Jesus’ final week:
Luke 22:7-8
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.””
What is Passover?
Passover Background:
Passover = Remembrance of God delivering His people from slavery in Egypt
So Jesus has Peter and John prepare a room for this Passover meal. Eventually, Jesus along with His disciples made their way to the upper room and began their celebration.
Luke 22:14-15
“14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
No doubt they went through the entire ceremony of Passover, which included:
Then, things changed.
Luke 22:19-20
“19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
When Jesus took the bread and grabbed the cup, they knew what typically came next. However, Jesus didn’t stick to the script, He did something different. He grabs the bread, breaks it and tells them “this is my body which was given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” This was not something they were expecting. The disciples imagined this was going to be like any other passover. However, little did they know that the true passover lamb was sitting right in front of them.
Jesus gave new meaning to this Passover meal they had been celebrating over the last 1400 years. Before, it was a remembrance of what God had done to deliver His people from slavery in Egypt. Now it had become something much bigger. Jesus was saying that this Passover meal was pointing to Him the entire time.
Jesus revealed that like a lamb at passover, it was Jesus’ body that would be broken for the forgiveness of our sins. Similarly, it was going to be His blood that covered the doorposts of our heart that would cause death to pass us by.
Passover was not only about the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt, but deliverance for all people from the power of sin. He came to set us all free through His sacrifice on the cross!
Now, just imagine what the disciples were thinking! They realized that the bread with no leaven in it that they had been celebrating over the last 1400 years was actually a picture of Jesus without sin, being broken on their behalf. The cup represented His blood that would be spilled for them on the cross for an even greater deliverance than Egypt. So that “blood of the Lamb” would cause judgement to pass over you so that you can have eternal life. Praise God!!
Similarities between Jesus and the Passover Lamb
John 1:29 - "“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus is our Passover Lamb!
Passover through Moses = deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.
Passover through Jesus = deliverance of all who believe in Jesus, from slavery of sin.
Do this in remembrance of me:
Takeaways: