Passover

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

PASSOVER

Luke 22:7-13

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."  9 "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. 10 He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12 He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there."  13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

NIV

Once again we see the divinity of Jesus in the knowing his disciples would meet a certain man carrying a jug of water in a very crowded city full of visitors from all over who were filling the streets looking for a place to celebrate the Passover. The only way Jesus would know the exact man they would meet and to which house this man would go, and the owner of the house would have a guest room available to use, was because he was omniscient, knowing all things, because he is divine. The fact that the streets were full of travelers all seeking accommodations to celebrate the Passover and this room had not yet been booked, was again another example of his foreknowledge of things. It was the custom of the people who owned houses in the city, to let out their rooms to guests so as to celebrate the Passover. This was done with no rent required because it was the Passover. The lesson we can learn from all this is that which we already are well aware of. The Jews celebrated the fact the death angel past over their homes because of the blood of the lamb on their doorposts when they were in Egypt. This was in fact leading the Jews to see the need for the sacrificial lamb and his blood which is needed to be applied to the doorposts of their hearts in order for the death angel to once again pass over them. This also applies to us. In order for the death angel to pass over us we need to apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of our heart. Just as the Jews needed eat all of the lamb with their cloak tucked into their belts, their sandals on their feet and their staff in their hand. They were to eat it in haste. This is in contrast to coming together leaving sandals at the door, having the host wash their feet and then reclining around a table on pillows taking pleasure in the dining experience. They were to eat this Passover lamb, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.  This is how we need to approach the applying of the blood of Jesus upon the doorposts of our heart. We should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. We should not become too comfortable in our Christianity, in our man-made religious experiences. We should not become too comfortable in our lives, that we are not ready to leave immediately if called to go. We have no need to worry about death, or the death angel because he cannot take us, we have the blood of the Lamb of God poured out all over our hearts and minds. He must pass over us, and therefore we will have life and life eternal. But let us not lounge around the table, with bare feet and our cloaks hanging on the hook, with our staff sitting in the corner. Let us be always ready for the time of our Savior’s coming for us. As the Jews were supposed to consume all of the lamb, and if they failed to eat it all, they had to burn the remaining portions, we should consume all of Lamb of God, leaving nothing behind. We need to consume and be consumed by the Lamb of God. Not only should his blood be applied to the doorposts of our heart, but our heart should be that upper room where Jesus is celebrating the Passover with us. He has told us:

Rev 3:19-22

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 

NIV

Jesus wants to celebrate the Passover with us, in our hearts. We should have no room for anything else but Jesus.