Prepared to Passover

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

PREPARED TO PASSOVER

 

Mark 14:12-16

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."  16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

NIV

We could spend some time on this whole Passover that was established while the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt. It is interesting how that all came about regarding having to kill a perfect lamb, one without spot or blemish, and put its blood on the doorposts of their homes, so the death angel would Passover their homes. The Jewish people have celebrated that Passover to this day, although it is unlikely many of them actually kill a lamb, as the disciples of Jesus did this day that Mark records. Although he does not say that, the Greek version includes the fact they had already killed the lamb and asked Jesus where should they prepare the Passover meal. That would have to include cooking the lamb, and all the rest of the items customary for the meal. Perhaps they had already had cooked the lamb, we just do not know those details. However, there is another interesting truth within this narrative. When the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare the Passover meal, he gave them instructions regarding finding this man with a water jar and that he would meet them, or there you will meet this man carrying the water jar.  Within the Greek, it may have meant they would meet this man, rather than this man would meet them, which would indicate the man was looking for them. It seems more likely they would be looking for the man carrying a water jar. It is just interesting but may mean nothing that a man was carrying a jar or pitcher of water, a task that must likely was usually done by the women of that era. Nevertheless, they found him, just as Jesus had said and they prepared the Passover. What is notable is that Jesus knew about the man who was carrying the water jar. This again, proves his divine nature and his being able to see all things. What we do not know is if this was revealed to him, or he simply had the divine knowledge because he was God in the flesh. We have to believe it was because He is God in the flesh, and thus knew all things concerning His creation. It is true that He constrained himself in a human form and within the framework of time, time that he created for our purpose. Still, he saw that man which we have to believe there was no prearranged agreement between the man and Jesus. So we are left with the undeniable truth that Jesus is divine and has all knowledge of all things at all times, as before creation, during creation, while he was on earth, and now and forevermore. What that means for us, is that his eye is upon us, He watches over us as a caring parent. We are not without his care, his watchfulness. This would also mean those who are still living outside salvation, have the ever-watchful eyes of Jesus on them as well. Jesus sees all, nothing escapes his watch. Every aspect of our lives is within his sight, and because we accept him as our Lord and Savior, it also means he is our Good Shepherd, whose voice we know as the sheep of his flock and who he knows each of us, as his own. What a joy to have that type of relationship with our Lord, to be so intimate, having Him knowing us and watching over us. Of course, we would also note that as his disciples killed the Passover lamb, Jesus is the ultimate Passover Lamb, and as we are in Christ, we have sprinkled his blood over the doorpost of our hearts and thus the death angel has to Passover us, for oh death where is thy sting? Death has no hold on us, for it must Passover our hearts, and we are then freed from the bondage of sin and death and are headed for the Promised Land. We have been prepared to Passover.