Knowing The Word in Luke 22:7-13, The Passover with the Disciples

John gives the fullest and longest account of Jesus’ Passover dinner with his disciples; Luke gives the second longest. Only Luke tells us that Jesus sends Peter and John out to prepare for the Passover. On the surface, this planning is last minute, considering all the people in Jerusalem. While people opened their homes for free to Passover pilgrims, one would not expect to find a room already prepared last minute. Usually women carried water in jars and men in skins, making the man carrying water in a jar an obvious sign for Peter and John. Interestingly, not all the Jews followed the same calendar for Passover. There is an argument that makes both John and the synoptics right in stating that the Passover is both on Thursday and Friday. Perhaps Jesus is following his own calendar that makes Passover on Thursday. He then takes that Passover and makes it a new Passover fit for the New Covenant. The Jews, then, follow a different calendar that has Jesus killed on the day before Passover begins in the evening at the same time the lambs are being slaughtered for the evening meal. The priests are following their own sacrificial calendar and practices associated with the Old Covenant while Jesus is following his own associated with the New Covenant.

Luke 22:7-13

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Prayer

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Book of Common Prayer