Luke Bible Study, Day 35
Today’s passage: Luke 22:7–20
Focus verse:“Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” (Luke 22:8)
Moses institutes Passover as a meal eaten just before the people leave Egypt to return to the land God promised for them through Abraham. For this first Passover meal they eat in haste, dressed for a quick departure for a long journey.
With no time for yeast to rise, they eat bread with no leaven in it, as in unleavened bread. For their main course, they dine on roasted lamb.
They take blood from the lamb and brush it on their doorposts. This signals to God to “pass over” their homes when he strikes down the firstborn in each family (Exodus 12:1–28).
To remind them of this first Passover, God wants them to observe this ceremony when they reach the promised land. Throughout the centuries, the people repeat Passover as an annual celebration.
Jesus wants to celebrate Passover, the day of unleavened bread, with his disciples—one last time. He sends Peter and John to prepare the meal.
They ask, “Where?”
Jesus gives them a curious answer. He tells them that when they get to the city, they’ll see a man carrying a jar of water. They’re to follow him. He’ll enter a home.
They should find the owner and say, “The teacher asks, ‘Where’s the guestroom for him to eat Passover with us?’” Talk about cryptic.
Peter and John obey Jesus, and the owner shows them a room already furnished. There they prepare for the Passover meal.
Later Jesus and his disciples recline at the table to enjoy the Passover feast. He’s eager to share this meal with them. It’s his last supper.
Jesus starts the meal with a cup of wine in his hand and gives thanks to God. He tells them to share it and says he won’t drink wine again until the kingdom of God comes.
Then he breaks the unleavened bread into pieces and passes it to them. This symbolizes the sacrifice he will make with his body.
After the meal he takes another cup of wine. This time he says, “This cup represents a new covenant made with my blood, which I shed for you.”
This is the first Communion.
Questions:
- Do we approach Communion in awe over what Jesus did, treat it as a ritual we must complete, or struggle somewhere in between?
- What must we do to make the celebration of the Lord’s Supper a more meaningful experience?
[Discover the three other accounts about communion in Matthew 26:26–29, Mark 14:22–24, and 1 Corinthians 11:23–34.]
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Read more about the book of Luke in Dear Theophilus: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, now available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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