Inspirations on the Journey Series One: "The Last Supper: It Never Truly Ended

[00:00:05]I arrived in Milan.

[00:00:07]Finally, I walked into that rather unremarkable monastery dining hall when The Last Supper unexpectedly materialized right in front of me.

[00:00:18]I was [music] stunned, and I came to a profound realization.

[00:00:24]It was completely different from what I had seen in art books.

[00:00:28]It wasn't loud. In fact, it was somewhat quiet, but that quietness made it impossible to look away.

[00:00:38]I was frozen [music] right there to the spot.

[00:00:42]Maybe many people [music] are just like me.

[00:00:45]The first reaction is to look for Judas.

[00:00:49]Some people [music] might look for Peter.

[00:00:52]Others study what secrets Da Vinci might have hidden.

[00:00:57]What kind of code did he conceal?

[00:01:00]But at that [music] moment, as I truly stood before the painting, I realized that what [music] Da Vinci actually painted was not a story, but a single moment.

[00:01:12]The year was 1485.

[00:01:16]Commissioned [music] by the Duke of Milan, Da Vinci began creating this work on the wall of a monastery's [music] dining hall. It was the most glorious era of the Renaissance.

[00:01:29]Artists were no longer just [music] painting gods. They began to study people, and Da Vinci was especially so.

[00:01:37]He studied the human body, optics, mathematics, and anatomy.

[00:01:43]What truly interested him the most was not the events that happened, but what was happening deep inside a person's heart at that very moment.

[00:01:53]So, he did not paint Jesus being crucified, nor did he paint the glorious resurrection of Jesus.

[00:01:59]>> [music] >> Instead, he chose a very particular, dramatic moment.

[00:02:04]Jesus had just said the words, "One of you will betray me."

[00:02:09]At that very second, it felt as if the whole world stood completely still.

[00:02:14]Some of the disciples were deeply shocked. Some were visibly angry. Some [music] were highly suspicious of one another, and some desperately tried to defend themselves against the accusation.

[00:02:26]Some were nervous, and [music] some simply could not believe it.

[00:02:31]The 12 disciples [music] erupted with all kinds of reactions in an instant.

[00:02:38]Yet, Jesus sat quietly in the center.

[00:02:42]This is precisely where Da Vinci's greatness lies. He captured the surging waves [music] of human nature, as well as the divine serenity.

[00:02:53]Isn't today's world [music] just like this?

[00:02:57]The fluctuations of the market, the changes in [music] relationships, the aging of our bodies, the loss of control over our environment, we panic just like the disciples [music] around him. But, Jesus Christ still sits at the center.

[00:03:14]Perhaps this is the reminder this painting gives to us modern people.

[00:03:19]When every single person is shaken, true peace comes from the center that remains steadfast and unmoved. After all, Da Vinci captured the essence [music] of a single moment in his work.

[00:03:33]Yet, [music] God hid a plan of redemption within this very moment.

[00:03:39]This night [music] was not an ordinary dinner. It was the night the old covenant ended, and it was also [music] the beginning of a new chapter in the new covenant.

[00:03:49]>> [music] >> For the past 1,500 years, the Israelites had [music] eaten the Passover meal every year to remember how God led them out [music] of Egypt.

[00:04:04]But on this night, the true Passover lamb [music] sat at the center of the table.

[00:04:10]Jesus took the bread and said, "This [music] is my body." He took the cup and said, "This is my blood." In other words, in the past, people were saved by the lamb, but from this day forward, people will be saved through Christ.

[00:04:26]So, the Last Supper was not a mere conclusion, but a profound new beginning.

[00:04:31]It was not a simple act [music] of farewell, but the birth of an entirely new era.

[00:04:37]What moves me [music] even more is that although Da Vinci may not have fully understood the depth of the gospel, his painting unintentionally reveals an absolutely astonishing and powerful truth.

[00:04:51]There was not a single perfect person at that table.

[00:04:56]Peter would stumble, Thomas would doubt, the other disciples would flee, and Judas would betray. By human [music] standards, none of these people deserved to sit at that table.

[00:05:11]But Jesus did not drive them away. Every time I think of this, I am reminded of what is said in the book of Romans.

[00:05:19]But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: [music] While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[00:05:27]God's love is revealed to us in this way.

[00:05:31]It turns out that the most [music] striking thing about this painting is not human loyalty, but God's [music] grace.

[00:05:39]It's not about how good the disciples were, but about how much Jesus loved.

[00:05:44]He knew perfectly [music] well that Peter would fail.

[00:05:47]Yet he still prepared a seat for Peter.

[00:05:50]He knew the disciples would [music] run away.

[00:05:53]Yet he still sat at the table with them.

[00:05:56]He knew that in just a few hours he would [music] go to the cross.

[00:06:02]And yet, he was still breaking bread for others.

[00:06:06]This goes [music] beyond art. This is the gospel. I just kept staring at the painting. Under the revelation [music] of the Holy Spirit, I suddenly noticed something very interesting.

[00:06:18]It seems that the entire Bible [music] revolves around three feasts.

[00:06:24]The first was in the Garden of Eden, where man took the fruit and left God.

[00:06:29]The second was at the Last Supper.

[00:06:33]God took the bread and sought out man.

[00:06:36]The third is in Revelation.

[00:06:39]The wedding [music] feast of the Lamb.

[00:06:42]Man returns once again before God.

[00:06:46]It turns out that God has never given up on bringing people back to his [music] table.

[00:06:51]From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, from the peaceful Garden of Eden to the heavy wooden cross, from the intimate Last Supper to the glorious wedding feast of the Lamb, it is all telling us the very same eternal story. [music] How exactly does a loving God bring his lost children back home to him?

[00:07:13]When I look at the Last Supper again, I'm no [music] longer so concerned about who Judas is, because I realize that sometimes [music] I'm like Peter, sometimes like Thomas, and sometimes I am weak, >> [music] >> doubtful, and fail.

[00:07:29]But the most precious thing is that Jesus still keeps a place there.

[00:07:34]Da Vinci painted a table.

[00:07:38]And through this table, God tells the [music] world the gospel is not about seeking those who are worthy.

[00:07:47]The gospel is about [music] inviting the unworthy home.

[00:07:52]Perhaps this is the reason why even after more than 500 years, The Last Supper still moves the world.

[00:08:01]Because every single person who stands before this profound painting ultimately sees not Judas, but themselves.

[00:08:10]And at the very center of the table, Christ still sits there quietly, patiently waiting for each of us to return [music] to him.