Day 616: The ultimate Passover - Luke 22 vs 1 - 13

1-2 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. 3 Then  Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4-6 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

7-8 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9-12 They said to him, “Where would you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. Luke 22:1-13 (English Standard Bible)

The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which accompanied the Passover, was a special time for Jews. The streets of Jerusalem would've been as crowded as British streets on royal celebration days. And because Jesus had become so popular among the masses the religious leaders were terrified of arresting Him in public. Judas provided the opportunity they needed and they were willing to pay for it. Notice how evil schemes and greed go hand in hand and are done in secret. Jesus put it well when He said: “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20) But who was ultimately behind these schemes to put Jesus to death? (vs 3)

In Revelation 12:4-5, 17 we read: ”The dragon (a picture for Satan) stood before the woman who was about to give birth so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Satan tried from the start to destroy the Messiah. Now he was trying again. Behind the many attacks Christians have suffered over the last 2000 years were the whispers and influence of Satan. We are not up against mere flesh and blood foes.

But despite the situation that was developing, we see Jesus was still in full control. In vs 7-13 He gave instructions for His disciples to prepare a room where He could eat the Passover meal with them. It would be a meal where He would give them so much teaching and insight into what His purpose was for coming into the world. Just as a lamb was sacrificed at Passover to recall how God had saved Israel out of Egypt, and the Angel of Death had passed over their homes, so Jesus would take bread and wine at the meal and say to them: “'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And also the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.'” (Luke 22:19)

Some may say that Jesus had probably arranged beforehand with the man to use the upper room for this meal. But, like the incident when He sent the disciples to get a donkey's colt on which He would ride into Jerusalem, I'd say these were occasions of Christ's power at work. More importantly, they show that He had come willingly to lay down His life for sinners, and to be the ultimate Passover of God. The apostle Paul wrote: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)