Eagerness for Passover - Luke 22:1-16

Luke 22, beginning and verse 1. Now, the Festival of unleavened bread called the Passover was approaching the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus for, they were afraid of the people than Satan entered Judas. Iscariot wanted to 12 and you just went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them, how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money, he can sense it and watch for an opportunity to hand. Jesus over them with no crowd was present, then came the day of unleavened bread on which the Passover Lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus, sent Peter, and John saying go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover. Where do you want us to prepare for it? They asked you replied. As you went to the city, A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters and say to the owner of the house. The teacher asked, where is the guest room where I'm at, eat the Passover with my disciples, he will show you a large room. Upstairs all furnished, make preparations there they left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover with the H came Jesus and his Apostles, reclined at the table, beside the van Ivy, really desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer for, I tell you, I will not eat it again. Until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. The word of God for the people of God. Thanks, be unto God. You may be seated.

sometimes, when you read the Bible, Don't you ever read it? Your rereading? It probably you come across different versus passages and you just think, I don't remember that being there, that's kind of surprising. I think, sometimes that happened in the bizarre fashion. Particularly, when you read the Old Testament, know if any of y'all have practical test with open recently, I just got done reading through Leviticus and there's just some verses in there. I was just wow I did not remember that was in the Bible. You don't know what I'm talking about. I did encourage you to crack open Leviticus and read through it sometime soon. Sometimes it's in that bizarre sense. Wow I did don't remember that. But also is also a good sense. Wow that's pretty cool. I do remember seeing that verse before. It's me. Personally that verse In this passage comes in verse 15. Read through the gospels a few times. But first 15, completely forgot about it but Jesus says to his Apostles, the 12 sitting around the table, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. then if you'll remember that verse, just out of curiosity,

The Jesus eagerly desired to eat the Passover with his disciples familiar, you might be familiar with communion and of course, the all famous line of Jesus said this is my body, this is my blood, a breaks, the bread passes around 1, right? We remember that. How many, how many of us remember that phrase that Jesus was eagerly Desiring to eat the Passover with his followers? The original Greek there. It's the same root word used in both words, eagerly and desire. So it's as if Jesus is saying back-to-back, I have desired desired to eat this Passover meal with you, or modern vernacular think it. If somebody says, I love ice cream vs. I love love ice cream. Just communicate something a little bit more, and that's certainly what the case is going on here. And Luke chapter 22. Why is that the case? Why is Jesus eagerly looking forward to this meal? I don't think it was too literally Chow Down on the bread and the juice. I don't think that's what he's eagerly. Looking forward to just having a meal physically like that. Also, I don't think just kind of reasoning through the text. I don't think it's because Jesus was eagerly. Looking forward to the company. He was going to be sharing. What do I mean by that? Well, when I hit one of the kind of typical questions you might ask somebody when you're trying to get to know them is or you might seem on those booklets about butt home. I have a book, I think it's called 1001 questions to ask to get to know somebody. I just want a random all over the place, but one of them is, if you could have a meal with somebody, famous either president or living or in history, who would it be? And then of course, why don't you think about that person? Whoever it might be and of course, your good Christian, you obviously would say Jesus, right? But besides Jesus or any biblical character, who would it be my pee? When you think about that person it's not so that you can sit there and you can talk and yeah the whole time you look forward to that meal potentially because you want to hear what they have to say about music about the world about politics about a certain hobby living about anything, okay? So You want to hear what they have to say, all right, so when it comes to Jesus, then he's eagerly looking forward to this meal. But what are the disciples talking about well, Did you know it's a 24-minute read it today. But first 24, what are the disciples yapping about around the table? A dispute also arose among them as to, which of them was considered to be greatest. I don't think Jesus was actively. Looking forward to the disciples yapping. About who's the greatest who's the best? Who's the most important? This is arrogance and pride coming out of it. So, what is Jesus looking forward to? I think it's this. As one scholar said, Jesus is excited to eat this Passover meal because quote, it was for him. The moment above all when he would explain to his followers in deeds and words, rich and heavy with meaning when he was about to do and how they could profit from it. Another Pastor, put it like this. Jesus was eager to teach them from this. Meal is the most important truth ever revealed. The meal would be transformed forever. The Passover meal that is, it celebration would become an active parable of Jesus, his own life and death. Did you catch all that? Jesus is wanting to instruct the build-up to encourage his disciples. With the gospel message with his body being broken with his blood being poured out tangibly, giving them a sign to remember and to learn these things by But before we get to that all famous phrase, verse 19, and following this is my body. This is my blood. You'll notice the context or another words, we have to situate ourselves in the contacts. Because before we get to that phrase, the word Passover or the word, the Festival of unleavened bread. As it's called, That phrase that word is mentioned, nine different times in the verses that we read this morning. So in other words, if you want to understand communion, if you want to understand the Lord's supper if you want to wrap your head around it but more so wrap your heart around it. What does it mean? What was the significance of it? Why do we do it? What's the benefit of it? Why did you see the Institute it? If you want to begin to wrap your head around, you must understand the context of the Passover. You must understand the context of the Old Testament. so, if you will turn with me to some time traveling to the Book of Exodus,

We're going to camp out here for a little while.

Exodus chapter 11.

Exodus chapter 11, what's going on? What's going on in the text? Well, keep in mind. God's people known as the Israelites. They are trapped in Egypt. They're Bound in slavery, and if you may have seen, I think it's a good movie. The Prince of Egypt musical from Dreamworks Animation that made it if it's not perfect, but it's a decent. A depiction of what what happens. People are enslaved in. Egypt, they're under harsh brutality of pharaoh lording over them. Forcing them to make bricks under the hot sun and it really just pushing them a lot harder than any human being needs to be pushed.

Know. The Lord in Chapter 3, The appears to Moses through the burning bush. Some of yall might be recalling. Some of the stories got a piercing Moses and the burning bush famously tells Moses to Moses I want you to go before pharaoh to tell pharaoh

Let my people go, okay. So, Moses Russell, screw that I'm doing some big summer is here. There are fuses, Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh. Pharaoh, let my people go. The Lord God, Almighty says, this Fair says, no, I'm not giving away my free labor, these people work hard for me, they're mine or my property, you can get out of here. So what is going to do? He sends different plagues, different massive signs, to confound to topple the Egyptian rulers, nine different plagues were sent prior. So we got just including frogs popping out of everywhere. The river turning to blood hail storms and pitch black darkness and then Farrow still refuses to submit to God. The Lord announces the very last play, the tenth plague. The one that would cut to the very heart of pharaoh, which would be the death of the firstborn son, amongst the Egyptians. This is what God announces in Exodus chapter 11. Then in chapter 12, the Lord gives Specific Instructions to the Israelites. For them to follow in Exodus 12 there to take a whole lamb without defect there to slaughter the lamb, Twilight take some of the blood and then put it on the doorpost and the door frame. The cover over their door, in a sentence. Exodus 12 verse 8 tells us more instructions that they are to follow that. Very evening that same night there, to eat the meat, roasted over the fire along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. Go to verse 11. This is how you would eat it with your cloak. Tucked into your belt, your sandals, on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste, it is the Lord's Passover. So this is the very first reference in the Bible to the word Passover right there in verse 11. Then look at verse 14 to 20. Concealer instructions, that still serve the Jewish people, of course, in the first century. But even today, verse 14. This is a day you were to commemorate the generations to come. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord, a lasting ordinance for 7 days. You would eat bread made without yeast. In the first day, of remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with Euston, from the first day of the seventh, must be cut off from Israel. The first day, hold of sacred assembly, another one on the 7th Day, do no work at all on on these days except to prepare food for everyone to eat. This is all that you may do 7 / 17. Again, celebrate the Festival of unleavened bread because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt, celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. When you read the Bible, look for repeated phrases. Has anybody noticed any repeated phrase or word in that passage? We just read?

I'm at, let me hear you. What it? What did you notice?

Celebrate, yes. Bingo. That's why I'm looking for celebrate celebrate commemorate. Remember it for Joyce is supposed to be a joyous occasion, right? Keep this in mind verses 18 to 20. What we saw, it gave us instructions not to eat. Nothing made with yeast wherever you live. You must eat unleavened bread. Now some of you already know this, for some of you might not what's the big deal about unleavened bread in the Bible and right here in Exodus 12 or eating bread without yeast. If you don't bake bread, actively in today's culture, sometimes the verbiage in scripture can get lost to us because the talks about growing crops. And what not? What we do is just walk into Walmart and buy a tomato or something, or we're blessed with Mr. A senior who's doing all the hard work for us and we can just have the Tomato ourselves or something with bread. If you don't bake bread, all you do is walk into Walmart. To get the loaf of bread, you just don't get what's going on, but those of you who know bread, typically for it to rise, you need the yeast in it. Need to put the yeast jeans, activate it, and what not? And it needs to set that needs time to set. Not here in scripture in Exodus 12 because God delivered the Israelites because he showed Mercy to them. And because they roll would come ride around and say, get out of here. This is the last straw, you Moses. And Aaron you take your people, go with God's people, get out of here and get out of here fast, because of that Israelites had to get out of there fast. They kind of just Mosey along and just so, you know, let's just have a nice. Let me put on a nice roast so we can enjoy one last meal. And I know based on that, the text here, particularly that one verse by verse 11. You look at that, this is how you would eat it. With your cloak, tucked into your belt, your sandals, on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste, it is the Lord's Passover. All of that language that the cloak tucked in your belt course, having your shoes on. And of course, I'm your staff in your hand. You need to hightail it out of there fast, when it's time to go, because my Deliverance is right around the corner and that is where unleavened bread comes into the picture. You don't have time to let the bread rise. So, therefore make it unleavened know, he used it all so that you can take it with you and have something to eat while you're traveling. So, what's the deal with 11 Grand? It's a tangible physical sign that would vividly. Remind them about God's deliverance and provision. Okay. Let's continue on a little bit, which is 24 to 26. Perhaps, this is the biggest question. You might be wondering why celebrate, why do this? Why do this in the first place? Verse 24, obabys instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants, when you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised observe the ceremony Mrs. Key right here. When your children ask you, what does the ceremony mean to you? Then tell them it is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of Israelites in Egypt, and spared our homes? When he struck down the Egyptians in the people Bow Down and Worship Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. What were they celebrating number? There's a lot of language. Celebrate commemorate. Remember Rejoice, what are they celebrating? It's kind of two components being saved from slavery, being saved and deliver from God's Wrath but also being saved into the promised land being saved into Freedom into deliverance. And this is certainly what you and Ice Christians. Today, celebrate being saved from God's Wrath and slavery to sin, but also being saved into blessing and freedom in the Lord. So Passover, what is it all about? It's about actively remembering what the Lord has done for his people. What is Passover all about? It's about the God's people. Actively remembering how God had delivered them how God had provided for them. But, please know, when the Bible talks about, remembering one of the most frequent commands in scripture, is remember, when you see that in scripture, it's not about reciting information to yourself. It's about reorienting your life around God's mercy. For example, has one Pastor notes in the Bible, a call to remember, especially when tied to a covenant sign or ceremony is a vibrant powerful, and participatory concept, where we recalibrate Our Lives, according to what's important, so think about it difficult, sample of wedding anniversary. When you remember that day, when I remember that day, which is for me, October 5th. I did get that, right? I admit you to make a little know that. So I didn't forget it up here. When you remember your wedding anniversary, it is not about remembering dry facts, you know, that it is about recalibrating reorienting, your day, maybe the whole weekend or week, whatever be, but we Orient in your day around that momentous occasion, the valves that you made years prior.

What does that mean practically? I mean by flowers and chocolate. Okay, so that makes sense, right? That's what it means to remember the anniversary. I want to comes with God when it comes to remembering God's Deliverance, remembering the Passover of celebrating, commemorating commemorating, it all these different things. It's about reorient, your life around God's, Deliverance recalibrating your life around God's mercy. And Passover is a wonderful time, which for us today in our modern calendar. Why do around Easter time, which is intentional because of what Jesus does and unpack. A communion infuses Passover, is more meaning and stuff, but it's Passover is a Time For us to reorient our lives together, around the Deliverance, grace, and mercy of the Lord. That's what Passover is all about. Sauternes with me, if you will back to Luke. 22.

Let me try to wrap all of this up tied all together.

If you were to try to explain to somebody who doesn't know the Bible very well. If you were to try to explain to them, what is the Bible? What was the message of it? Was the point of it. Very complicated. It can't be. It's very daunting massive book. If you zoom out, you look at the entirety of the Bible, you could summarize the main point as a question you could pose a question like this. How does a holy God? Have relationship with sinful, man? How does a holy God? A perfect good. Beautiful God have a relationship with broken, Wicked, sinful, messed up people. How do the two interact with one another? Well in the Old Testament, we see this. Holy God taking the initiative interacting with his people through the elaborate sacrificial system of the old Covenant. I mentioned it earlier but we threw the Book of Leviticus and gets a bad rap but we threw it to understand the specificity and how much details were involved with keeping the sacrifices. Romans chapter 3. And also the book of Hebrews tells us all of these animal sacrifices, which the Passover Lamb and one. That's a tiny component is a big component but his father's tons, more laws concerning this matter. All of us, different laws. All of those sacrifices of goats, and lambs and pigeons and all this kind of stuff. It was temporary. Does Hebrews 10 verse 4 says, it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away since it merely covers over them and only then it's temporary. Fast forward a bit, but consider the context of Christ, the New Testament. How does a holy God, have relationship with sinful, man?

1st Corinthians 5:7 is the answer. For Christ, Our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Jesus Christ is a sacrificed and all sacrifices is the Passover Lamb from the Old Testament, really foreshadowed and pointed to an alluded to and I hope you see the as Jesus is eagerly. Looking forward to eating the Passover with his followers. I hope you have a little bit more contacts as to what's going on. Because Jesus, of course, he'll have to keep in mind, Jesus was a Jew that Jesus was not a Christian just to correct some faulty thinking Jesus was a Jew, he loved the Lord, serve the Lord Faithfully. He knew the Jewish scriptures which were the Old Testament for what you and I hold today. And Jesus was a faithful, you held that customer pass over but more so. Jesus wanted to communicate the gospel message to his followers, to teach them to show them tangibly that this bread represents his body and this wine represented his blood which would soon be poured out for them. The very next day, Jesus is communicating the gospel to them. For their goods. Built them up. Next week's TV, little foretaste next week, we're going to unpack what the benefit of communion is what was the relevance for us today. But today, this is it. This is my cousin. Dear Christian. Even if you're not a Christian, if you want to understand communion, one of the centerpieces of Christianity, one of the two ordinances sets Christians, apart from other religions, the other one being baptism. If you want to understand that, you have to understand the Old Testament, specifically, you have to understand the Passover because Jesus didn't just have a random meal. He didn't just randomly sit down with his disciples of. This was rooted in God's Deliverance, in the past. God's mercy, God's provision. God's goodness in the past. What is also connecting it with what he's about to do, right around the corner. I see for you and I when we celebrate communion it's kind of the same thing. We likewise look back, we look back at what Jesus did was 1st Corinthians 11 talks about. We also look ahead to what he's about to do, what he's going to do when we have that glorious meal around the Heavenly table and Heaven, because that is what we're aiming for Unity Fellowship, communion true, communion with God. And with God's people. That's just a little foretaste of what all of this is about. I want to close by reading Hebrews 10 verses 10 to 25.

I guess here we don't know who wrote This Book terms of the human author of Holy Spirit. Inspired this course. Hebrews 10 verses 10 to 25 which I'll read and close with. This is a very beautiful Passage. The contrast, the blessings of the New Covenant against the backdrop of the old Covenant. Let me just say it again, if you want to understand communion, you must understand the Old Testament. I've heard some people say, you know I'm a new testament Christian I think it'd be more accurate to say. I'm a New Covenant Christian because the Old Testament is still very very relevant for us. Hebrews 10 verses. 10 to 25.

Then we'll close in prayer in the doxology. The Stars, everything together Hebrews 10:10, we've been made, holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day, every priest stands and performs, his religious duties again. And again, he offers the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all-time, one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. And since that time, he waits for his enemies to be, made his footstool, for by one sacrifice, he is made perfect forever. Those who are being made? Holy The Holy Spirit. Also, testifies to us about this first. He says, this is the Covenant, I will make with him after that. Time says the Lord, I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds than he had their sins and Lawless acts, I will remember no more. And where these have been forgiven sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. Therefore brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus by a New and Living Way open Forest through the curtain. That is his body. And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart. And with the foolish earns that Faith brings having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience, and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spare. One another on toward love and Good. Deeds. Not giving up meeting together a summer in the habit of doing but encouraging one, another and all the more as you see the day approaching. This is the word of the Lord.

Our Father. We ask that your kingdom come.

Jesus. May we Delight in your love. The Holy Spirit. May we stand upon the truth of your word.

In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.