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Preparing the Passover

Luke 22:1-13

Key verse 8

“Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.””

Introduction

Before His crucifixion, Jesus ate the Passover in an upper room. We call this event, “ The Last Supper,” in which Jesus taught the meaning of His death. Today’s passage shows Jesus’ preparing for the Passover. His disciples were encouraged to participate in His Last Supper. There are two responses among His disciples; accepting or betraying him. May the Lord help us to prepare our hearts to participate in His Supper.

1. Read verses 1-2. How was this Passover related with Jesus’ suffering? (Ex 12:17, 26-27; Dt 16:5-6) Why were the religious leaders looking for Jesus in the festival of the Passover? (1-2)

1-1, Read verses 1-2.

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 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.

1-2, How was this Passover related with Jesus’ suffering? (Ex 12:17, 26-27; Dt 16:5-6)

This Passover had special meaning to Jesus in that He had to be the designated Passover lamb by God to fulfill His redemptive purpose.
As we observe Jesus at the Last Supper, he is remarkably in control of himself and of the situation around him. There is no hint of stress.
Rather Jesus is the picture of grace under pressure, of peace in the midst of a storm. It was because Jesus knew that God was in control of all things.
Through Jesus’ life God was fulfilling the events which the Passover symbolized. God was doing so at precisely the time of the Passover.
Jesus had faith in God’s sovereign rule. So Jesus prepared and carried out the Passover celebration with great peace and assurance.
Let us tap into the meaning of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened bread.

Exodus 12:17-20 and 26-27 reads,

“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”

And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped

Deuteronomy 16:5-6 reads,

You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you 6 except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. 7 Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. 8 For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work.

The Passover was the most important date on the Jewish calendar. In fact, their calendar was formed around the date of the Passover.
It was an annual commemoration of God’s deliverance of their nation from bondage in Egypt.
The Israelites had served as slaves for 430 long years. Their lives were miserable. They had to work hard day and night. They were helpless, hopeless, and powerless.
All they could do was groan and cry out. But God heard their cry and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God raised Moses as their deliverer and worked mighty acts of judgment against the Egyptians.
By God’s almighty power, the Israelites were delivered from bondage.
Upon the basis of this mercy, God wanted the Israelites to form a holy nation and to serve him as a kingdom of priests.
God commanded them to commemorate the Passover so that they would remember his grace.
They observed the Passover faithfully. Up until the times of Jesus, they had been doing so for some 1,400 years.

1-3, Why were the religious leaders looking for Jesus in the festival of the Passover? (1-2)

Because it was a major festival, many of the people who had heard and seen Jesus in the region of Galilee were in Jerusalem.
They generally had respect and great expectation for Jesus and His ministry.
The chief priests and the scribes did not fear God, but they did fear the people.
They were not afraid to kill the Son of God; they just had to find a politically smart way to do it.

2. Read verses 3-6. What happened to Judas Iscariot? (3) What did he do? (4-6) What might have prompted his actions? (Jn 12:4-6)

2-1, Read verses 3-6.

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

2-2, What happened to Judas Iscariot? (3)

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

2-3, What did he do? (4-6)

And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

Judas became an instrument of Satan. He went to the Jewish leaders and plotted with them how he might betray Jesus.
They gladly agreed to give Judas money in exchange for information that would lead to Jesus’ secret arrest.

2-4, What might have prompted his actions? (Jn 12:4-6)

“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 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 calls him a “thief” for embezzling from the offering. Judas’ love of money was exposed when he criticized a woman who poured out oil for Jesus.
Though Jesus rebuked him indirectly, Judas did not repent. He did not honor Jesus’ words. Judas did not commit to Jesus. This made him vulnerable to Satan.
After betraying Jesus, Judas hanged himself.
This shows us that a person can be around Jesus and His ministry for a while, even having privilege as the treasurer, but still fall into Satan’s trap.
We must not be complacent in regard to a dangerous enemy as Satan. We must pray.

Also his surname Iscariot may mean that he was from Kerioth, a city in southern Judea.
This would make Judas the only Judean among the other disciples, who were all Galileans.
Some wonder if Judas resented the leadership of the Galilean fishermen among the disciples, and finally had had enough.
Others think the name Iscariot is linked to the word sicarius, meaning "assassin" - a connection to the Jewish zealots who carried out underground warfare against the Roman occupiers.
It may well be that Judas followed Jesus from his selfish motives, expecting to receive a position of great status when Jesus came to Jerusalem as Messiah.
When Jesus came and it was evident that He was not going to be the kind of Messiah Judas had hoped for, he may have lashed out against Jesus.
Then he might have opened this door in his heart widely to Satan. Jesus didn’t give Judas what his selfish heart wanted, much less compromise with him.
Rather Jesus helped him to repent of his sin to the end out of His compassion.

3. Read verses 7-13. What did Jesus ask Peter and John to do? (7-8) How did they find the place where Jesus would eat the Passover? (9-12) Why was the place they met kept secret? How did they show faith and obedience? (13)

3-1, Read verses 7-13.

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

9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

10 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, 11 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?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

3-2, What did Jesus ask Peter and John to do? (7-8)

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

3-3, How did they find the place where Jesus would eat the Passover? (9-12)

“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

Carrying a jar of water was usually woman’s job. So it was an unusual thing for Jesus’ disciple to find a man carrying a jar of water. But it was a specific event that happened according to Jesus’ words.
They were also asked to follow him to the house that he enters, and instructed on what to say to the owner of the house.

We may wonder who the owner of the house was.
Some have suggested It could have been the house of John Mark (the author of the book of Mark).

Mark 14:44-52 reads,

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.

51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Acts 12:12-14 reads,

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

Most Jewish houses during the time of Jesus were smaller houses without a 2nd floor.
But Mary was wealthy and had a large house which probably meant that she had a second floor.
Jesus ate the Last Supper in an upper room, meaning on the second floor.
So Jesus could have eaten his last meal in Mark’s house, since it was large and had a spacious upper room.
Mark might have stayed downstairs, perhaps asleep, or eavesdropped at the stairway to hear what Jesus was saying that night,
Jesus and the Apostles ate and then left. Mark hears them leave and runs out with only his blanket.
He follows them to the Garden and is in the group when Jesus is arrested. A guard reaches out to grab Mark, grabs the blanket instead, and Mark takes off running.
Although it was based on theory, John Mark can be compared to one of our second gens or young disciples.
Thanks to God’s sovereign rule and control, he was sanctified and became a great servant who emphasized Jesus’ servantship as the Son of Man.
In this way Jesus might have prepared a growing teenager to be a man of God. Nothing wasted! In turn this powerful regeneration of Jesus’ disciples goes on!

Mark 10:45 reads,

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

May the Lord raise up many young disciples among us like him.

3-4, Why was the place they met kept secret?

Jesus worked with Peter and John to keep the meeting place secret.
Jesus would not allow Satan to hinder his teaching at this time. The spiritual lessons Jesus was about to impart were vital.

3-5, How did they show faith and obedience? (13)

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

Peter and John were rivals. But they went together and obeyed Jesus’ command.
They must have experienced Jesus’ words firsthand.
They were used to preparing a room for the Last Supper.

Conclusion

Despite great stress, Jesus was in peace and in full confidence while preparing God’s last Passover, becoming a once-for-all Passover lamb. Praise Jesus Christ who prepared himself with absolute obedience to His Father in Heaven. May the Lord raise up many young people in our generation under His leadership. Lately Great Britain voted to leave the EU (Brexit). We are living in a very unpredictable generation. People are filled with worry and anxiety. But our Lord God is in absolute control and continues to work out His redemptive work. May the Lord help us not to be distracted by all the alarming events of daily life in this world, but focus on obeying Jesus’ world mission command with our growing children and Bible students.

One word: Go and make preparations!