#176 Lu. 22:7-13  PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER

Introduction:
 
	In this text the time for the annual Passover arrives
and Jesus instructed two of His apostles to prepare the
Passover meal so that He could eat the Passover meal with
them.

I.  The long history of the Passover

    V. 7, "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the
passover must be killed."  For many generations the Hebrew
people had been gathering at Jerusalem annually to celebrate
the Passover.  It all started back in Egypt when the Hebrews
were in bondage to the Egyptians.  God had commanded each
family group to kill and eat a lamb and to sprinkle the
blood of the lamb on the door posts.  Then at midnight God
sent an angel through the land to kill the firstborn male of
man and beast at every home which did not have the blood on
the door posts.  In every Egyptian home throughout the land
somebody was killed at midnight.  This included the home of
Pharoah himself.  God used this means to convince the
Pharoah to let His Hebrew people go.
	God commanded that from that time forward, the Hebrew
people were to celebrate the Passover annually.  Preparation
for the Passover supper would begin on the 13th day of
Nisan.  They would not start preparations until about 3:00
o'clock in the afternoon.  This was what we would call
"mid-afternoon" or perhaps "early evening."  But the Jews
called it "the first evening."  The meal would then be ready
to eat right after dusk dark which they sometimes called
"the second evening."
	The preparation was made on the 13th of Nisan, but the
Passover Supper was not eaten until after dark.  To us this
would be the same day.  But to the Jews darkness was the
beginning of a new day.  That may seem strange to us, but to
them that is the way it had always been.  Every evening
closed out one day and began a new day.  So they prepared
the Passover meal late in the day of the 13th of Nisan and
after dark ate it on the 14th of Nisan.

II.  Instructions to go and prepare the Passover meal

	Let us take a look at Jesus and His disciples on the
13th of Nisan at about 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon.  This
is the time that they would call "the first evening" when
most people would begin to make preparations for the
Passover.  But nobody among the disciples makes a move to
start preparations.  Time passes by and still nobody makes a
move to start preparations.  The disciples are waiting for
instructions from Jesus.  The disciples begin to get
concerned.  They wondered why Jesus did not give the word to
get started.  Finally, according to Matthew and Mark, some
of the disciples approach Jesus and ask Him, "Where would
you have us to eat the Passover?"  It was not until then
that Jesus gave the word.  Two of His apostles to prepare
the Passover meal so that He and the apostles could eat the
Passover together.
	V. 8, "And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and
prepare us the passover, that we may eat."  They repeat
their question.  V. 9, "And they said unto him, Where wilt
thou that we prepare?"  The idea is, "Where do you want us
to eat this meal?"
	Yet Jesus still did not tell them where they were to go
or where to prepare the meal or where they would eat the
meal.  Instead He gave them some rather strange instructions
for finding the place where to go and where to prepare the
meal.  V. 10-12 "And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are
entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a
pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he
entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house,
The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where
I shall eat the passover with my
disciples?  And he shall show you a large upper room
furnished: there make ready."
	The instructions that Jesus gave began with, "Go into
the city."  That is, they were to go into the city of
Jerusalem.  They were apparently out in Bethany at the time,
but they were to go into the city of Jerusalem.
	They were told that as they entered the city, they were
to watch for a man carrying a pitcher of water.  This would,
of course, be the very first man who was carrying a pitcher
of water.
	Then Jesus said, "Follow that man.  Follow the man
carrying the pitcher of water.  Follow him even when he
enters a house.  Follow him right on into the house.
	Then when you get in the house, you ask for the master
of the house and you say unto him, "Our master wants to know
where your guestchamber is located.  He wants to use your
guestchamber so that He can eat the Passover supper there."
	Jesus said, "He will take you right up to the
guestchamber and you will find it to be furnished with a
table where you can put the food.  It will also be furnished
with mats on which we can recline while we eat the meal.
Everything will be furnished but the meal.  The two of you
two will have to prepare the meal."
	Now I am sure that it does not come as a surprise to you
that Jesus knew in advance about the man who would be
carrying the pitcher.  There was a city full of people and,
no doubt, many of them were carrying pitchers of water.
They did not have running water in their homes and had to
carry water.  So how in the world did Jesus know that they
would meet the right man just as they would enter the city?
But He knew.  He knew that this would be the right man for
them to follow --- and He knew right.
    He knew supernaturally.  He knew because He is the Son
of God.  That is how He knew.  He knows all things.  He
knows even about us.  He knows all about us.  He knows what
we think and what we say and what we do.  He knows about
everybody in all the world.  There are no secrets which can
be kept from Jesus.
	But why would Jesus not just outright tell Peter and
John where they were to go and where were they to prepare
the Passover?  There was a very good reason.  Judas Iscariot
had already been to the chief priest and made a deal with
them that He would lead them to Jesus at some place away
from the multitudes.  If He had told Peter and John where
the house was located where they would eat the Passover then
Judas would be able to go in advance to the chief priests
and give them that information.  It was not that Jesus
objected to Judas leading the Jewish leaders to Him.  But He
did not want Judas to do so while they were eating the
Passover supper.  He did not want him to do so before the
time that God had appointed.
    So Jesus gave Peter and John instructions to follow a
certain man who would be carrying a pitcher of water and who
would lead them to the right.  So Peter and John set out for
the city and watched for the man who would be carrying a
pitcher of water.

III.  The preparations finished

    V. 13, "And they went, and found as he had said unto
them: and they made ready the passover."  They killed the
Passover lamb and cooked it.  They prepared the bread.  They
prepared the sop.  They got everything ready that would be
needed for the Passover meal.  If I get the picture right,
they waited right there with the meal for Jesus to come and
bring with Him the rest of the disciples.  Not one of those
disciples knew where they were going, but Jesus knew.  Peter
and John did not need to go back to Bethany and say, "Let us
show you the way to the house where we will eat the supper."
	But I want us to view the scene after Peter and John and
got the supper ready.  Everything was in readiness.  The
meal was prepared and the sun was dropping over behind the
horizon.  Lamps were lit in order to provide light while
they were eating.
    Everything was in readiness for eating the Passover.
Everything was also in readiness for the real Lamb of God to
go to the cross.  Jesus and His disciples were in the city
where the arrest, the trial and the crucifixion would take
place.  Judas had already made a deal with the chief priests
and  scribes to lead them to Jesus away from the crowd.
    It was either Him or us!  Either He would go to the
cross and die on the cross or else we would all go into the
Lake of Fire and Brimstone.  But all was in readiness and He
would not back out now.  He would go to the cross.  He would
pay the price in suffering.  All mankind would have a
Savior.  All mankind would have a Deliver.  Just as Moses
led the Children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, even so
the Lord Jesus Christ would provide deliverance for us from
our bondage of sin.

IV.  The thing that men must do in order to be saved

    Just as the blood had to be applied to the door posts in
Moses', day even so the blood of Jesus Christ must be
applied to our hearts by faith in Jesus Christ if we would
be saved.  Each one of us must place his faith in Jesus
Christ in order to be saved.  When one places his faith in
Jesus Christ to save his soul then Jesus delivers him from
sin.  Jesus delivers him from the bondage of sin.  Jesus
delivers him from the guilt of sin.  Jesus delivers him from
the penalty of sin.  He will not go to hell.  He will go to
heaven.
	I told you earlier that Jesus knows all men.  He knows
all about every man, woman, boy and girl.  If there is
someone here this morning who is still lost in sin and
headed for the fires of hell, Jesus knows all about it.  If
you are lost and headed for hell, Jesus knows about you and
He wants to set you free.  He wants to save your soul.
Jesus wants to keep you out of the fires of hell.  Jesus
wants to take you to heaven when you die.

Conclusion:
	
    Are you ready to trust in Jesus?  Are you ready to
commit your soul to Him and trust Him to save you and keep
you out of hell?  If so, will you come while our
congregation sings the invitation hymn?  Just step out and
come right on.
	If you are saved are you ready to commit your life to
Jesus?  Are you ready to give your life in service to the
Lord who has saved your soul?  Are you ready to live for Him
who was ready to die for you?  If so, will you come while we
sing?
	Are you ready to follow Jesus in baptism?  Are you ready
to present yourself to this church for membership?  If you
are saved and you hold membership somewhere else and you
wish to move your membership here, would you just step right
out of that pew and come.