June 15 2025

Sunday June 15

Luke 22:1-13 – Jesus is Our Passover Lamb

1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. 7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. 8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat." 9 So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"

10 And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. 11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" '12 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready." 13 So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

Today we're looking at Luke chapter 22. We believe this chapter describes the events that took place on Thursday of Passover Week and what we also call Passion Week. This is the day that Jesus would prepare for the Passover with His disciples because He knew He was the Passover Lamb. Remember the story of the Exodus when the Passover lamb was killed, the blood was sprinkled on the doorpost and lintel, and the firstborn would be spared. The death angel would “pass over” that house because the blood had been applied.

What a beautiful picture when Jesus shows up three and a half years earlier and John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The next day John sees Jesus coming again and simply says, "Behold the Lamb of God." (John 1:29-35). Today I pray that you and I will behold Jesus, the Passover Lamb of God, submissive and obedient to His Father and is led as a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7 - “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth”). And Who takes away our sin, gives us forgiveness, heals us, and grants us eternal life.

Then I pray that you will behold Jesus, the Passover Lamb of God, in His beauty, courage, strength, death, burial, and resurrection. What a beautiful picture we have of Jesus in His great love for us, fulfilling John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." My friend, that word "whosoever" includes you and me.

I'm convinced Jesus Christ and God love every person on planet Earth with an eternal love, and He sent His only Son so that “whosoever—anyone”—can be saved. No one is predestined to be saved or lost; we are all called to salvation. The difference is we must choose whether we will believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Lamb of God who alone can take away our sin. When we repent, believe and receive Jesus as our only hope, we discover we are the chosen ones who believed, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, according to Ephesians chapter 1. We have an eternal choice that everyone has: to trust Christ or reject Him. He is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Jesus knows all this. He knows why He came into the world—"not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-21). We know men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. The Pharisees, scribes, and chief priests rejected Christ because of hypocrisy, and as Pilate points out, because of envy and jealousy. They loved the darkness of their religion and sin. And Jesus was infringing on their religious business. Jesus always challenges religion and religious business. He came to seek and save that which was lost. Today, trust Him.

During this time of Passover, some 100,000 to 300,000 Jewish pilgrims would flood into Jerusalem. Historian Josephus said 250,000 lambs would be slaughtered for a population of 500,000 to a million Jewish people. On this Thursday, Jesus is preparing for the Passover while the scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests are plotting to kill Him. Judas, filled with Satan's animosity and hatred for Christ and God, is led to betray Jesus. This is all taking place as Jesus prepares to be that Passover Lamb. We see the preparation for the supper take place in verses 7 through 13 as they prepare for this special commemorative meal!

Today, let us remember to get rid of the leaven of sin and bitterness in our hearts and come cleanly to the feast of the Passover with our hearts open, remembering the death of Jesus Christ till He comes.

God bless!