Luk 22:7-13 | KingComments | STEP | Then the first day of the Unleavened Bread begins, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Time goes on and the events that have been anticipated and foretold in previous centuries are about to be fulfilled. The shadows fade away and that to which they refer, comes into the light. That the Gospel according to Luke is the introduction to Paul’s letters finds here a new proof. Paul connects the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover spiritually. He speaks of “Christ our Passover” and of “celebrate the feast … with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” ( ). Further on in the first letter to the Corinthians he speaks about the Lord’s Supper as represented here by Luke ( ; ). If we understand the Passover, we will also understand the Lord’s Supper. The Passover is about the judgment of the firstborn, the pride and strength of Egypt, but also the pride and strength of the Israelites. The firstborns could only be spared if they were hiding behind the blood of the lamb. But that is not the only thing. Sparing, not dying, is only negative. The sequel to Exodus 12 shows that God spares to take for Himself. The firstborns must be sanctified for Him. That is positive. The Passover is a feast of sanctification, a feast of dedication. The church is the “church of the firstborn” ( ). We are all of and for Him. That is why the Passover is followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Lord Jesus is not handed over to Judas or the religious leaders or the Roman government at the time they decided. He determines the time, the way, the place for the Passover and thus the time of His being handed over into the hands of men. While He knows perfectly well the evil plans that His enemies make together with the traitor, He acts in perfect dependence on His Father. His Father’s plan states that He will eat the Passover together with His disciples. So that has to happen. To prepare the Passover, the Lord sends two of His disciples, mentioned by name, Peter and John, to prepare it for them. It is striking that only they write about the Lamb in their writings ( ; ; ). Peter and John ask where He wants them to prepare it. This is also the important question for every believer today when it comes to where he will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The Lord does not give an address, but does give indications. He wants them to look out for a man they will meet and who carries a pitcher of water. There are not many men with pitchers of water walking around. Water carriers are mostly women. So it will be a remarkable appearance. They must follow him and enter the house he enters. For us, this is an important indication when it is about the question where believers will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Discovering the place where the Lord wants to come together with His own is accompanied by spiritual exercises. This was also the case when God spoke to the Israelites about the place He had chosen for His Name to dwell there ( ; cf. ; ). The man with the pitcher of water on his head represents someone who in his life – of which the pitcher is a picture – applies the Word of God – of which the water is a picture – in its cleansing power (cf. ) and does the same with regard to the place where the Lord is. The Lord uses believers who are faithful to His Word to tell other believers who also want to listen to Him and be with Him about that place of coming together. The man brings the water to the house. With that water, the Lord may have washed the disciples’ feet ( ). We must be aware that we have to submit to the cleansing power of the Word when we come together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The place where Christ gathers His own is a clean place. When they entered, they had to ask the lord of the house on His behalf, the Master, for the guest room to eat the Passover. The word ”guest room” is the same word as in Luke 2 where it is translated ”inn” ( ). It only occurs once more in the New Testament, in Mark 14, where the Lord speaks of “ My guest room” ( ). In the first guest room there was no place for the Lord ( ). This is as it were the inn of the world where there is only room for people of the world, for people ‘from below’. The Lord also does not seek a dwelling place in the world. Opposite this inn He has His own ‘guest room’ where He is the Host and invites His own to be a guest with Him. There is room there for all true disciples, however weak and often unspiritual they may be. The Lord foretells His disciples that the lord of the house will be of immediate service to them. He worked in the heart of that lord the willingness to do so, as He did in the hearts of the owners of the colt He needed ( ). He will show them a “large, furnished upper room“. The accommodation where Christ invites His own is an “upper room”, an exalted room, a room above the level of the world, a room that is connected to heaven and not to the earth. There is a heavenly atmosphere. It is also a “large” room, there is room for many. And it is a “furnished” room, a place prepared by Him, no one needs to do anything about it as if something was missing. Peter and John go on their way and it all goes as the Lord has told them. In accordance with His command, they prepare the Passover at the designated place. They didn’t look forward to a place along the way that seemed suitable to them, but they simply followed His command.

‏ Luke 22:7-13

Preparations to Eat the Passover

Then the first day of the Unleavened Bread begins, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Time goes on and the events that have been anticipated and foretold in previous centuries are about to be fulfilled. The shadows fade away and that to which they refer, comes into the light.

That the Gospel according to Luke is the introduction to Paul’s letters finds here a new proof. Paul connects the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover spiritually. He speaks of “Christ our Passover” and of “celebrate the feast … with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1Cor 5:7-8). Further on in the first letter to the Corinthians he speaks about the Lord’s Supper as represented here by Luke (Lk 22:19-20; 1Cor 11:23-26).

If we understand the Passover, we will also understand the Lord’s Supper. The Passover is about the judgment of the firstborn, the pride and strength of Egypt, but also the pride and strength of the Israelites. The firstborns could only be spared if they were hiding behind the blood of the lamb. But that is not the only thing. Sparing, not dying, is only negative. The sequel to Exodus 12 shows that God spares to take for Himself. The firstborns must be sanctified for Him. That is positive. The Passover is a feast of sanctification, a feast of dedication. The church is the “church of the firstborn” (Heb 12:23). We are all of and for Him. That is why the Passover is followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Lord Jesus is not handed over to Judas or the religious leaders or the Roman government at the time they decided. He determines the time, the way, the place for the Passover and thus the time of His being handed over into the hands of men. While He knows perfectly well the evil plans that His enemies make together with the traitor, He acts in perfect dependence on His Father. His Father’s plan states that He will eat the Passover together with His disciples. So that has to happen.

To prepare the Passover, the Lord sends two of His disciples, mentioned by name, Peter and John, to prepare it for them. It is striking that only they write about the Lamb in their writings (1Pet 1:19; Jn 1:29 ; 36; Rev 5:6). Peter and John ask where He wants them to prepare it. This is also the important question for every believer today when it comes to where he will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord does not give an address, but does give indications. He wants them to look out for a man they will meet and who carries a pitcher of water. There are not many men with pitchers of water walking around. Water carriers are mostly women. So it will be a remarkable appearance. They must follow him and enter the house he enters.

For us, this is an important indication when it is about the question where believers will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Discovering the place where the Lord wants to come together with His own is accompanied by spiritual exercises. This was also the case when God spoke to the Israelites about the place He had chosen for His Name to dwell there (Deu 12:5; cf. Song 1:7-8; Jn 1:38-40).

The man with the pitcher of water on his head represents someone who in his life – of which the pitcher is a picture – applies the Word of God – of which the water is a picture – in its cleansing power (cf. Eph 5:26) and does the same with regard to the place where the Lord is. The Lord uses believers who are faithful to His Word to tell other believers who also want to listen to Him and be with Him about that place of coming together.

The man brings the water to the house. With that water, the Lord may have washed the disciples’ feet (Jn 13:1-20). We must be aware that we have to submit to the cleansing power of the Word when we come together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The place where Christ gathers His own is a clean place.

When they entered, they had to ask the lord of the house on His behalf, the Master, for the guest room to eat the Passover. The word ”guest room” is the same word as in Luke 2 where it is translated ”inn” (Lk 2:7). It only occurs once more in the New Testament, in Mark 14, where the Lord speaks of “My guest room” (Mk 14:14).

In the first guest room there was no place for the Lord (Lk 2:7). This is as it were the inn of the world where there is only room for people of the world, for people ‘from below’. The Lord also does not seek a dwelling place in the world. Opposite this inn He has His own ‘guest room’ where He is the Host and invites His own to be a guest with Him. There is room there for all true disciples, however weak and often unspiritual they may be.

The Lord foretells His disciples that the lord of the house will be of immediate service to them. He worked in the heart of that lord the willingness to do so, as He did in the hearts of the owners of the colt He needed (Lk 19:31-35). He will show them a “large, furnished upper room“.

The accommodation where Christ invites His own is an “upper room”, an exalted room, a room above the level of the world, a room that is connected to heaven and not to the earth. There is a heavenly atmosphere. It is also a “large” room, there is room for many. And it is a “furnished” room, a place prepared by Him, no one needs to do anything about it as if something was missing.

Peter and John go on their way and it all goes as the Lord has told them. In accordance with His command, they prepare the Passover at the designated place. They didn’t look forward to a place along the way that seemed suitable to them, but they simply followed His command.