It is time for the Passover meal, Jesus sends His disciples ahead to an upper room in Jerusalem to prepare the meal. Jesus begins the meal by washing the feet of the disciples teaching them intimately of the daily spiritual cleansing and humility that is needed in serving one another in His name. Making their way through the traditional Passover meal Jesus used this time to bring to life the true meaning and significance of this particular meal ending with the replacement of the Mosaic covenant for the new covenant of the Lord's Supper. Jesus institutes a new way to worship, the broken bread represents His body given in sacrifice, and the cup represents His blood, the blood of the new covenant. Sometime during the meal, Judas Iscariot was identified as the one who would betray Jesus and left the meal. Judas had already met with the Sadducee Chief Priests and arranged the betrayal now he is going to carry it out. Following the meal Jesus talked about His leaving and His promise to return. He goes on to assure them of His resurrection and peace in all their trials. As they leave the Upper Room and make their way through Jerusalem across the Kidron valley towards the Mount of Olives, they come to a garden that lies at the base of the mountain, the garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane means "oil press", it is here the oil is pressed from the olives on the mountain, a fitting place for the pressing that Jesus endures as He agonizes over receiving the wrath of God for sin and His physical suffering that lies ahead. His anguish was so great that He prayed with loud cries and tears, the angels came to minister to Him during His distress. Although Jesus struggled with His impending suffering, He did not turn away from His duty or reliance on God but rather prayed, "Not my will, but yours be done", a perfect example to us of utter surrender.
No comments:
Post a Comment