March 30, 2025
by Pastor Chuck SwindollScriptures: Luke 22:1–2
On His last night with His disciples, Jesus celebrated the Passover as devout Jews had been doing for centuries. Appropriately, He used that feast of remembrance to turn their attention to His own approaching death.
The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is also called Passover, was approaching. The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction. (Luke 22:1–2 NLT)
On His last night with His disciples, Jesus celebrated the Passover as
devout Jews had been doing for centuries. Appropriately, He used that feast
of remembrance to turn their attention to His own approaching death.
Picture Jesus and His disciples reclining in a casual circle around a low
table, facing each other and eating the Passover meal. Those men had eaten
that meal all their lives, much as Americans have eaten Thanksgiving meals.
The disciples had no idea how significant this gathering would be. They
were barely paying attention, eating, and talking among themselves.
Sometimes these men could be downright contentious, and this was one of
those times. They even argued over who would be the greatest in the
kingdom.
Many folks today view the Twelve as immortal saints of the faith—our
spiritual forefathers—but that night, they had no concept of what lay
ahead: that Jesus would leave them and go to the cross, and their faith
would be tested as never before in the fires of persecution.
If we could only gain a sense of what that moment must have been like for
those twelve, suddenly disoriented disciples. Today, we have at our
fingertips the four gospels and the other books of the Bible, as well as
centuries of teaching and writings, to help us put this event into
perspective. But there are occasions when we need to relax in the
simplicity of faith and quietly meditate on the upper room, where Jesus
broke the brittle, flat bread and told His disciples to eat it, reminding
them that it was a symbol—a tangible picture—of His body that would soon be
given on their behalf.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
—ISAAC WATTS