Good morning,
This Friday is Passover and Sunday we will the resurrection of Jesus.
This week we will look at the events that happened prior to the cross. The preparation for the Passover, preliminary meal before Passover, the institution of the Lord’s supper, the garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, and His trials before Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod Antipas, concluding with Pilate.
Next week we will look at the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
The preparation for the Passover meal (Matthew 26:17-19)
“Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.”
This was a preparation day. All leavened bread was to be removed. The lambs had not yet been slain. Jesus would be crucified at the precise time the Passover lambs were being slain.
The preliminary meal before Passover (Matthew 26:20-25)
“Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.”
Jesus announcement that one of them would betray Him, caused grief to 11 of the 12. Judas knew he would betray Jesus.
The institution of the Lord’s supper (Matthew 26:26-29)
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Jesus gave us a picture to remember. The bread symbolizes the broken, beaten, body of Jesus. The cup symbolizes the blood shed by Jesus to take away man’s sin.
This week please reflect on what Jesus came to do and what that means to you.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
Leave a Reply