Luke Part 3 Week 18

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

Luke 22:7-9 

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. 

Background is now given for the Last Supper Jesus would have with His disciples. Peter and John were sent to go and “prepare the Passover meal.” They were not sure where this was to be done so they asked Jesus for directions. 

REFLECT 

What would you have thought if you were Peter and John? Notice they did not ask how to prepare the meal but where to prepare it.  

RESPOND 

This is the Thursday before the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. Some call it “Maundy Thursday.” John 13:34 records Jesus’ words, “A new commandment I give to you. . . .” The word “commandment” in Latin was mandatum or maundy from which the English “mandate” is derived. Because this was spoken on Thursday; hence, the expression “Maundy Thursday.”  

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

Luke 22:10-11 

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?’” 

Jesus told Peter and John how to find the place where they were to prepare the Passover meal. In that culture it would have been strange to see a “man carrying a pitcher of water” as that was normally a woman’s task. They were to follow that man to his house and ask the owner where their Teacher could have a guest room to eat the Passover meal with His disciples. 

REFLECT 

Do you find it interesting to learn about the culture in other countries?  

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about some customs where you live that are characteristic of women but usually not of men. Talk about spiritual leadership in the home as you read Ephesians 5:21-33. 

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

Luke 22:12-13 

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. 

Although the disciples were only to ask for a “guest room” Jesus said the owner would take them to a “large room that is already set up.” This was a better situation than was requested. This is evidence that Jesus knew ahead of time what would occur. Peter and John “found everything just as Jesus had said.”  

REFLECT 

Does it impress you that Jesus had all-knowledge although He seldom revealed it? 

RESPOND 

Philippians 2:5-11 indicates that Jesus emptied Himself of expressing His divine privileges when He took on human form. Only occasionally did He exhibit any of them while on earth. One example is John 1:45-49 as well as this incident about preparing for the Passover meal.  

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

Luke 22:14-16 

¹⁴ When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. ¹⁵ Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. ¹⁶ For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” 

Although modern English translations sometimes use the expression that they “sat down” at the table, the custom in that day was they “reclined” at the table. Notice how special this time was to Jesus because He was eager to eat the Passover meal with them before His suffering began. He would not eat that meal again until His kingdom was set up on earth. 

REFLECT 

Have you seen artwork of Jesus and the disciples reclining at meal time? That was the custom in the first century. 

RESPOND 

Consider the artwork you have seen of the Last Supper. Are the disciples shown as sitting on seats or are they shown as reclining as they did in that day. Most were right handed so they leaned on their left arm and ate with their right.  

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

Luke 22:17-18 

¹⁷ Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” 

The “cup of wine” was the common drink at the meal. Jesus simply picked it up and talked about it. He declared He would not drink of it again “until the Kingdom of God has come.” When the Virgin Birth of the Messiah was promised, His future earthly kingdom was also referred to in Luke 1:31-33.  

REFLECT 

Is it difficult for you to anticipate that Jesus will eventually reign on earth?  

RESPOND 

Jesus’ earthly reign is difficult for some to imagine, yet they frequently pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, KJV). See also Revelation 20:1-7 for six references to the “thousand years” and what will occur during that time.