The Passover feast was to be kept in Jerusalem, but the supper was not eaten at the temple, but by the families or groups in the homes, as it had been in the houses that night in Egypt.
Jesus and the disciples had no homes in Jerusalem and stayed nights outside on the Mount of Olives. When Passover day came, Jesus told John and Peter to go and prepare the Passover. They asked Him where they should prepare, and He said, “Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.’”
Jesus knew where to send them, and they went, and found all just as He said, and prepared for the supper. That evening Jesus and the twelve disciples came there to eat the Passover meal.
Desire and Betrayal
The Lord Jesus may have kept the Passover feast with the disciples other years, but He especially wished to eat this one with them (Luke 22:1515And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: (Luke 22:15)). This supper was meant to show that each one eating shared in the mercy of God. He had saved their nation because of the lamb killed. Jesus valued their thanks to God and also that they had shared His life on earth (Luke 22:2828Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. (Luke 22:28)). Their love seemed a comfort to Him, when He knew He would soon die for them.
But there was one disciple who did not love the Lord. That was Judas, and Jesus knew just what he was to do, and said, “Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table ... woe [judgment] to that man by whom He is betrayed.”
When Judas heard that, he should have realized that the Lord knew the secret plan, and believed His warning, but he did not. And he again showed his deceit: when the others asked “Is it I?”, he said “Master, is it I?”, as though he had no such plan. He then went away from the house to meet the men who wanted to take Jesus (See Matthew 26:2525Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said. (Matthew 26:25); John 13:21-3021When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. 23Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. (John 13:21‑30)).
The Last True Passover
That Passover supper was the last one to be rightfully kept, because the next day Jesus fulfilled by His death all that the feast meant and much more. He became the “Lamb of God,” sacrificed to bear God’s judgment against sin, and it is written, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
The blood of the Passover lamb saved the oldest son of each family of Israel from death for one night, but the blood of Jesus was given to save all from any nation who trust in Him from eternal death.
However there are very many lessons for us now to learn from what is written of the Passover feast: how the bitter herbs teach of sorrow for sins, and the bread without leaven, of keeping sin from our ways; how all was to be done just as God directed and that all was for their blessing.
Further Meditation
1. What made this Passover feast for the Lord with His disciples so special?
2. The Lord finds fellowship with Himself in the day of His rejection to be specially sweet. What other indications are there in the gospels that He valued the faithfulness of the disciples when the multitude had no interest in Him?
3. You might find The Servant’s Path in the Day of Rejection by J. J. Penstone an uplifiting way to meditate on this subject.