Preparing for Passover

The first day of the festival of Unleavened Bread is when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus called Peter and John to him, saying “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us.”
They asked “Where shall we do this?”

He said “A man carrying a water jug will meet you when you go into the city. Follow him into the house he enters. Tell the owner of that house ‘The Teacher says “My time is at hand, so I ask where your guestroom is so that I may celebrate the Passover meal with my disciples.” He will then show you a large furnished room upstairs ready to use. That is where you should prepare for our dinner.”

Peter and John left and found everything exactly as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

MT 26:17-19, MK 14:12-16, LK 22:7-13

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet

Before the Passover festival began, Jesus knew that it was now the time when he was to leave this world and return to God. He loved the people who had been sent to him and stayed with them to the end.

The Devil put the thought to betray Jesus into the heart of Simon Iscariot’s son Judas before the Passover meal began.

Jesus knew that he had received everything he had from God, that God had sent him, and that he was going to return to God. Therefore, he got up from the table, put his robe aside, and tied a towel around himself. He then put water into a basin and started to wash his disciple’s feet and dry them with the towel that was tied around him.

When he got to Simon Peter, he was asked “Lord, why do you want to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but you will later.”

“You shouldn’t ever be the one to wash my feet!” Peter exclaimed.

“If I don’t wash you, then you have no right to say you are my disciple.” Jesus countered.

“Then wash my hands and head too!” Peter said.

Jesus replied “If you’ve bathed, you only have to wash your feet to become clean. You are clean, but not everyone is.” Jesus said that not everyone was clean because he knew who was going to betray him.

JN 13:1-11

The meaning of foot washing

Jesus reclined at the table after he had finished washing their feet and had put his robe back on. He said, “Do you know what I was doing for you? You say that I am your Lord and your Teacher. It is right that you say this, because I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher wash your feet, you should wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example of how you should treat each other.”

JN 13:12-15

Betrayal at the Passover

Jesus arrived in the evening with his 12 disciples at the place where they were going to celebrate the Passover. While they were reclining at the table to eat, Jesus’ spirit was troubled and he said, “Mark my words: one of you who is eating with me right now will betray me!”

MT 26:20-21, MK 14:17-18, LK 22:21, JN 13:21

“This doesn’t apply to all of you. I know well everyone I have chosen. But the scripture must be fulfilled which says ‘The one who eats bread with me has raised his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now in advance so that when it does happen you will believe in me.”

JN 13:18-19
“The Son of Man will be betrayed as it has been foretold, but woe to the one who betrays him! It would have been easier for him if he had not been born!”

LK 22:22, MK 14:21, MT 26:24
The disciples were distressed and began to argue among themselves as to who it would be and saying to Jesus “Surely it isn’t me Lord?

MT 26:22, LK 22:23, JN 13:22
The disciple that Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus. Simon Peter gestured to him to ask Jesus who he meant. He leaned in close and asked him “Lord, who is it?”

JN 13:23-25

Judas, the one who was to betray him, asked “Surely it isn’t me, Teacher?”
Jesus answered him “You have said it.”

MT 26:25

“The one who will betray me is the one who dipped his bread in the bowl with me.”

MT 26:23, MK 14:20

“He is the one that I give the bread to after I have dipped it.” After he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Satan entered Judas after he ate the piece of bread. Then Jesus told him “What you are about to do, do quickly.” Judas went out immediately after receiving the piece of bread from Jesus. It was nighttime by this point.

No one at the table knew why Jesus had said this to Judas. They thought that since Judas kept up with all of their money that Jesus was telling him to go buy what they required for the festival or to give money to the poor.

JN 13:26-30

The first Lord’s Supper

When it came time to eat, Jesus reclined at the table with his apostles. He said to them “I have looked forward to sharing this Passover meal with you before my suffering starts. I will reveal to you now that I won’t eat it again until what it represents has come to fruition in the kingdom of God.”

LK 22:14-16

Jesus then took unleavened bread, and after offering a blessing for it and breaking it into pieces, gave it to his disciples, saying “Take and eat, this is my body, which is offered for you. Do this to remember me.”

Then he took a cup of wine and, after offering a blessing for it, gave it to them and they all shared in drinking from it. He said “This is my blood of the new covenant. It is poured out for you and for many so that sins may be forgiven. Truly, from now on I will not drink the fruit of the vine until when we will drink it together in the kingdom of my Father.”
After singing psalms, they all went to the Mount of Olives.

MT 26:26-30, MK 14:22-26, LK 22:17-20

The dispute over greatness

Then the disciples began to argue among themselves as to which one of them was the best.

Jesus said to them “The Gentiles have kings that rule over them and they are granted the honorific title of ‘Benefactor’, but this should not happen with you. Instead, whoever is the most important among you should act like the youngest, and the leader should act like a servant. Who is more important – the one who sits at the table or the one who serves him? Normally it is the one at the table. But here I am being a servant. You are the ones who supported me when I was tested. I have granted you a kingdom, in the same way that my Father granted one to me, so that we may dine at the same table in the kingdom of God. You will all sit on thrones and judge the 12 tribes of Israel.”

LK 22:24-30

The new commandment

After Judas had left, Jesus said “The Son of Man is now glorified, and God is glorified through him. God will also give glory to him in himself, and will do it immediately.

Friends, I’m here with you for just a little longer. I’m telling you just as I told the authorities – you’ll search for me but you cannot go where I am going.

This is a new commandment that I’m giving you – love each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you must also love each other. People will know you are my disciples if you love each other.”

JN 13:31-35

Peter’s denial predicted

Then Jesus said to them “All of you will falter because of me tonight, because it is written ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep and his flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been resurrected, I will travel ahead of you to Galilee.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where you going?” Jesus answered him, “You cannot follow me where I am going right now, but you will go there later.”

Then he added “Simon, Simon, be on your guard! Satan has asked to be able to sift all of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you personally that your faith will be strong. I hope that when you have turned back, you will strengthen your brothers.”

Peter said “I will not run away even if everyone else does! Lord, I am ready to follow you to prison and even to death!”

Jesus replied “Will you die for me? Truly, you will deny that you know me three times before the rooster crows this very day!”

Peter told him “Even if I have to lay down my life for you, I will never deny that I know you.”

All the disciples repeated these words.

MT 26:31-35, MK 14:27-31, LK 22:31-34, JN 13:36-38

Taking provisions

Jesus said “Did you ever need anything when I told you to go out without money, clothes, or any other provisions?”

“No” they answered.

“But now, if you have a wallet, take it – and a suitcase too. If you don’t have a sword you should sell your coat to buy one. Mark my words: the scripture must be fulfilled through me which says ‘And he was numbered among the thieves.’ Yes, what is written about me is happening.”

“Look, Lord, there are two swords here,” they said.

“That is plenty!” he told them.

LK 22:35-38