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259. Preparations

Exodus 12:1-10, Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-17, Luke 22:7-13
Key Verse: He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, "The teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with My disciples, at your house."
Matthew 26:18

Well, when we put it all together, we know that Peter and John are the two disciples that Jesus sent on ahead to get things ready for the Seder. We never learn just whose house had the famous Upper Room, but my understanding is that it is speculated that it may have been associated with John Mark's family who may have been related to Peter. Isn't it interesting that this is a detail that God doesn't deem important. The fact that the house had an upper room, may say something about the wealth of the family since many of the houses were mostly one room with a platform for eating and sleeping and the lower part housed the chickens and so forth at night. In the poorer houses, socializing took place on the roof in the cool of the evening, but if this house had an actual upper level, it may have been one of the more well to do homes of Jerusalem.

If you've ever attended a Seder, or a Christian version of the Seder, or a presentation by an organization such as Jews for Jesus, then you know that preparation for the Seder has evolved since the original meal described in Exodus 12.

Today, the meal is guided by a kind of script called a "Haggadah." This script helps to guide, act out and remember the Jews' release from captivity. There are four acts to the dinner, separated by four glasses of wine. There is the cup of Sanctification, the cup of Deliverance, at which the plagues are remembered, the cup of Redemption, (we will be looking more closely at this later), and the cup of Praise, to end the Seder.

The plate of the Seder is arranged with unleavened bread, (matzo today), greens, (often parsley for dipping), bitter herbs, (a variation of horse radish), a sweet paste called Charoset, as a reminder of the mortar for the bricks made in Egypt, and salt water is present as a reminder of the bitter tears shed while the people were suffering in bondage. The Lamb shank and roasted egg are later additions after the time of Jesus' day to remember the destruction of the temple of His day.

Throughout the evening, the movement of the meal will guide worship and remembering what the Lord has done for His people. It also looks forward to what He will do. If only His disciples had realized that the author of the meal was among them. If only they understood that He was their true sacrificial lamb.

John and Peter prepared a meal to remember history with the master, unaware that history was in the making. The wine would be purchased. The lamb would be roasted. The ceremonial plates would be prepared to tell, what they thought, was a familiar story. In Truth, it would actually prove to be the beginning of a new chapter in the history of God with His people.

Hymn: "As We Gather At Your Table"

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