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ANNOUNCEMENTS

TOP 5 (or 6 things you need to know)
1. Three Easter Services // April 17 // 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 AM - Join as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ during our special Easter services.
2. Story Night featuring Julie Bonn Blank // May 12 // 7P-8:30P - Julie’s life was a jagged rock wall of financial, spiritual, physical and emotional difficulties. She and her husband would say “well it can’t get any worse” to help get through…but then, it always would. Join Julie as she shares her journey into some of the most intense pain that life can bring. And the hope that kept her moving forward into the abundant life God had planned for her. There is nothing too big for God to heal. Save your spot at CalvaryMac.com/Women.
3. Financial Peace University // Thursdays April 21 – June 23 - 6:30P-8:00P - With FPU, you’ll learn the proven plan to pay off debt fast and save more money for your future. FPU is a nine-lesson course that teaches you how to save for emergencies, pay off debt fast, spend wisely, and invest for your future. And no complicated financial blah blah blah over here. For over 25 years, Dave Ramsey’s been teaching commonsense, biblical money principles that work. Every time. Register today.
4. Youth Bike Trip 22 // July 23-30 | San Juan Islands - 8 Days, 7 Nights biking, camping, hiking, swimming, on the San Juan Islands in Washington. The highlight of the youth ministry calendar. Early Bird Rate Availbable until May 21st. Register at CalvaryMac.com/Youth
5. Writer’s Group // Wednesday April 21 9:30A - Are you an author? Do you desire to improve your skills and share what you’ve written? Join our Writer’s Group which is a community of Christian Authors dedecated to using literature to share hope in a dark world. The Writer’s Group meets in the Living Prayer Room.


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SERMON NOTES: LUKE 21:1-23

Spiritual blindness is deadly.

Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple. —Luke 21:37-38

Judas was one of those disciples sitting around the campfire remarking about the beauty and grandeur of the temple. It is likely that Jesus’ prediction that the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed was the

in Judas realizing Jesus was not leading in a political revolt against Rome.


1. Sight = the ability to see
2. Spiritual Sight = the ability to see that God is working.


The challenge with spiritual blindness is that it consistently goes

. People are deceived into presuming they can see when the reality is they are utterly blind.

LUKE 22:1-6 // JUDAS MAKES A DEAL TO BETRAY JESUS

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. —Luke 22:1-2

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Celebrated for more than 1,400 years, the three Passover festivals had always looked back on what the Lord had done in Egypt, and looked forward to how the Messiah would die as the Lamb of God, remove sin, and raise from the dead as the first-fruit of resurrection. They were now approaching the moment of the Passover season being

in Jesus.

The Jewish leaders were demagogues afraid of the passions of the crowd. They were desperate to secretly arrest Jesus, but He was never

. They wanted to hang Him on a cross before the masses realized what was going on.

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. —Luke 22:3-6

Judas was

to his blindness. Instead of viewing circumstances through the correct lens, Jesus had provided, he continued to view Jesus through the old broken lens of the world.

Satan prompted and guided Judas in his crime. However, this does not diminish Judas’ personal responsibility because none of his actions went against Judas’ own will. This shows that the real enemy of Jesus was Satan. Judas was a willing

who’s will was aligned with Satan’s scheme.

Judas knew the one place Jesus would be alone away from the crowds—a small

Jesus went to in order to pray. Ironically, Judas would use Jesus’ prayer life against Him.

While Judas looked for an opportunity to hand Jesus over without a crowd, he was blind to the reality that his

intentions would fulfill the prophecy that the Lamb of God would die on the 14 day of their first month.

LUKE 22:7-23 // THE LAST PASSOVER MEAL

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” —Luke 22:7-8

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It appears Jesus ate the Passover meal early before the Jews ate it. By custom, Jews ate the passover meal at the end of the fourteenth day (Friday), but Christ ate it at the beginning of their Friday (our Thursday evening). This facilitated God’s intention that as Jesus died on the cross (at the end of their Friday), Jews were just sitting down to

the passover lamb.

“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” —Luke 22:9-16

Spiritual blindness is deadly, which the very reason Jesus came to die. To pay the

for our spiritual blindness.

Jesus certainly didn’t desire the cross, but what did He desire in the face of the torture and abandonment He’d face over the following 24 hours? He desired

and fellowship with people He was dying for.

This was a passionate moment for Jesus. It wasn’t so much that He was saying goodbye to His disciples, as much as now He arrived at the central reason why He came to man: to institute a new covenant with men, based on His own sacrifice. This was not the beginning of the end; it was the beginning of the beginning. —David Guzik

Jesus raised the passover meal to a whole new level. Jesus took two common meal items and establish a new meal with two elements by which disciples would

and proclaim the sacrifice He was about to endure.

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. —Luke 22:17-20

Jesus is

for us to celebrate the cross and resurrection. Someday, Jesus followers will enjoy a meal so spectacular it can only be compared to a wedding fest. But Jesus has not yet celebrated the Kingdom in heaven yet. He is waiting to enjoy this feast until all His followers are gathered to Him, then there will be a great feast, known as the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” —Revelation 19:9

For us, the bread of communion often fades to an

exercise practiced once a month at church. Yet, after the cross, imagine the meaning it took on in the hearts of the disciples each time the saw (and heard) the bread break.

For us, the cup of communion can diminish to a merely a drink to wash down the bread. Yet, after the cross, imagine the meaning it took on in the hearts of the disciples each time they tasted the

on their tongues.

As Jesus led them through this last passover meal, Jesus didn’t give the normal explanation of the meaning of each item. Instead, he

the elements in Himself. From that point forward the focus was no longer on the suffering of Israel in Egypt, but on the sin-bearing suffering of Jesus on their behalf.

But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. —Luke 22:21-23

Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.) —John 6:70-71

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. —John 12:4-6

Why did Jesus allow Judas to take part in the first Lord’s supper and taste the bread & cup?

Judas was an eyewitness to the deadly price of spiritual blindness. Yet instead of repenting and accepting that Jesus paid the price, he paid the price

.

Spiritual blindness is deadly.


  1. Did you accept Jesus as your Savior today? Text “accept” to the number 97-000
  2. Did you recommit your life to Jesus today? Text “recommit” to the number 97-000
  3. Did you need prayer today? Text “macprayer” to the number 97-000