“I have earnestly desired ..."

Luke 22:14-34 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.¹⁵ And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”²⁰ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. ²¹ But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. ²² For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.

²⁴ And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. ²⁵ And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’²⁶ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

²⁸ “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; ²⁹ and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you ³⁰ that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; ³² but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” ³⁴ And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

Today’s text begins saying: When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.  And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;  for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says:  “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”   In the same way that Jesus fulfilled the law, He Himself was the fulffillment of the Passover. Just as the blood of the lamb put over the door posts of the Israelites marked and protected them from the angel of death in Egypt, so too does the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, mark and save from death all who believe. Just as Jesus said:  “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”  To the disciples then, He says today:  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) In Luke 19:10 Jesus says:  “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  It was and is Jesus earnest desire to seek and save the lost. Now as then Jesus seeks, Jesus knocks, He died on the cross, once for all to fulfill both the law and the Passover, that by His blood we might be saved, redeemed from sin and reconciled to God.

The text says:  When He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”   The new covenant was to fulfill what the old covenant, the covenant of the law could not. The law only provided that sins could be atoned for. The new covenant provides redemption from sin. Under the old covenant people were required to make offerings and sacrifices for their sins. Under the new covenant, Jesus is the perfect offering and sacrifice. Still, a covenant is an agreement between to parties and each is responsible to uphold their portion of the agreement for it to be in force. Jesus fulfilled His part 2000 years ago on the cross, there is nothing else that needs to be offered or sacrificed for sin. Still when He seeks, when He knocks, each person must choose whether or not they will answer, open and believe. All that is necessary has been done by Jesus. It was and is His earnest desire to fulfill the law and the Passover, yet just as the Israelites had to actually obey and apply the blood to their door posts; each individual needs to act in faith and obedience to Christ.

Today’s text ends saying:  “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”  But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”  And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”   Like Peter, we too may be sifted. We will be tempted and tried by the devil. But, Jesus has also prayed for us, that our faith would not fail. In John 17:20-26, in the garden, Jesus prayed:  “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;  that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”  Romans 8:34 says:  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.   Jesus prayed and prays for each one, first that we would believe and receive; then that our faith would not fail and we would endure the trial we face. He has done all that needs to be done to fulfill the law and the Passover. In John 16:33 He says:  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”   Jesus has also done all that needs to be done for us to overcome every trial and tribulation we face.

Take courage. Have peace. Believe, receive and obey in faith.

Thank You Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, that everything I need is fulfilled in Your life, Your death and Your resurrection. I believe. By the power of the Holy Spirit may I walk in obedience and faith that, as You prayed, I might be one with You and the Father.  Amen.