22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and 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. Luke 22
The Lord’s sacrifice, when He became our Passover Lamb, was the high point of His ministry here on earth and the greatest ever victory for humanity. It’s also interesting that each of the first three gospels record that those who murdered Him, ‘were afraid of the people’, so they came for Jesus in the dark of night. Those who oppose the rule of God and His Kingdom are still, ‘afraid of the people’, rising up to overthrow them. Christ won a magnificent victory for all mankind on the cross, but we His followers, still have to enforce that victory and walk in it now.
Today is recognised as the day when Christ shared the Passover Supper or Last Supper with His disciples before going to the cross. Despite the suffering that lay ahead of Him, Christ began to speak of the time in the distant future when it would find fulfilment in the Kingdom of God.
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God.’ Luke 22
Though the Lord hadn’t yet given His body nor shed His blood on our behalf He instituted the new covenant whereby men could stand in righteousness before Almighty God. ‘Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin’ Hebrews 9:22. Jesus bled for each of us so that we might be free from the guilt of sin before a Holy God.
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22
Thank You Lord for Your Sacrifice for all of us.
May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.