Station 5: The Passover

Matthew 26:17-30

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

FOR FURTHER READING
John 13-17 | Luke 22:7-38 | Exodus 12:1-28

REMEMBER

Many years before this moment, the people of God in Israel had been enslaved to Egypt for far too long – 400 years to be exact. When Pharaoh didn’t release the Israelites, God warned him that He would send the Angel of Death to strike the households of Egypt. As a way to protect the Israelites, God instructed the head of each family to select a one-year-old male lamb without defect and slaughter it at twilight, making sure none of its bones were broken. Then they were to apply some of the blood on the sides and top of the door frame so that the destroyer would “pass over” that home.

As the disciples settled into the evening with their teacher, rabbi, and friend, they may have expected this to be a celebration of the Passover like any other year, but this evening was nothing like they had ever experienced before. As they heard Jesus share a new version of Passover with them, He was revealing that HE is the Passover Lamb. He wanted the disciples to understand that this was God’s plan – to exchange the life of His perfect, blameless, unblemished Son, the Lamb, for our freedom from slavery and death. Imagine the weight in the room when the disciples finally began to see what Jesus had said would happen all along start to unfold.  

RECOGNIZE

The Israelites were enslaved for a long time before experiencing freedom. Thinking of the parallel of their story and ours, what is something you have been enslaved to in your life? Where is God asking you to release control so He can carry the weight for you and give you a life of freedom, peace, and joy? Take some time to confess where you’re not trusting God and ask Him to give you a new heart and new beginning.

While the Passover may seem like the beginning of the end of the story for Jesus, there was hope on the horizon as He shared with them that He would rise again – a hope they hadn’t yet fully comprehended or received.

RECEIVE

Jesus, thank You. Your willingness to stand in the gap for us is so hard to understand, but I thank You anyway. Just as you set the Israelites free, I want to be free from the weight of the sins in my life. I am trusting You to release me as I lean into Your joy and hope today, for the rest of my life.