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Chapter 71—A Servant of Servants
This chapter is based on
Luke 22:7-18, 24
;
John 13:1-17
.
Christ with His disciples had gathered to celebrate the Passover.
The Saviour knew that His hour was come; He Himself was the true
paschal lamb, and on the day the Passover was eaten He was to be
sacrificed. A few quiet hours yet remained to Him to be spent for
the benefit of His disciples.
The life of Christ had been one of unselfish service. “Not to
be ministered unto, but to minister” (
Matthew 20:28
) had been the
lesson of His every act. But not yet had the disciples learned the
lesson. At this last Passover Jesus was troubled. A shadow rested
upon His countenance. The disciples perceived that something
weighed heavily on His mind.
As they were gathered about the table, He said, “With desire I
have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: for I say
unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said,
Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will
not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall
come.”
Christ was now in the shadow of the cross, and the pain was
torturing His heart. He knew He would be deserted; He knew that
by the most humiliating process to which criminals were subjected
He would be put to death. He knew the ingratitude and cruelty of
those He had come to save. He knew that for many the sacrifice He
must make would be in vain. Knowing all that was before Him, He
might naturally have been overwhelmed with the thought of His own
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humiliation and suffering. But He did not think of Himself. His care
for His disciples was uppermost in His mind.
On this last evening, Jesus had much to tell them. But He saw
that they could not bear what He had to say. As He looked into their
faces, the words were stayed on His lips. Moments passed in silence.
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