Nameless

The Passover

V 7

The first Passover is when the children of Israel was in captivity

God had brought 9 plagues on to the people of Egypt

this was going to be the last plague when the death angel brought death to all of the first born in the land

but He passed over the houses of the Israelites because they had the blood of the lamb on their door posts.

the Israelites were inside their homes at that time eating the the Passover lamb on the very first passover

God then instituted the passover as an annual feast to be celebrated by the people every year

this was a meal to be eaten by the family

the main corse was the lamb

Jewish commentator Arnold Fruchtenbaum gives a few other details involved in the preparation of the Passover lamb:

1. The disciples had to go with a lamb to the Temple compound where the lamb would be checked to make sure that it was without spot or blemish.

2. The lamb would be killed at the Temple compound.

3. The blood would be poured into a bowl.

4. At the Temple there would be three long lines of Levites who would pass the bowls from one to another down the lines until it got to the altar, and the blood would be poured out at the base of the altar. This took place from 3 pm to 5 pm.

5. The lamb would be skinned and have it’s entrails removed.

6. Parts of the lamb would be left for the priests, who would bring it upon the altar.

7. The rest of the lamb would be taken home to be roasted for the Passover meal.

Kent Hughes adds some additional details on what was involved in the preparation:

It was the host’s duty to interpret each of the foods on the table as it related to their deliverance from Egypt. The bitter herbs recalled their bitter slavery. The stewed fruit, by its color and consistency, recalled the misery of making bricks for Pharaoh. The roasted lamb brought to their remembrance the lamb’s blood applied to the doorposts, their eating of the lamb within their house, and the death angel’s passing over them as it destroyed the firstborn of Egypt. The celebration concluded late, but many people returned to the streets to continue celebrating. Others returned to the temple mount to await the reopening of the temple gates at midnight, so they could spend the rest of the evening in worship and prayer

the Passover meal was eaten after sundown but finished before midnight

so probably on that morning that Jesus and the disciples were going to celebrate he instructed Peter and John to

Go And Prepare

V 8

Jesus gives instructions for Peter and John

notice He did not send Judas?

Judas is trying to get Jesus in a secluded place so that they can come and arrest Him away from the crowds

this is the last night before his death and Jesus wants to spend some quality time with His disciples

so Peter and John has a dilemma where?

V 9

Jesus tells them exactly

V 10

a man with a pitcher

this is a woman’s Job a man carrying one is a very rare thing

this is one of these scenic turn outs

here Jesus is using an unnamed man doing a unmanly woman’s job

But Jesus is using him for His honor and glory

we sometimes think that because God is not using us in a mighty way like someone else then we are someone inferior

what did Paul tell us about the body of Christ

Jesus is the head

we are some part of the body

a hand a toe a gallbladder

some people in the work of God are never seen or appreciated until we stop

Lindas Gall bladder stopped working right and boy did she know it

Mike did not give much thought to his knees until he crawled accross the floor last fall

now every step he takes he wishes his knee would work right

this man had one job to do for the king and he did it well

V 11

another unknown rich man who had what Jesus needed

an upper room

we don’t know who these men are. maybe 50 days later at pentecost these men became a part of the new church at Jerusalem.

but what we do know is that God had a mission for them and they did not disappoint

V 12

furnished with a table and rugs and pillows for the feast

V 13

their mission was accomplished because Jesus had prepared the way

Jesus sends us on missions but He also prepares our way to accomplish the mission

we a lot of times feel the prompting of God the Holy Spirit but we scare ourselves out of doing this mission

we “what if” it to death

and if we do this enough the time will pass

is that the right man carrying the water?

what if it isn’t and we go to the wrong house we will lose out opportunity to see the right man

on and on it goes

I know I do the same thing, thats why I can expertly speak on this subject

Each one of us has a gift from the Holy Spirit to build up the church

to encourage to evangelize to mourn with mourning

each one of us is a different part of the body

and each cannot do well the others job

when Mike goes in for his knee surgery the doctor is not going to take out his knee and put in a gallbladder

the gallbladder is very good for what it does but I don’t think of my gallbladder at any point in the day

I don’t brag about my gallbladder

but every body has a gallbladder unles it has stopped working and had to be surgically removed

the body of Christ has a nameless person who carries water or has a home with an upper room for the teacher to celebrate the Passover with His closes friends

Don’t be discouraged because you are nameless you have a vital mission for the King of Kings