Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-16

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. ¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. ¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:7-16).

According to the traditional view, Jesus rested on the Wednesday of passion week. Perhaps the day was spent in fellowship with his apostles and communion with his Father.

The three most important feasts on the Jewish calendar were Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Lev. 23), and each year, all the Jewish men were expected to go to Jerusalem to celebrate (Deut. 16:16). The Feast of Passover commemorated the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and it was a time of remembering God’s mighty deeds (Exodus 11-12).

Many thousands of pilgrims crowded into Jerusalem during that week and the Romans were always nervous about potential uprisings. It was fertile ground for self-proclaimed Messiahs to gain a following and try to overthrow the Romans. This explains why King Herod was in Jerusalem at that time, instead of his main residence. Both Herod and Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, were determined to keep the peace.

On Thursday, Jesus sent Peter and John to make preparation for the Passover meal (Luke 22:8). To prepare for the supper, the apostles had to secure the place and get the room set up. Jesus instructed Peter and John to go into Jerusalem and said they would find a man carrying a pitcher of water and he would show them a place to meet.

It seems strange to us that Jesus would give his disciples so little information. How could they find this man in the midst of a crowded city? It was unusual for a man to carry a water jar; it was something the women did. This helped Peter and John identify the guy. When the two apostles arrived, they found the man and the room. Everything was just as Jesus said, so they proceeded to prepare for the Passover celebration.

During the Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed, the Jews were expected to remove all leaven (yeast) from their homes (Exodus 12:15). This act of purging was a reminder that their ancestors left Egypt in a hurry and had to eat unleavened bread on that special night.

Jesus had warned his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees, which was a picture of hypocrisy (Luke 12:1; Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8). Unfortunately, the religious leaders were okay with cleansing their homes, but they missed the wider point of cleansing their hearts (Matthew 23:25-28).

Warren Wiersbe describes the steps the disciples took to get ready for their meal: “Peter and John would purchase an approved lamb and take it to the temple to be slain. Then they would take the lamb and the other elements of the supper to the house where they planned to meet, and there the lamb would be roasted. The table would be furnished with wine, unleavened bread, and the paste of bitter herbs that reminded the Jews of their long and bitter bondage in Egypt” (Exodus 12:1-28).

All of these events led up to that special night when Jesus met with his disciples for the last time. The disciples at that time were clueless about how the Passover event would tie into Jesus’ impending death.

May the Lord open our eyes to see the need for preparation during this Lenten season. God is always at work in the lives of his people, and he wants us to set aside this time to meet with him and commune with him. We must make room in our schedules for God, realizing that he is more than willing to reveal himself to us.

Prayer

Father God, today we prepare our hearts to receive you and to receive your word. Speak to us, Lord, and empower us, for we choose to follow you and cooperate with your eternal plan. Help us to be attentive to your promptings and be led by your Spirit today.

Question

How can you be more attentive to the leading of God’s Spirit today?