According To Luke: Jesus Prepares For Passover

 According To Luke: Jesus Prepares For Passover 

Opening Illustration:

Before we begin today’s sermon, let’s rewind 3000 years ago. We are in Egypt. We are introduced to two peoples: the Egyptians and the Israelites. It’s a long story but Israel was subject to the Egyptians. I say that it is a long story because that is not the focus of the message today. That is a different sermon for a different day. The Egyptians were ruled by a Pharaoh named Ramses. He was a brutal man who treated the Israelites harshly. For 200 years the Israelites were in subjugation. So difficult was their slavery that the Israelites began to cry out to God for deliverance and salvation. Scripture tells us that that God hears their cry and raises up a curious servant named Moses. Now Moses has an interesting backstory as well. Again, different sermon for a different day. Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s home but he himself was not an Egyptian. He was an Israelite. Moses had a bit of a temper problem, he actually killed and Egyptian guard and he fled the King’s court. He ran so far that he nearly forgot where he had come from and the sin that he had committed. God did not forget. God called Moses to go back to the Pharaoh, to be His representative on earth, to speak for God, and to release His captive people into the wilderness. You see God had already picked out another land for the Israelites. God had chosen Canaan to be their home and now it was Moses’ job to lead them there. Fast forward through some hemming on hawing on Moses’ part. Fast forward through Moses demanding from Pharaoh to release his people and the Pharaoh saying that he would only to break his promise over and over again. Keep hitting that fast forward button through 9 plagues that God heaps upon the Egyptian nation because of the Pharaoh’s hard heart until you come to 10th plague, the death plague. God would send the angel of death into all of Egypt and He will kill all of the first born of Egypt. This plague would include men, women and even children. Before the plague occurs Moses gives instruction to his people. You can find the instructions in Exodus 12. Ill hit the highlights for you.

1. Before leaving Egypt, each family was to take an unblemished lamb or goat and sacrifice it at twilight. 
2. They are to take the blood of the sacrifice and paint the doorposts of their homes with it. Afterward, they were to eat the sacrifice. They were to include unleavened bread and bitter herbs with the meal. 
3. They were to eat the meal dressed, belts fastened, sandals on and staff in hand.

Moses then informs the people that it would be that night that the Angel of Death would pass through the land of Egypt. The Angel would kill the first born of every household. Men, women and children would not be spared. The houses that had the blood painted on their doorposts would be spared. The Angel would literally “Passover” their homes. 

The Passover celebration would be observed annually at the same time of year and it was the goal of every Jew to be in Jerusalem for the Passover. Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread is not the same as Passover. They are two separate things. Seven days leading up to the Passover each home was to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During this time each family was to search out all the leaven from their homes and remove it. The Feast of Unleavened Bread also served as an extended Sabbath for the people as they were to do no work during that seven days. 

I tell you all this information for a reason. The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover celebration both point to the coming sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Leaven in the ancient world was symbolic of sin. God commanded the people to rid themselves and their homes of leaven. People would have tried to follow the command to the best of their ability but it would have been impossible for someone to find every molecule of leaven and expel it from their home.  Their effort may have paid off on the surface, but leaven would have fallen in the cracks on the floor, it would have been tossed high on shelves, and it would have fallen in the impossible to get places in the corners. Your house may look like it does not have any leaven, but with closer inspection, you could still find it. Leaven is just like sin. That is the nature of sin. It cannot be removed by any human means. You can try all you want but it will leave you frustrated. You might get rid of sin on the surface but it would still exist in the cracks, the corners, and on the shelves. This exercise was meant to prepare the hearts of the people for a coming Savior who would be able to once and for all rid their homes not of leaven, but of sin. It was meant to show them that no matter how hard they tried, they would never be free from sin without help. The Passover is more obvious of Jesus’ sacrifice. An unblemished animal sacrifice and it’s blood painted on the wooden door posts of the home. Clearly it is a picture of Christ’s blood on the cross. Each home covered in the blood is therefore saved, the sacrifice has brought salvation to that home and all those who are in it. In the same way, those who are covered in the blood of Christ are saved, the Angel of Death passes over us. We stand justified before God, righteous, Jesus paying the penalty of of our sin. 

Do you see it? Can you understand what is about to take place in that upper room? You see, as Jesus sends His disciples out to find a place to eat, Jesus is preparing for the table and the the tree. He will use the events of Unleavened Bread and the Passover to foreshadow what He will do for all mankind on the cross. Fill in this thesis blank for me this morning. In Luke 22, Jesus prepares for the table, the Passover table, and the tree, the cross of Christ. 

In Luke 22, Jesus Prepares For The Table and The Tree!

Background and Context:

We have been walking with Jesus now for 3 years. We have seen the origin of His ministry. We were there when He was baptized and we were witness  to His time in the desert where He was tempted by Satan. Following that 40 day period Jesus begins to teach, preach and heal. He becomes famous in the surrounding areas but His growing popularity unnerves the religious elite otherwise known as the Pharisees. He was a threat to their power as His teachings were vastly different from their own. After 3 years of Jesus leading the people away from them the Pharisees have had enough and they begin to hatch a plot to have Jesus arrested and killed. The plan will come to pass in Jerusalem at the time of Passover. That is where we are today. We are now in the last few days of Jesus’ life. Today we will start reading about the Last Supper, or the Passover celebration. This meal took place on Thursday. Doctrinally this day is called Maundy Thursday. Maundy is the Latin word for “mandate”. It was at this meal that Jesus gives His disciples the mandate to serve one another. This morning we will not be talking specifically about the elements of the meal. This morning we will be talking about the moments leading up to the meal. Specifically, we will look at the reason for the meal and how Jesus uses the disciples to prepare for the dinner. So, let’s read this morning from Luke 22:7-13. I am reading from the New Living Translation. Let’s read together. 

Scripture: 

Luke 22:7-13 NLT

[7] Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. [8] Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, "Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together." [9] "Where do you want us to prepare it?" they asked him. [10] He replied, "As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, [11] say to the owner, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' [12] He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." [13] They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

Preparing For The Passover Teaches Us About...

I. A Feast vs. 7

Luke 22:7 NLT

[7] Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed.

Point:

As I stated earlier, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover are not the same event. One event leads into the other. Let’s take a moment and read briefly from Exodus 12:14-20. 

Exodus 12:14-20 ESV

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

Illustration:

If you were to ask Angela, I am a bit of a neat freak. My kids would tell you that I like having things just so around the house. I am very particular about beds being made, how the pillows are arranged on the couch, and I am very weird about the cleanliness of my bathrooms. For fun during the week, I will go home on my lunch break and vacuum the house. Don’t judge, I like the way my vacuum makes lines in the carpet. I know, it’s a sickness. There is one thing that I particular hate doing in my house, one particular activity that no matter how hard I try, I never succeed. I hate dust. I know that hate is a very strong word, but y’all…I hate dust. I can dust everyday and it appears magically the next day where I had just cleaned. The same futile exercise happens with the vacuum. Each day I vacuum, I empty the dust bin into the trash. The next day I vacuum again and again the dust bin fills up. How is this possible? Is my family really this disgusting? It seems no matter what I do, I cannot rid my home of filth. I cannot get rid of dust. Did you know that scientists have actually determined what “dust” is made from. Want to know? Scientists have determined that dust comes from you! That’s right, dust is mainly dead skin cells that fall of your body. The air in your house carries your small particles throughout the home and they land on your tables and furniture. Scientists say that if you want to get rid of dust, you have to get rid of people. 

Point:

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was an exercise that God gave to His people to demonstrate the futility of trying to rid themselves of leaven. Leaven is the same thing as yeast or baking powder. You add it to bread to help the bread rise. When God was helping His people exit from Egypt, He wanted them to leave immediately. So quickly they had to go that they did not have time to put leaven in their bread. No time to watch bread rise, there was a promised land to get to. So, He told them to leave the leaven behind. Leaving the leaven behind is symbolic of leaving sin behind. Ladies who bake bread, question for you? Have you ever tried to remove the yeast from a bread starter after you have already put it in the mixture? No? Of course not. It is impossible. You see leaven, like sin, is pervasive. Once it is in the mix, it is impossible to get out. In the same way, God telling His people to get rid of all the leaven in their home would have been impossible. My wife bakes bread just about every week. It makes a terrific mess. It takes a long while to get it clean, even with modern conveniences. Well imagine that you are living in ancient times with a dirt floor. Imagine trying to remove leaven then. Impossible. You see the feast was meant to remind the people that they were to leave their old ways, their old lives, their sinful past. It was also meant to prepare them for the brutal truth that no matter how you tried, you could never fully rid themselves of sin. You can try, but it is impossible. 

Point:

Even before the feast began, Jesus is already teaching important lessons. 

Deuteronomy 16:8 NLT

For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the LORD your God, and no work may be done on that day.

Preparing For The Passover Teaches Us About...

I. A Feast vs. 7

II. Fellowship vs. 8

Luke 22:8 NLT

[8] Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, "Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together."

Point:

I have a question for you this morning. What is your favorite word? I know I know, there are a lot of words and trying to choose one word that is your favorite may be a difficult task. Think about it for just a second. What is your favorite word? Love. Mercy. One of my favorite words is “home”. I have always loved coming home. When I was away at college, I loved coming home. When I have been on a mission trip, I loved coming home. During the years I was a youth pastor, I would go on 10 day long choir tours. Man I would miss my family. I loved coming home. Another one of my favorite words is “together”. There is power in the word “together”. There is more power in an army than there is in a soldier. There is more assurance in a fleet than in one ship. Friends, you were not created to live this life alone. We were meant to live together. Notice that Jesus is not going to eat alone. No way. He is going to eat that Passover meal with His friends. Remember His instructions, "Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together." 

Illustration:

In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group."

The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned."

They faced incredibly hostile conditions together—and they all came out alive together. What a picture of the body of Christ.

Point:

I don’t know about you, but if I knew that my life was going to end in 24 hours, I would want to spend it with the ones that I loved most. Jesus is fully aware of His impending death. We will talk about that in just a second. He knows that His death is close and instead of retreating to alone with His thoughts, He gathers close to His disciples. He will eat with them, teach them, and even wash their feet. What an example! What a lesson!

Point:

Brothers and sisters, never before has our world and society been more divided. We are divided along racial lines. You saw this past week how divided we are on political lines. Oh it saddens me so to scroll through social media and see Christian brothers and sisters, men and women who attend this church, speak so hatefully to one another. It breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because Christ gave us one another to love, to encourage, and to uplift. Instead, we are tempted to tear one another down. Sadly we do this in the public eye and we wonder why the world wants nothing to do with us. It is because we are no different than the world. Instead of keeping one another warm in a cold world, we kick each other while we stab one another in the back. Speaking as a pastor, may it never be said of the Christians who make Eastern Shore Baptist Church their home. May we live together. May this place be our home and this people our family. 

Jesus never turned anyone away from His table. Remember, even Judas was invited. If Jesus invited Judas, then we should so similar grace. Jesus ate with sinners, sinners like me and you. Praise God. 

Mark 2:15-16 NIV

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Preparing For The Passover Teaches Us About...

I. A Feast vs. 7

II. Fellowship vs. 8

III. His Foreknowledge vs. 10-12

Luke 22:10-12 NLT

[10] He replied, "As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, [11] say to the owner, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' [12] He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." 

Point:

As Jesus prepares for the Passover Celebration, a curious exchange happens between He and His disciples. As Jesus directs His disciples, it appears that Jesus knows what will happen before it happens. Not only does it appear that Jesus has precognition of certain events and circumstances, but He also has intelligence into private conversations. Essentially Jesus knows what is going to happen before it actually happens. 

Point:

This is not the only time that this happens. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He demonstrates a divine ability to know things that cannot be known. He is aware of events and happenings that will take place in the future. Jesus is not predicting the future like Nostradamus or reading the tea leaves to guess outcomes. No. He is saying that certain unpredictable things are going to happen. Not only that, Jesus also knows the inner thoughts, the inner monologue of those who have come to hear His teaching. He even knows the thoughts and motives of those who have come to trap Him. For example, He knew people’s thoughts (Mark 2:8), was able to distinguish true believers from non-believers (John 6:64), knew “from the beginning” Judas would betray Him (John 6:64), and in fact knew “all things” (John 16:30).

Point:

Theologically speaking, we call this foreknowledge or omniscience. Foreknowledge is knowing things or events before they exist or happen. In Greek, the term for “foreknowledge” is prognosis, which expresses the idea of knowing reality before it is real and events before they occur. In Christian theology, foreknowledge refers to the all-knowing, omniscient nature of God whereby He knows reality before it is real, all things and events before they happen, and all people before they exist.

The foreknowledge of God is far more than His ability to “see the future”; His foreknowledge is a true “knowing” of what will come to pass, based on His free choice. He decrees what will come to pass. In other words, foreknowledge is not just intellectual; it is personal and relational. Foreknowledge is equivalent to foreordination in that God ordains, or orders, all that will be.

Point:

What is the practical application of this point? This means that nothing that happens is a mistake. This means that your existence is not some cosmic accident. God has a plan for your life. You were created with a purpose. This also means everything that happens, good or bad, happy or sad, righteous and evil, it all happens because God ordains it to be so. Friends were you on Facebook or social media on Wednesday? I was and do you know what I saw? I saw a lot of Christians worried and scared. I saw Christians wringing their hands with anxiety. Why? They were panicked over elections that took place in Georgia. Christian, why are you so worried? Why are you so scared? Do you think that our politics escape the omniscience of God? Do you think that God was taken aback by the outcome? 

Have you forgotten Romans 13:1?

Romans 13:1 AMP

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God.

Have you never heard of Daniel 2:21:

Daniel 2:21 AMP

“It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!

Christians let me put you at ease. Even though our Capital was stormed on Wednesday, God sits secure in His throne room on Thursday. God was not moved, not worried or surprised. God is shaping human history to bring about His purposes. He is using good people and evil people to inch ever closer to the glorious outcome of Christ’s return. Friends it matters not who our President is, God is still King. It matters not which part is in control, God is still King. It matters not that the nations rage, God is still King. God knows all, is aware of all, and has power over all. 

Brothers and sisters, this should offer you hope today. It should give you amazing security. Jesus is in control and nothing escapes His eye. Relax. Trust God. Everything is working out according to His plans. Don’t forget Romans 8:28.

Romans 8:28 NIV

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Listen to Peter’s assessment of Jesus’ knowledge, 

John 21:17 NLT

[17] A third time he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.

Preparing For The Passover Teaches Us About...

I. A Feast vs. 7

II. Fellowship vs. 8

III. His Foreknowledge vs. 10-12

IV. Their Followthrough vs. 13

Luke 22:13 NLT

[13] They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

Point:

As I was writing this message, I just laughed at this last statement. Can’t you just see the disciples just looking at Jesus after He just told them everything that would happen with detail. I can imagine that there was a short pause, they looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and did what they were told to do. I want to believe that they had finally gotten it. After all that they had seen Jesus do, the disciples finally just obeyed without question. They didn’t even ask Jesus how He knew what He knew. Not one single question. They just obeyed. 

Closing Illustration:

In the 11th Century, King Henry III of Bavaria was fed up with being King. He was tired and exhausted and on the edge of total burnout. He applied to be a priest at the local monastery. He thought that he might embrace the simple life. Maybe he could just be left alone. The King told the Prior of his struggle, his personal battles, in hopes that the Prior would accept him. 

The Prior said, "My King, do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be difficult for you because you have been a King."

King Henry respond, "Yes, I understand. I will live the rest of my life being obedient to you as Christ leads you."

"Then I’ll tell you what to do. Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place God has placed you."

When the King died, it was written of him, "The King learned to rule by being obedient."

Point:

Brothers and sisters, Jesus tells us that if we are to love Him, we should be obedient to Him. Are you obedient? Are you sharing your faith with your neighbor? Are you being kind to the outcast? Are you being encouraging with everyone else around you is destructive? Obedience come with a cost but the cost brings a high reward. 

Remember the words of the Apostle John,

I John 5:3 ESV

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

All Are Welcome At The Lord’s Table