olivet Discourse are the evidence of the New Birth. The sheep are doing what comes naturally -- supernaturally. They are not attempting to earn salvation and are surprised by our Lord's words -Matthew 25-37-39-.--The standard of Christian living involves much more than the Ten Commandments- the standard is the life of Christ himself, who lived out the Ten Commandments in a life of risk, submission, and self-sacrifice -Philippians 2-5-8-.--We are called to serve Christ's sheep, his sisters and brothers, and we must be guided by Galatians 6-9-10.

As we read the Olivet Discourse, we see a change in Matthew 25-36. Up until that point, the Lord has been dealing with the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.- -Two things stand out-- -The time of his return is unknown -Matthew 24-36-41, 42-44, 50- 25-5, 19-.- -There will be a delay -Matthew 24-48- 25-5, 19-.

The Lord Jesus quotes from Isaiah 13-10 in Matthew 24-29. This gives us insight into what he is speaking about. He is using apocalyptic language, pulling back the curtain to show us what is really going on.--Isaiah 13-6 speaks about -The Day of the Lord,- and as we read Isaiah 13-9-10, we get a picture of the end of the world, climaxing in Isaiah 13-13 with the violent shaking of the world. However, as we read further in the chapter, it is very clear that what is in view is the END OF THE WORLD FOR BABYLON. Isaiah 13-17-19 describes the fall of the great city to the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C. --When the Lord Jesus describes the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple with these words, what he is telling us is that A.D. 70 would not only mark the complete destruction of the Temple, it would begin the Jewish Dark Ages. Millions of Jews would die or be taken as slaves. It was the end of the world as they had known it.--When Israel returned from Babylonian Captivity, she set about to rebuild the destroyed Temple. When the foundation was laid, there was a great celebration, but there was also great lamentation on the part of those who remembered Solomon's magnificent Temple -Ezra 3-10-13-. --God's glory had filled the Tabernacle -Exodus 40-34- and Solomon's Temple -1 Kings 8-10-11-, but there is no record of this happening with the Second Temple.--However, the Second Temple would be far grander than Solomon's -Haggai 2-6-9-, and the reason for this is that the Lord himself would come to this Temple -Malachi 3-1-. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself walked there. He is the substance, and what a privilege is ours -Hebrews 13-10-.

In our study of the Olivet Discourse, we took a -rabbit trail- this morning, focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ's being a true human being according to the Definition of the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.--God is one being, eternally existing in three distinct Persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.--The eternal Son of God is one Person with two natures, one fully divine, the other fully human.--As a human being he experienced weakness, temptation, ignorance, and growth. Luke 2-52 states- -And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.---Though morally perfect, he grew in physical, mental, and spiritual perfection. -Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.- -Hebrews 5-8-9---Jesus' reference to the -Days of Noah- was not given as a sign of the types of things happening just before his return -Matthew 24-37-39-, but focuses on the utterly unexpected nature of his return to the world, as over against the signs for the destruction of Jerusalem that people could take action in response to -Matthew 24-15-22-. --As a true human being, the Lord Jesus did not know the time of his return -Matthew 24-36- Mark 13-32-.

The Lord Jesus' first sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, began with his sitting on a mountain -Matthew 5-1-, so did his last sermon -Matthew 24-3-.--What prompted this sermon was his disciples' threefold question- -When will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age-- -Matthew 24-3---For them, the end of the Temple would be the end of the world as they knew it.--While God cannot be contained in an earthly house, the Tabernacle-Temple was a kind of embassy of heaven.---Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You- how much less this house which I have built-- -1 Kings 8-27- ---Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. May you answer your servant's prayer for this place.- -1 Kings 8-29---Over this very Mount of Olives, the glory of the Lord had passed when he abandoned Solomon's Temple -Ezekiel 10-18-19- 11-22-23-. --It was not unlike the time the Philistines had captured God's throne, the Ark of the Covenant -1 Samuel 4-21-, and the glory had departed from the Tabernacle, Ichabod.--Matthew 24-3-8 describes events that have happened throughout history, and Matthew 24-9-14 foretells the suffering believers will suffer before the end. --The end in view is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans at the climax of the Jewish war against Rome in A.D. 66-70. When one compares Matthew 24-15-28 with Luke 21-20-24, it becomes clear that Rome's armies are in view because believers could take action- whereas, the only action we can take with regard to his second coming is repentance and faith.--The Glory of the Lord is present with believers -Matthew 18-20-.

What prompts the Olivet Discourse is the disciples' response to Jesus' words about the Temple in Matthew 23-38, -Your house is left to you desolate.---In this chapter, as in Mark 3-5, we see that our Lord experienced rage. What infuriated the Lord Jesus-'--Jesus was grieved in the core of his being at hard-hearted people who were so trapped in legalism they refused to help people in desperate need -Mark 3-6-.--Legalism includes people who believe they are good and look down on others -Luke 18-10-14-. Belief that people who -do the best they can- will go to heaven is deeply embedded in much of the Christian church. It's why I often cite how good a person was at the funeral and then add, -But he was not good enough to go to heaven.- Then I proclaim the good news of salvation received through grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone.---But legalism also includes a focus on externals to the neglect of religion of the heart. We see that so clearly in Jesus' scathing denunciations in such places as Matthew 23-23, regarding silly observances of tithing- Matthew 23-25-28, regarding outward goodness as a mask for gross wickedness- and above all in Matthew 23-13, hindering people from connecting with God. --Such people can be very evangelistic, but they make their converts, -Twice as much a son of hell as yourselves- -Matthew 23-15-. --Jesus warned that all the innocent blood shed from the beginning of the Hebrew Bible until its end would be required of those who were hearing his voice -Matthew 23-32-36-.