Epaggelia

v12, Why did his disciples need to ask about where the Passover meal would be held? How did Jesus make arrangements without their knowledge? The Passover meal was one of the most important laws to observe and they’ve been following him for over 2 years, why wouldn’t they be prepared? To find a man carrying a jar of water, wouldn’t be hard, because usually it was women who carried jars of water. Luke 22:8 tells us which disciples are sent by Jesus to find this man, it was Peter & John. When they find the man, he leads them to the owner of the house, and they ask “The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ The words “MY GUEST ROOM” are amazing. This has been planned beforehand with serious intent! It doesn’t sound like a last minute afterthought being miraculously snapped into action. 

v13-15, Once they found the room, What was the role of the disciples in preparing for the meal? There is a certain sense of secretive service going on, while observing the Passover Meal. No one knows who owns the house, not even the disciples, so Judas would be totally unaware, and unable to use this venue as time for betrayal, but Judas was there! And the words “MY GUEST ROOM” are amazing. This has been planned beforehand with serious intent! It doesn’t sound like a last minute afterthought being miraculously snapped into action. It is very beautiful when the Master feels free to put His hand on our possessions, and claim their use. Does he not ask for the guest chamber of our inner life? Is our lifestyle at His disposal? Do we have room for Jesus to call his own in our estate? A great series of verses to read in this context is: Luke 14:33, Acts 4:32, Ephesians 1:11-14.

v16-21, The conversation around the table is directed by Jesus to emphasize betrayal. Why do you think in the middle of the Passover meal, ‘betrayal’ was needed as the topic of teaching? What is being established here is our Deliverance from betraying Jesus. All of us are guilty, and this Meal turns into the Supper we commune in our salvation. Just as the Israelites were saved as God passed over the blood in Egypt, we are saved as God passes over us with the blood of Christ in communion. Jesus has known for a long time, the evil one was amongst his own closest disciples, John 6:70, yet he still eats this Supper with him. Shouldn’t this teach us to be very slow in withdrawing fellowship from sinful Christians in our fellowship? However Judas is condemned by Jesus in v21, with real finality. In the mind of Christ, Judas Iscariot had already gone too far to return and repent and Christ knew it, as the other disciples would soon learn. The audacity of Judas to ask the question (is it I? ) even after having already talked to his enemies (14:10) is proof that Jesus is right. 

v22-24, the body of Jesus being represented as unleavened bread, which is broken and shared to be eaten is an obvious message of suffering, especially in view of the fact that Jews would see this as being in or out of fellowship. Unleavened bread was mandatory in this feast but if you ate any leavened bread that week, you were cut out of Israel’s fellowship, Exodus 12:15. So Jesus was mandating inclusive participation in his suffering, and none of them actually understood it at the time. Remember Acts 14:22. Jesus would suffer in this body, then expect us to be disciples that serve to the point of sacrificial suffering, Colossians 1:24. Isn’t it a paradox, that the spiritual body of Christ on each Sunday shares in the bread that represents his suffering for us? When Jesus offered the cup as his blood establishing a new covenant, he was on the brink of fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31-33.

v1-2, The Chief Priests and Scribes of the law cared more about how the Romans would keep their peace, than they did about how they would value human life. Their method in a stealthy arrest of Jesus was more important than the truth. This kind of deceit is a clear indication that the “father of lies”, Jn. 8:44, was using their hearts rather than the “Father of Israel”, Exodus 4:22, “This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son”, but Israel’s leaders had grown into a corrupt band of thieves, robbing God of all that was due Him. Someone had to offer a perfect sacrifice! Now it would be Jesus. They were driven to find a way to kill Christ, and later in Judas Iscariot, they would find it.

v3-5, Another occasion of anointing Jesus is during the passion week, there are at least three anointings of Christ, (Lk.7:36-50, John 12:1-8 & Mk. 14:3-11 is the same event as in Mt. 26:6-13). The only reason I’ve ever known for the Holy Spirit recording 3 different anointings is that they might be pointing to the appointment of Jesus by God as Prophet, Priest & King, but this is highly subjective, and I can’t find any scriptural context concluding for or against it. This particular anointing was very costly, it has been conservatively estimated at today’s value of $30K. In this anointing at Simon the leper’s house in Bethany, a similar criticism of the ‘wasted’ oil is made. In Jn.12:1-8, the criticism comes from Judas Iscariot in the house of Lazarus, Martha & Mary. So it seems his negative attitude is spreading and the warning Jesus gives against their criticism seems ignored. The point of purpose from the Lord’s perspective is that it signifies the holiness of Christ’s burial. Today the significance of His burial is in our baptism, by faith, herein is the venue for the Spirit’s application of a priceless atonement of his blood on our soul.  See Colossians 2:8-12. Which may be one reason, the woman should always be honorably mentioned as prophetically seeing the priceless value in his burial. The very word “Christ” means anointed. See 1st John 2:20-27 and then read 1st John 5:5-8, therein we can see the connection in thought, bringing holiness to our souls through faith in Christ’s blood during baptism. So it is no wonder that all four gospel writers take time to record anointings of Christ by people who loved Him. These anointings should encourage Christians to live holy lives avoiding sin, so that His gift of holiness to us and in us can grow the fruit of the Holy Spirit and benefit others, attracting them to His holiness, not our own.

v10-11, tells us of the greed of Judas Iscariot. When he is not able to make sense of such an expensive sacrifice he must have felt disappointment in the critique Jesus gave towards his excuse to put the expensive oil to better use. The real reason Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus is because he could see there was no financial gain in the direction His ministry was going in towards sacrifice instead of gain. (John 12:6).The leading priests were delighted when Judas contacted them about betraying Jesus because it gave them the opportunity they had been looking for, (v1) and they could later claim that Jesus had been betrayed by one of his own disciples. But even this horrible sin and potentially disastrous problem, a so-called disciple and/or apostle is causing, could be solved by Christ! A lesson for us in the church, that no problem of our own making is truly disastrous, if we are prepared to repent, but Judas Iscariot was not prepared, he killed himself. If we are not prepared to know what to do with our own guilt, we are in trouble, but if we know to take guilt to the Savior, we are saved, Acts 3:18-20