Over the next 72 hours, Jesus will fulfill prophecy, redeem a lost world and create a path for restored relationship between man and God.
Prior to the Passover Meal…
In the Upper Room, Jesus, the King of kings, washes the disciples’ feet as a model of servanthood and explains how one of the disciples will betray him. At this point, Judas has already made plans to betray Christ.
Passover Meal
During the meal, Jesus redefines the Passover feast, explaining that He is ushering in the New Covenant described by God through the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. “Take this bread and cup…my body and blood…do this in memory of Me.”
The disciples unknowingly ate the last supper with the Passover Lamb himself, the only one able to “take away the sins of the world” through his blood shed on the cross. Just like when the Israelites spread the blood of a lamb on their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over their house, so will Jesus deliver us from slavery through his death on the cross as the Lamb of God.
Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
Ezekiel 11:17-20, ” ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And I will give them one heart and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
Additional Scripture Reading: Exodus 12:1-28, Numbers 9:1-14, 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26
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In the Garden
After the Passover meal, Jesus and the disciples leave the upper room and head back across the valley to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is experiencing serious anxiety while praying in the garden-even sweating blood.
“Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley when He left the Upper Room and walked to a garden called Gethsemane, literally meaning “pressing” in Hebrew because of the nearby olive press (John 18:1). Here, among the olive trees, Jesus and His disciples spent time together. And here, on the night He was betrayed, Jesus poured out His soul to His Father. The Messiah was in such agony—pressed hard in the garden of pressing—His sweat dropped like blood.” (source)
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me…yet, not my will but your will be done.” Jesus embraced the Father’s will with perfect obedience-for our redemption and his Father’s glory.
Judas Iscariot comes to the garden with temple guards to arrest Jesus. Through the night, Jesus will endure three trials by Jewish leaders and priests-all in violation of Jewish law mandating that trials be held in daylight. He will be accused and convicted of blasphemy – a crime punishable by death.
Additional Scripture Reading: Luke 22:7-46, John 13:2-17, Philippians 2:1-11