:Thanksgiving" 11-26-25

Overview

The Meal of Thanksgiving

On the eve of Thanksgiving, our minds turn naturally toward feasts—turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and gathered family. Yet long before the American Thanksgiving, Jesus sat down to a meal of thanks that would forever redefine what gratitude means. In Luke 22:14-20, we read that "when the hour came," Jesus took His place at the Passover table and said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." Knowing the bitter suffering ahead, He still longed for this moment of communion with His friends.

The Passover Seder, commanded by God to commemorate Israel's deliverance from Egypt, included four cups: the cup of sanctification ("I will bring you out"), the cup of deliverance ("I will deliver you"), the cup of redemption ("I will redeem you"), and the cup of praise ("I will take you for my people"). When Jesus took the first cup and gave thanks, He invited His disciples to share in sanctification and deliverance together. But it is the third cup—the cup of redemption—that He transformed: "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." The Passover meal had always been a foretaste, a shadow of something greater. That night, the Host of the Seder revealed Himself to be the Lamb who would fulfill it.

The Greek word behind "He gave thanks" is eucharisteō—the root of our word Eucharist. The Lord's Supper is, quite literally, the meal of Thanksgiving. And what is Jesus giving thanks for? For the Father's perfect will, for His provision, for the Father who always hears—and supremely, for the cup of redemption itself, because He knows it means atonement for you and for me. He gives thanks even as He prepares to drink the dregs of the cup of wrath upon the cross, so that we might drink only the cup of forgiveness.

This shapes how we come to the table—and to every table. We know in our hearts we want to be thankful, yet so often we find fault: in the stuffing, in the conversation, in the people around us. And honestly, fault is found in us as well, in what we have done and left undone. But the Eucharist meets us precisely there. As the Augsburg Confession reminds us, "to remember Christ is to remember His benefits and to realize that they are truly offered to us." When Jesus says, "This is my body, given for you," He places tangible forgiveness into our hands. Tomorrow we will feast on a meal that nourishes the body for a day. Today, at the altar, we feast on the promise that nourishes the soul for eternity—the Passover made complete in Christ.

Transcript

If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 22nd chapter. 3s

If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 75 in the New Testament. 10s

We are in Luke, the 22nd chapter. 16s

Tonight is a fun celebratory service. 21s

We are at the eve of Thanksgiving. 25s

And there are, I guarantee you many kitchens of this congregation that are right now filled with foods and ingredients, 28s

just waiting and already being started to be prepared for this feast that will come tomorrow. 40s

And there's this traditional aspect to a Thanksgiving feast, a meal of Thanksgiving that we count on. 46s

We count on the turkey. 55s

We count on the potatoes. 58s

We count on the pumpkin pie. 60s

And we are so thankful and so grateful for all that we get to enjoy at that Thanksgiving meal. 63s

Tonight we are wrapping up the second chapter of the Red Letter sermon series that we are in. 75s

We are in a nine month sermon series, the Red Letter words, where we are taking time to examine the words that are printed in red in so many Bibles, 81s

the words that were recorded of Jesus Christ in Scripture. 92s

And we've done the first chapter where we discovered who Jesus is as he proclaims the I.M. statements. 98s

And then we shifted into asking the question, what does Jesus give? 105s

Thanks for we found over the past three weeks that Jesus gave thanks for the perfect will of the Father. 112s

That He gave thanks for provision from the Father. 119s

This past Sunday we learned that he gave thanks that the listening Father always hears. 123s

The listening Father always hears. 131s

In this final sermon of the second chapter, we're going to discover what else Jesus gives thanks for. 134s

Look with me, please, at verse 14 of our reading. 143s

When the hour came, He took His place at the table and the apostles with Him. 147s

When the hour came, what hour is that? 153s

What we just backed up a few verses here looking at verse 7, we see then the came the day of unleavened bread on which the Passover Lamb had to be sacrificed, 157s

jumping down to verse 13. 168s

So they went and found everything as Jesus had told them and they prepared the Passover meal. 170s

So now going on with verse 14, when the hour came for that Passover meal, 178s

He took His place at the table and the apostles with Him. 184s

He said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 188s

For I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 195s

Understanding the Passover meal is very important here. 202s

The Passover meal was a traditional meal, but not only was it a traditional meal for the Jewish people, 207s

it was a meal that had been commanded by God or it was a festival that was commanded by God in which the Jewish people over a week 215s

would celebrate and would recognize when God had brought the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt into 225s

freedom, into the land of freedom, the land flowing with milk and honey. 234s

The Israelites were commanded to hold this festival every single year to commemorate, to teach their children, 242s

and to teach the children what God had done for them, part of the Passover, part of the Passover celebration is the 249s

Seder meal. The Seder meal, it is on the first and or second nights of the Passover week where the Jewish people would come together, 260s

and it was a time of teaching, it was a teaching meal where they would go through a series of sequences and in particular orders, 270s

including a variety of cups and very specific foods, and it was to teach the children and to retake themselves all that God had done for them when they were in slavery in Egypt. 281s

In the Seder meal, there are four cups, and there is a sequence in a particular blessing in a particular time 300s

in the Seder meal in which they are to take the cups. The first cup is the cup of sanctification where God says, 309s

I will bring you out. The second cup is the cup of deliverance. God saying, I will deliver you. 318s

The third cup is the cup of redemption. I will redeem you, says the Lord, and then the fourth cup, 328s

the cup of praise, where God promises, I will take you for my people. This is the meal, the Seder meal 336s

that Jesus was so eager to eat with his friends. It's fair to say that he was looking forward to this time 346s

of communion with his friends for this time, of having laughter and conversation that time of comfort, 356s

knowing the bitter suffering that was to come in just a few short hours. And so he tells them that he has been looking forward 364s

and desiring to eat this Passover with his friends. We continue in verse 17, then he took a cup 376s

and after giving thanks, he said, take this and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on, 386s

I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. Now it's very likely that this cup 394s

is either the first or the second cup in the Seder meal. So it is either the cup of sanctification or the 402s

cup of deliverance. And Jesus says the proper Jewish prayer before sharing the cup and he gives it to his friends. 411s

And he says, all of you share it, divide it amongst yourself. He gives the cup of sanctification 423s

or the cup of deliverance to be split amongst the men. It was a common cup. It was a common cup in 430s

in which each of them was to take their share. Each of them was to have a share in the deliverance, 439s

the sanctification. This meal, this Seder meal in this Passover celebration is really a turning point. 450s

It's a turning point in the ministry and the relationship of Jesus and His disciples 461s

because Jesus will not share in the fruit of the vine from this point until the Passover has been completed. 468s

Over and over and over again, we read in the Gospels. Jesus telling the people around him, the kingdom of God is near. 480s

The kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God is near. 489s

And here it is, Passover, the Seder meal sharing the common cup of sanctification or deliverance. 496s

It's come upon them and the thanks that Jesus has given is the thanks for the provision 512s

for this opportunity, the provision for the vine, the provision for the fruit from the Father. 519s

Thankfulness is very interesting. In our heart of hearts, we know we want to be thankful. 531s

We know that tomorrow as we sit down, we want to be thankful for what's put in front of us. 541s

And yet, we know that stuffing is not like the one my mom used to make. 550s

I don't know that I can really be thankful for that. 560s

Or we know that we want to sit down and be thankful that we are with the people at the table to share a meal. 568s

And then they open their mouths. 578s

And we find that we are not necessarily as thankful as we think we want to be. 585s

You see, we find fault. We found fault in the stuffing. We find fault in the decor. 598s

We find fault in the conversation. But the people that were with, they can look at us and find fault. 606s

And when we're honest, in our heart of hearts, we know they're right. 622s

Because there is fault within us. There is fault in our words, our deeds, our thoughts. 632s

What we've done, or left undone, as we confess in the confession tonight, 643s

we think that we've come so far only to find, we're right back at square one when we rest on ourselves. 651s

Or we think we've got this. 665s

We find fault when things just aren't quite what or how we expect them to be. 673s

Jesus gives thanks. He gives thanks for the cup. The cup of sanctification or the cup of deliverance. 685s

And yet he knows his bitter suffering is yet to come. 698s

Look with me, please, at verse 19. 707s

Then he took a loaf of bread. 711s

And when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, 715s

this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me and he did the same with the cup 718s

after supper saying, this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 726s

It's the role of the host of the sater to break the bread. It is the role of the host of the 735s

sater. And to teach and to serve his guests at his table. 748s

Jesus, the host of this particular sater meal on that particular Passover 756s

2000 plus years ago, he broke the bread and he gave thanks. He gave thanks and after giving 763s

thanks, he said some very curious words. He said, this is my body which is given for you. 774s

This is my body given for you. This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 785s

This cup, this cup is my blood. Do this in remembrance of me, the Passover, 795s

the sater meal, the meal that Jesus hosted, the meal that he hosted and taught. 808s

The Passover meal was a foretaste, a shadowing a type of that which was to come. 816s

Jesus hosting and teaching this last Passover meal hosts the promise that he fulfills. 825s

As he leads them in the teaching of the sater and what that means, the cup of sanctification, 840s

the cup of deliverance, the cup of redemption, the cup of praise. He is teaching what he, 847s

himself will fulfill. The third cup of the sater, the cup of verse 20, this cup that is poured out 858s

for you is the new covenant in my blood. The third cup of the sater is the cup of redemption. 872s

Jesus knowing the bitter suffering that is about to come. He proceeds with the sequence of the 885s

sater meal. He teaches the people and he lifts the cup of redemption saying that this is poured out 892s

and it is the new covenant. The new covenant that God has made with his people, the covenant 902s

that is sealed, the covenant that Jesus is the sacrificial lamb who goes to the cross, 912s

making a tone meant for your sin for my sin, for the sin of all those at fault. 921s

And he institutes with it, the Lord's supper, the final Passover. Another word we use for 934s

communion or for the communion meal is Eucharist. And in the study for this service, and in the study 947s

for this sermon, I found a deep dive into the word Eucharist, Eucharist, because I always thought 953s

that that was particularly the bread. That it is the bread, the body of Christ, when we say it is 961s

the Eucharist, the Greek word meaning of Eucharist is Thanksgiving. Eucharist is Thanksgiving 968s

in the Greek text when we read that Jesus had given thanks, it says Jesus Eucharist. 980s

Jesus Eucharist, it is the meal of Thanksgiving. And what is Jesus then giving thanks for? Is he 989s

giving thanks for the perfect will of the Father? Yes. Because the perfect will of the Father 999s

is that you would be redeemed through the third cup of the Sator, through the cup of redemption. 1007s

Is he giving thanks for provision from the Father? Yes, absolutely, because he knows that the 1019s

Father has provided him his own son, the second person of the Trinity to drink the cup of wrath 1027s

that is our cup of redemption, the cup in which we know we are redeemed. Does he give thanks 1035s

that the listening Father hears his prayers? Yes. Because the Father always hears the prayers. 1048s

Always hears our prayers. And Jesus gives thanks. He gives thanks for the new covenant. He gives 1062s

thanks for the third cup, the cup of redemption because he knows that the cup of redemption 1079s

means atonement for you and for me. The cup of redemption means that your sins are fully and 1092s

completely forgiven. As he drinks the drugs upon the cross of the cup of wrath for us, 1101s

we think of the Sator meal in which he gave thanks because that cup is the new covenant 1112s

in his blood for the forgiveness of sin. The new covenant that is shared in the meal. And when we 1119s

share in the eucharistic meal, the meal of thanksgiving, we are receiving the tangible forgiveness 1129s

of God. Jesus says to do this in remembrance of me. Remembrance is not just remembering a point in history 1136s

but remembrance means to focus on the sacrificial death that Jesus Christ made for our sin. 1150s

Taking part of the supper that bestows on us the benefits of his death 1159s

because the benefits of his death lead us to the benefits of the tomb and the benefits of the 1167s

tomb lead us to know that the sacrifice has been accepted and that we are indeed forgiven. 1177s

In the Augsburg confession, it says to remember Christ is to remember his benefits to realize 1188s

that they are truly offered to us. When Jesus says this is my body for you, this is my blood shed for 1195s

you, we are taking the tangible forgiveness knowing that that is ours. In the bread and the wine, 1209s

the body and the blood they become apart of us. At the eucharistic meal, Jesus feeds us nourishing 1222s

our souls, feeds us with the promise of the assurance of the forgiveness, the atonement for our sins 1232s

and at this thanksgiving meal at this eucharist meal. It's proclaimed that the Passover has been made 1240s

complete. The promise that was made so long ago has been made complete in Christ. 1249s

Tomorrow we are going to feast. We are going to feast on the Thanksgiving meal that is spread 1259s

before us and we will savor every single bite and it is something to look forward to and it is 1268s

something to be thankful for. But today coming to the altar to receive the meal of Thanksgiving, 1277s

we feast on the promise. We feast on the promise prepared by Christ knowing that it is ours to savor 1292s

eternally. 1306s