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Jesus-Institutes The Christian Passover
June 27, 2020

Jesus was in Jerusalem for His final Passover before His Crucifixion. On the day when the Passover Lamb would be killed, Jesus asked His disciples to go and find a room prepared for the Passover meal. Mark records a time for us in the evening portion of this day. Overlooked by most today because in the modern era we reckon days from midnight to midnight, God always reckoned days from sunset to sunset. Looking back to the first chapter of the Book of Genesis each day of the creation week was identified as the evening and the morning. On the day when the Passover lamb was killed would have also been the time of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We know from the Biblical account that the events of the Christian Passover happen in the evening portion of the day identified as the Passover in Leviticus chapter twenty-three. It was after the sun had set in the evening portion of the Passover day that the disciples asked Jesus where He wanted to eat the Passover meal. Jesus gave them instructions to find a man with a pitcher of water and to follow him back to his house and to ask the homeowner where the guest chamber is where Jesus could eat the Passover meal with His disciples. They followed Jesus’ instructions and found the man and came to a house with a large upper room furnished and prepared.

Mark 14:12-16
And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

It was before the Feast of the Passover, the night before the sacrificing of the lamb that Jesus knew He would soon die and return to the Father, yet Jesus loved His disciples and would continue to love them. The meal was finished and Judas Iscariot was fully committed to betraying Jesus. It was with this in mind that Jesus stood up from the meal and took a towel.

Jesus took a basin and poured water into it and began to wash the feet of the disciples and wiped them with the towel that He had taken. This prompted a questioning concern from Peter who wanted to know why Jesus was washing his feet and Jesus replied that Peter would not be able to understand what Jesus was doing. Peter replied that Jesus would never wash his feet and Jesus told Peter that if Peter did not allow the foot washing, Peter would no longer be part of the disciples. With this understanding, Peter asked that his hands and head be washed as well and Jesus explained that only the feet needed to be washed to make a person clean, but that not all of the disciples were clean because Jesus already knew Judas would betray him.

After washing each of the disciples feet and sitting back down Jesus explained to the disciples what He had just done. He told them that they had correctly called Him Master and Lord. He explained that if He as Master and Lord had been willing to wash the feet of the disciples, they ought to wash one another’s feet, because the servant is not greater than the master, and because Jesus was not greater than God the Father. As we participate in the foot washing of the Christian Passover, we are happy if we do this.

John 13:1-17
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Jesus then took bread, blessed it, and broke it into pieces giving to the disciples explaining that the bread was symbolic of the body of Jesus. He also gave them a cup of wine and had them drink the wine which was symbolic of His blood of the New Testament, which was shed for the forgiveness of sins. The bread and the wine were new symbols given for the Christian Passover along with the foot washing. Jesus went on to add that He would no longer drink wine until the Kingdom of God is established on earth. Afterwards, they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:26-35
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

It would be at the Mount of Olives as recorded in John 14:1, that Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” We live in tumultuous times with the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the economic uncertainties. In the United States we also are experiencing civil unrest stemming from police brutality and racial injustices. In all of this we know that we can believe in Jesus just as we believe in God the Father and that we have a promise from Jesus to return and establish the Kingdom of God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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