“The Passover lamb”

Read Luke 22:1-65

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The events of these next four days were the fulfilment of the whole ministry of Jesus (1 Cor.15:3-4). On the Thursday evening, Jesus met with his disciples for the Last Supper, a Passover meal. Passover commemorated God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt (Ex.12:1-30). Through his death Jesus fulfilled the Passover festival, bringing deliverance from the captivity of sin (1 Cor.5:7)

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It was a long day followed by a long night and the account of it is a long one. So let’s simply take time to reflect on each section of Luke 22 in turn, without any comment:

• The leaders plot against Jesus (1-2)

• Judas agrees to betray Jesus (3-6)

• Preparation for the Passover (7-13)

• The institution of Communion (14-20)

• The prediction of betrayal (21-23)

• Greatness in God’s kingdom (24-30)

• The prediction of Peter’s denial (31-34)

• Warning of difficult days ahead (35-38)

• Praying in Gethsemane (39-46)

• Betrayal and arrest (47-53)

• Taken to the high priest’s house (54; Mk.14:53-59)

• Peter disowns Jesus (55-62)

• Jesus is mocked and beaten (63-65)

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“Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place, condemned he stood; sealed my pardon with his blood; Hallelujah! what a Saviour.”