Some background
The Passover is one of 3 pilgrimage feasts along with Weeks and booths. Josephus says about 2 ½ million attended and that during Pilate’s term there were riots and unrest throughout Jerusalem. This is about the Exodus and the emergence of a nation from the bondage of slavery. It is central to the growth from a man to an ethnic group that will have a unique place in history. Miracles remembered, traditions established, and a hope for brighter future.
For Luke and the Gospel writers, this is critical for the future of the church: the question is, how can Jesus be the Messiah if he suffers and dies on a cross, when according to the Torah (law) his death was cursed? So each of the gospels take pains to explain how Jesus is the Passover lamb, the messiah who was crucified for our sins, once and for all! (1 Cor. 5:7) The meal is alluded to six times in this passage.
The imagery is important. The timing is important because it allows the keen observer to see God’s will, intention and fulfillment of prophecy and all of the preparations for this climatic event. The meal is to be celebrated on the first day of the feast. The death of Jesus is to coincide with the slaughter of the lamb in the temple. So the importance of the prophet issuing his clear directions concerning the upcoming events, proving there is no mistake in any of it.
This is the event of Good versus evil. It is the great victory over sin and it’s result, which is death. The key is not just greed which is idolatry, but it is the fact that Satan is the prime mover against Jesus. This is what he sees as his opportune time since the temptations in the wilderness. The devil does not control the events. If he had known, he would not have crucified the son of God.
Invitation: the suffering of this world cannot be compared to the events that are to come. We join with Jesus in his mission to bring redemption and reconciliation to those around us. What we experience when we come to Jesus is growth in our own character development and faith. But there is a purpose to our being on mission with him in this world. We are saved from and we are saved to the purpose God has for us. We are not put on the shelf, we continue to be fruitful for the Kingdom of God!
