Luke 22:15-16
Verse 15 And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
Now that they are lounging around the table Jesus found the words to help His disciples know just how much spending this time with them meant to Him. While He knew this was the last time He was celebrating the Passover, He had to help the men know it was about time for things to start happening. They needed to understand how their lives were going to change dramatically in the next 72 hours.
The disciples still didn’t understand Jesus would have to suffer and die so Jesus brought it up. He began by telling them how much He had looked forward to celebrating this Passover with them. Though they didn’t know it yet, this would become one of the most memorable nights of their life. For Judas, it was probably his last evening. The rest were about to learn there had been a traitor in their midst for the last few years.
The years of Jesus’ ministry had been challenging to be sure and He knew the next 24 hours would be the hardest yet but He also knew He was getting close to being able to return to His heavenly home. He must have been eagerly awaiting His heavenly homecoming, being back in His glory, enjoying His full majesty, and leaving behind the limitations of the physical. But He also knew, at least for the time being, He was leaving behind all those He held dear and they weren’t going to have an easy life.
Just as the Israelites who had observed that very first Passover, Jesus knew this Passover marked a change in the lives of His people. The first Passover was held before sending His people on a journey where they would have to depend on God for their every need just to survive and after Jesus’ last Passover His followers, not just the disciples, would come to know what it meant to trust Him for their very survival.
As they got comfortable around the table, sitting close to those they had come to know more than most, they prepared for the meal they had celebrated many times in their lives. They may have easily dismissed the comment about suffering and turned their attention to what this meal had represented through the generations. But something was about to change and they were near learning some very important things about themselves.
Making It Personal
Have you ever had a situation where you knew it was going to be the last time you did something with a friend? How did that make you feel? What do you anticipate about going to heaven?
Making It Personal Kids
Have you ever been to a going away party for a friend who was moving? How do you feel when you lose a friend? What do you think heaven is like?
Closing Prayer
Father, that night must have been so full of mixed emotions for Jesus. Thank You for the godly friends You place in our lives. Give us wisdom to know which friends are dangerous to our spiritual health. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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