''When it was evening, He reclined at table with the Twelve. And as they were eating, He said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me" (Matthew 26:20-21).''

Imagine being one of the Apostles. You're sitting at the table with your closest friends. Your rabbi is celebrating the greatest of all Old Testament feasts. As you're eating, He says, "One of you will betray Me."

A friend's betrayal is very hurtful. The accusation is not made lightly. Feelings are deeply hurt by the accusation. Not just the accusation's target. Everyone who is associated with him. Can anything he or she has done be trusted? Doubts start to swirl.

Jesus' accusation cuts through to the heart of each Apostle. Each of them asking, "Is it I?" Jesus' revelation causes each of His disciples, even now, to question themselves. Would I betray Jesus? Yes. Every time you pass an opportunity to speak His Word or to care for one of your fellow men, you betray Jesus. Every sin betrays Jesus. But thanks be to God that Jesus' betrayal by Judas brought forgiveness of sins for your every betrayal of Him. Amen.

If anyone doubts whether sins are forgiven him, he dishonors Christ. For he judges that his sin is greater or more effective than Christ's death and promise, even though Paul says, "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more" (Romans 5:20). This means that mercy is more comprehensive than sin. -- Ap V 28

''Jesus said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples'" (Matthew 26:18).''

"My time is at hand," Jesus finally says. Other times He says the opposite. But this time, walking into Jerusalem on Thursday morning, His time is at hand. His time of manifesting God's mercy and love on the cross is at hand.

Before He could be lifted up as the sacrifice for the entire world, He had to celebrate the Passover. The Lamb of God began the Passover eating and drinking with His disciples. But the Lamb offered by Him for His disciples would be the last lamb sacrificed for the Passover. Because Jesus is the eternal Passover lamb. The Lamb all the other lambs pointed to.

Jesus' time was near. All the Old Testament Scriptures were about to be fulfilled in His death and resurrection. He keeps the Passover so that He can point it to Himself and what would happen in the next couple of days. Days that are most important to us as Christians. Amen.

''Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" (Matthew 26:17)''

The time of Jesus' sacrifice coincides with the annual Passover. Much is said around Easter about the Passover. But Passover is only the first day of a much larger feast. The Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

A week-long feast of fasting. The Feast of Unleavened Bread prohibited the use of leaven. The bread could not rise when baked. Unleavened because the Israelites did not have time for the bread to rise before they were ejected out of Egypt.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread continues today. Not a week-long annual feast. A weekly feast where Jesus comes among us with His body and blood in, with and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion. The greatest treasures of the universe given in the simple form of unleavened bread. A great feast is offered to you. Attend the feast as often as you are able. Receive the divine food of Heaven from your pastor. Receive your Savior. Amen.

''And from that moment [Judas] sought an opportunity to betray Him (Matthew 26:16).''

We talk about people being an opportunist. Seeking the opportunity to enhance themselves at the expense of another. So Judas seeks the opportunity to betray Jesus into the hands of the chief priests and elders.

What was Judas' motive? Was it greed? Or was it something a bit more understandable to the rest of the Apostles?

All of the Apostles were waiting for Jesus to declare Himself to be the Messiah and take His place on David's throne in Jerusalem. They wanted the positions of authority in Jesus' kingdom. They often argued about it.

What if Judas' betrayal of Jesus was an effort to speed things up? Jesus' kingdom wasn't coming fast enough. Judas thought this would be the best way to achieve everyone's goals for Jesus. So he looked for a time where Jesus would be easily taken without the crowds. Like the chief priests, Judas didn't believe that a riot would be a good idea.

An opportunity that allowed Jesus' kingdom to come as He died for the sins of the world. An opportunity that all thought was lost. But in His death, Jesus saves us from our sins and the opportunities that they seek against us. Amen.

Only four matches on the card!

TELEVISION TITLE MATCH: 'Dirty' Dutch Mantell (c) vs Jimmy Golden

AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Jesse James Armstrong (c) vs Goldust

WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES MATCH: Bobo Brazil & S.D. Jones (c) vs Sawyer Brothers

EIGHT MAN TAG TEAM CAGE WAR: 

Strong Army (Jesse James Armstrong, Eric Embry, State Patrol)

vs

Gunns 4 Hire (Billy Gunn, Jimmy Golden, PG-13)

''Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15).''

Judas sneaks off from the rest of the disciples and arranges to be paid to betray Jesus. How much was Jesus' life worth to Judas? Thirty pieces of silver. If we were to take these pieces at about an ounce each. Roughly twenty dollars an ounce. Judas judged Jesus' worth to be roughly six hundred dollars.

Six hundred dollars for a human life. You can't even get a ticket to the Super Bowl for that little! And how much more should a human life be worth than one ticket to a football game?

Why did Judas betray Jesus? Preachers and commentators have all kinds of reasons. St. John attributes the disciples' disgust at the woman's anointing of Jesus solely to Judas, saying, "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief" (John 12:4-6).

Betrayal of trust is stealing from the friendship that is supposed to be among each one of us. When trust is betrayed, a piece of each person's soul is stolen by the devil. A theft that is not easily repaired.

Judas' betrayal of Jesus was a shallow move of a wayward disciple, driven by the devil. But God uses Judas' betrayal to send Jesus to the cross so that He might die for your sins. Amen.

''Wherever this Gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her (Matthew 26:13).''

How do you want to be remembered hundreds of years after your death? Do you want to be remembered at all?

We can't see into the motives of her heart. But we can see that her one act of service is one of the most famous events in the history of Christianity. While some of the other events of Holy Week are more memorable, her act of love still shines through the history of Holy Week as an act of devotion for Christians to imitate.

Just as we come to the altar to receive Jesus' body and blood in remembrance of Him. We serve our neighbor in memory of the unnamed woman. Harassed by the disciples. Praised by her Lord.

How much greater is it to be praised by our Lord than to be ridiculed by those around us for an act of kindness? As St. Paul says, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). Suffering ridicule even from our fellow Christians is nothing compared to the glory to be revealed to us. As it was revealed to her by her Savior. Amen.

"We are to keep the Law when we have been justified by faith, and so grow in fulfilling the Law more and more by the Spirit. Furthermore, we are not talking about ceremonies, but about the Law that addresses the movements of the heart, namely, the Ten Commandments" (Ap V 3). Even at this point, "That Law always accuses us. It always shows that God is angry" (Ap V 7).

The veil of the Law is still spread over those who seek to hold both the Law and the Gospel as complementary and equal. Only when the Gospel is preached in its truth and purity is the veil taken away to see God's true teaching. Only when the Gospel is predominant in our preaching can we begin to fulfill God's most holy Law.

Liturgical Date: Seventh Sunday of Easter

Calendar Date: May 16, 2021

Location: Our Savior, Milford, IL

Order of Service: Divine Service 1

Hymns:

#594, "God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It"

#491, "Up Through Endless Ranks of Angels"

#493, "A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing"

#469, "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today"

#617, "O Lord, We Praise Thee"

#474, "Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen"

Sermon Theme: The Replacement

Sermon Text: Acts 1:12-26

Other Lectionary Readings: 

Psalm 1

1 John 5:9-15

John 17:11b-19