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Commentary on Luke 22 verses 7–20
What a hopeful prospect had we of Christ's doing a great deal of good by his preaching in the temple during the feast of unleavened bread, which continued seven days, when the people were every morning, and early in the morning, so attentive to hear him! But here is a stop put to it. He must enter upon work of another kind; in this, however, he shall do more good than in the other, for neither Christ's nor his church's suffering days are their idle empty days. Now here we have,
I. The preparation that was made for Christ's eating the passover with his disciples, upon the very day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed according to the law, Luk 22:7. Christ was made under the law, and observed the ordinances of it, particularly that of the passover, to teach us in like manner to observe his gospel institutions, particularly that of the Lord's supper, and not to neglect them. It is probable that he went to the temple to preach in the morning, when he sent Peter and John another way into the city to prepare the passover. Those who have attendants about them, to do their secular business for them in a great measure, must not think that this allows them to be idle; it engages them to employ themselves more in spiritual business, or service to the public. He directed those whom he employed whither they should go (Luk 22:9, Luk 22:10): they must follow a man bearing a pitcher of water, and he must be their guide to the house. Christ could have described the house to them; probably it was a house they knew, and he might have said no more than, Go to such a one's house, or to a house in such a street, with such a sign, etc. But he directed them thus, to teach them to depend upon the conduct of Providence, and to follow that, step by step. They went, not knowing whither they went, nor whom they followed. Being come to the house, they must desire the master of the house to show them a room (Luk 22:11), and he will readily do it, Luk 22:12. Whether it was a friend's house or a public house does not appear; but the disciples found their guide, and the house, and the room, just as he had said to them (Luk 22:13); for they need not fear a disappointment who go upon Christ's word; according to the orders given them, they got every thing in readiness for the passover, Luk 22:11.
II. The solemnizing of the passover, according to the law. When the hour was come that they should go to supper he sat down, probably at the head-end of the table, and the twelve apostles with him, Judas not excepted; for it is possible that those whose hearts are filled with Satan, and all manner of wickedness, may yet continue a plausible profession of religion, and be found in the performance of its external services; and while it is in the heart, and does not break out into any thing scandalous, such cannot be denied the external privileges of their external profession. Though Judas has already been guilty of an overt act of treason, yet, it not being publicly known, Christ admits him to sit down with the rest at the passover. Now observe,
1.How Christ bids this passover welcome, to teach us in like manner to welcome his passover, the Lord's supper, and to come to it with an appetite (Luk 22:15): "With desire I have desired, I have most earnestly desired, to eat this passover with you before I suffer." He knew it was to be the prologue to his sufferings, and therefore he desired it, because it was in order to his Father's glory and man's redemption. He delighted to do even this part of the will of God concerning him as Mediator. Shall we be backward to any service for him who was so forward in the work of our salvation? See the love he had to his disciples; he desired to eat it with them, that he and they might have a little time together, themselves, and none besides, for private conversation, which they could not have in Jerusalem but upon this occasion. He was now about to leave them, but was very desirous to eat this passover with them before he suffered, as if the comfort of that would carry him the more cheerfully through his sufferings, and make them the easier to him. Note, Our gospel passover, eaten by faith with Jesus Christ, will be an excellent preparation for sufferings, and trials, and death itself.
2.How Christ in it takes his leave of all passovers, thereby signifying his abrogating all the ordinances of the ceremonial law, of which that of the passover was one of the earliest and one of the most eminent (Luk 22:16): "I will not any more eat thereof, nor shall it by any more celebrated by my disciples, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God." (1.) It was fulfilled when Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, Co1 5:7. And therefore that type and shadow was laid aside, because now in the kingdom of God the substance was come, which superseded it. (2.) It was fulfilled in the Lord's supper, an ordinance of the gospel kingdom, in which the passover had its accomplishment, and which the disciples, after the pouring out of the Spirit, did frequently celebrate, as we find Act 2:42, Act 2:46. They ate of it, and Christ might be said to eat with them, because of the spiritual communion they had with him in that ordinance. He is said to sup with them and they with him, Rev 3:20. But, (3.) The complete accomplishment of that commemoration of liberty will be in the kingdom of glory, when all God's spiritual Israel shall be released from the bondage of death and sin, and be put in possession of the land of promise. What he had said of his eating of the paschal lamb, he repeats concerning his drinking of the passover wine, the cup of blessing, or of thanksgiving, in which all the company pledged the Master of the feast, at the close of the passover supper. This cup he took, according to the custom, and gave thanks for the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and the preservation of their first-born, and then said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves, Luk 22:17. This is not said afterwards of the sacramental cup, which being probably of much more weight and value, being the New Testament in his blood, he might give into every one's hand, to teach them to make a particular application of it to their own souls; but, as for the paschal cup which is to be abolished, it is enough to say, "Take it, and divide it among yourselves, do what you will with it, for we shall have no more occasion for it, Luk 22:18. I will not drink of the fruit of the vine any more, I will not have it any more drank of, till the kingdom of God shall come, till the Spirit be poured out, and then you shall in the Lord's supper commemorate a much more glorious redemption, of which both the deliverance out of Egypt and the passover commemoration of it were types and figures. The kingdom of God is now so near being set up that you will not need to eat or drink any more till it comes." Christ dying next day opened it. As Christ with a great deal of pleasure took leave of all the legal feasts (which fell of course with the passover) for the evangelical ones, both spiritual and sacramental; so may good Christians, when they are called to remove from the church militant to that which is triumphant, cheerfully exchange even their spiritual repasts, much more their sacramental ones, for the eternal feast.
III. The institution of the Lord's supper, Luk 22:19, Luk 22:20. The passover and the deliverance out of Egypt were typical and prophetic signs of a Christ to come, who should by dying deliver us from sin and death, and the tyranny of Satan; but they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, that brought us up out of the land of Egypt; a much greater deliverance shall eclipse the lustre of that, and therefore the Lord's supper is instituted to be a commemorative sign or memorial of a Christ already come, that has by dying delivered us; and it is his death that is in a special manner set before us in that ordinance.
1.The breaking of Christ's body as a sacrifice for us is here commemorated by the breaking of bread; and the sacrifices under the law were called the bread of our God (Lev 21:6, Lev 21:8, Lev 21:17): This is my body which is given for you. And there is a feast upon that sacrifice instituted, in which we are to apply it to ourselves, and to take the benefit and comfort of it. This bread that was given for us is given to us to be food for our souls, for nothing can be more nourishing and satisfying to our souls than the doctrine of Christ's making atonement for sin, and the assurance of our interest in that atonement; this bread that was broken and given for us, to satisfy for the guilt of our sins, is broken and given to us, to satisfy the desire of our souls. And this we do in remembrance of what he did for us, when he died for us, and for a memorial of what we do, in making ourselves partakers of him, and joining ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant; like the stone Joshua set up for a witness, Jos 24:27.
2.The shedding of Christ's blood, by which the atonement was made (for the blood made atonement for the soul, Lev 17:11), as represented by the wine in the cup; and that cup of wine is a sign and token of the New Testament, or new covenant, made with us. It commemorates the purchase of the covenant by the blood of Christ, and confirms the promises of the covenant, which are all Yea and Amen in him. This will be reviving and refreshing to our souls, as wine that makes glad the heart. In all our commemorations of the shedding of Christ's blood, we must have an eye to it as shed for us; we needed it, we take hold of it, we hope to have benefit by it; who loved me, and gave himself for me. And in all our regards to the New Testament we must have an eye to the blood of Christ, which gave life and being to it, and seals to us all the promises of it. Had it not been for the blood of Christ, we had never had the New Testament; and, had it not been for the New Testament, we had never know the meaning of Christ's blood shed.
But should any one say, "If on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples of our Saviour prepare the Passover, on that day then should we also celebrate the Passover;" we answer, that this was not an admonition, but a history of the fact. It is what took place at the time of the saving Passion; but it is one thing to relate past events, another to sanction and leave them an ordinance to posterity. Moreover, the Saviour did not keep His Passover with the Jews at the time that they sacrificed the lamb. For they did this on the Preparation, when our Lord suffered. Therefore they entered not into the hall of Pilate, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. (John 18:28.) For from the time that they conspired against the truth, they drove far from them the Word of truth. Nor on the first day of unleavened bread, on which the Passover ought to be sacrificed, did they eat their accustomed Passover, for they were intent upon something else, but on the day after, which was the second of unleavened bread. But our Lord on the first day of unleavened bread, that is, on the fifth day of the week, kept the Passover with His disciples.
Our Lord, in order to leave us a heavenly Passover, ate a typical one, removing the figure, that the truth might take its place.
First observe the greatness of His divine power. He is talking with His disciples, yet knows what will happen in another place. Next behold His condescension, in that He chooses not the person of the rich or powerful, but seeks after the poor, and prefers a mean inn to the spacious palaces of nobles. Now the Lord was not ignorant of the name of the man whose mystery He knew, and that he would meet the disciples, but he is mentioned without a name, that he may be counted as ignoble.
Or the pitcher is a more perfect measure, but the water is that which was thought meet to be a sacrament of Christ; to wash, not to be washed.
Now in the upper parts he has a large room furnished, that you may consider how great were his merits in whom the Lord could sit down with His disciples, rejoicing in His exalted virtues.
(Hom. 81. in Matt.) But as they knew not to whom they were sent, He gave them a sign, as Samuel to Saul, as it follows, And he said unto them, 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. (1 Sam. 10:3.)
By the day of unleavened bread of the Passover, He means the fourteenth day of the first month, the day on which, having put away the leaven, they were accustomed to hold the Passover, that is, the lamb, towards evening.
As if to say, We have no abode, we have no place of shelter. Let those hear this, who busy themselves in building houses. Let them know that Christ, the Lord of all places, had not where to lay His head.
To explain this Passover, the Apostle says, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. (1 Cor. 5:7.) Which Passover in truth must needs have been slain there, as it was so ordained by the Father's counsel and determination. And thus although on the next day, that is, the fifteenth, He was crucified, yet, on this night on which the lamb was slain by the Jews, being seized and bound, He consecrated the beginning of His sacrifice, that is, of His Passion.
They prepare the Passover in that house, whither the pitcher of water is carried, for the time is at hand in which to the keepers of the true Passover, the typical blood is taken away from the lintel, and the baptism of the lifegiving fountain is consecrated to take away sin.
But they said: Where do you wish us to prepare? We do not have a dwelling, we do not have a tent. Let those who are concerned with building houses and who think about the construction of grand porticoes hear this, those who are delighted by the display of precious marbles and ceilings adorned with gold, let them recognize Christ, the Lord of all, who had no place to lay his head. And for this reason, his disciples asked him: Where do you wish for us to prepare the Passover for you to eat?
Now on the same fifth day He sends two of His disciples to prepare the Passover, namely, Peter and John, the one in truth as loving, the other as loved. In all things showing, that even to the end of His life He opposed not the law. And He sends them to a strange house; for He and His disciples had no house, else would He have kept the Passover in one of them. So it is added, And they said, Where will thou that we prepare?
He sends them for this reason to an unknown man: to show them that He voluntarily underwent His Passion, since He who so swayed the mind of one unknown to Him, that He should receive them, was able to deal with the Jews just as He wished. But some say that He gave not the name of the man, lest the traitor knowing his name might open the house to the Pharisees, and they should have come and taken Him before that the supper was eaten, and He had delivered the spiritual mysteries to His disciples. But He directs them by particular signs to a certain house; whence it follows, And ye shall say to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, &c. And he will show you an upper room, &c.
By the day of unleavened bread, we must understand that conversation which is wholly in the light of the Spirit, having lost all trace of the old corruption of Adam's first transgression. And living in this conversation, it becomes us to rejoice in the mysteries of Christ. Now these mysteries Peter and John prepare, that is, action and contemplation, fervid zeal and peaceful meekness. And these preparers a certain man meets, because in what we have just mentioned, lies the condition of man who was created after the image of God. And he carries a pitcher of water, which signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit. But the pitcher is humbleness of heart; for He giveth grace to the humble, who know themselves to be but earth and dust.
(non occ.) And perceiving these signs, the disciples zealously fulfilled all that had been commanded them; as it follows, And they went, and found as he had said unto them, and made ready the Passover.
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SUMMARY
Luke 22:9 captures the disciples' earnest inquiry to Jesus regarding the logistics of preparing the Passover meal, a pivotal moment preceding the Last Supper. This question, "Where wilt thou that we prepare?", reflects their readiness to obey Jesus' prior instruction to make ready for this sacred feast, highlighting their practical concern for fulfilling the command and setting the stage for Jesus' divinely guided instructions that would follow.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse immediately follows Jesus' directive in Luke 22:8 to Peter and John, instructing them to "go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat." Their question in verse 9 is a direct and necessary response, demonstrating their willingness to comply but also their need for specific guidance. The subsequent verses (Luke 22:10-13) reveal Jesus' precise, almost prophetic, instructions for finding the location, underscoring His divine foreknowledge and control over the unfolding events leading to His crucifixion. This dialogue is integral to the narrative of the Last Supper, setting the physical and spiritual scene for the institution of the New Covenant.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Passover (Pesach) was one of the most significant annual festivals in Judaism, commemorating the Israelites' miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt, as detailed in Exodus 12. It involved specific ritual preparations, including the removal of leaven, the sacrifice of a lamb, and the consumption of bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Families and groups would gather in Jerusalem to observe the feast. Given the large crowds during Passover, finding suitable accommodations and preparation spaces was a practical challenge. The disciples' question reflects this logistical reality, seeking clarity on where they could properly observe the ritual requirements in a city bustling with pilgrims.
Key Themes: Luke 22:9 contributes to several overarching themes within the Gospel of Luke and the broader biblical narrative. It highlights the theme of Discipleship and Obedience, as Peter and John promptly respond to Jesus' command, demonstrating their commitment to following His instructions. It also subtly reinforces Jesus' Divine Sovereignty and Foreknowledge, as He already knows the specific location and provides detailed directions, even before the disciples ask. Furthermore, the meticulous preparation for the Passover meal foreshadows the profound Sacred Significance of the Last Supper, where Jesus would reinterpret the ancient Passover rituals through His own body and blood, instituting the New Covenant and transforming the meal into a memorial of His ultimate sacrifice.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Luke 22:9 employs several literary devices. The primary device is Dialogue, presenting a direct exchange between the disciples and Jesus. This immediate back-and-forth highlights the disciples' active participation and their dependence on Jesus' guidance. There is also an element of Implied Obedience, as the disciples' question itself confirms their willingness to follow Jesus' command from the previous verse. Their seeking of specific instructions, rather than questioning the command itself, underscores their submissive posture. Furthermore, the seemingly mundane logistical query serves as Foreshadowing for Jesus' divine foreknowledge, which is dramatically revealed in the subsequent verses as He provides remarkably precise details about finding the upper room, hinting at His supernatural awareness and control over circumstances.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 22:9, while brief, is rich in theological implications, underscoring the nature of discipleship and divine guidance. The disciples' question, "Where wilt thou that we prepare?", exemplifies a posture of humble inquiry and readiness to serve, acknowledging Jesus' authority and seeking His precise will. This moment highlights that true obedience often involves not just willingness but also seeking clear direction from the Lord, trusting that He has a specific plan and purpose for every task. It also subtly points to Jesus' divine sovereignty, as He is not caught off guard by their question but already possesses the foreknowledge to provide exact instructions, demonstrating His control over even the seemingly ordinary details of His redemptive plan.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Luke 22:9 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers, inviting us to reflect on our own posture in discipleship. Just as Peter and John sought specific guidance from Jesus, we too are called to humbly inquire of the Lord when faced with tasks, decisions, or uncertainties in our lives. Our readiness to serve must be coupled with a desire for divine direction, recognizing that God's ways are often higher than our own. This verse encourages us to move beyond mere willingness to active seeking of God's will, trusting that He will provide the necessary "where" and "how" for our obedience. It reminds us that even in the seemingly mundane aspects of life, God's sovereignty is at work, orchestrating details for His greater purposes. Our role is to be attentive, responsive, and expectant of His guidance, knowing that He desires to lead us in paths that glorify Him and advance His kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the disciples asking "Where wilt thou that we prepare?"
Answer: The question signifies several important aspects. First, it demonstrates their obedience and readiness to fulfill Jesus' command to prepare the Passover meal, indicating they are not questioning the what but the where. Second, it highlights their dependence on Jesus' authority and guidance, acknowledging that He has a specific plan and location in mind. Third, it sets the stage for Jesus to reveal His divine foreknowledge, as He subsequently provides remarkably precise instructions for finding the upper room (Luke 22:10-12), subtly underscoring His control over all events, even the logistical details leading up to His passion.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 22:9, with its focus on preparing the Passover meal, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus Himself as the true Passover Lamb. The disciples' question about where to prepare points to the sacred space where Jesus would inaugurate the New Covenant, transforming the ancient Jewish feast into a memorial of His own redemptive work. Every detail of that Passover preparation, from the chosen location to the unleavened bread and wine, was divinely orchestrated to foreshadow Jesus' imminent sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, whose blood marks us for salvation, just as the blood of the Passover lamb protected Israel. The preparation for the meal points to the ultimate preparation for our salvation, accomplished through Christ's body broken and blood shed on the cross. His words, "This is my body, which is given for you" and "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:19-20), reveal that He is the fulfillment of all that the Passover anticipated. Through Him, we are not merely delivered from physical bondage but from the spiritual slavery of sin, entering into a new and eternal covenant sealed by His perfect sacrifice, as beautifully articulated in Hebrews 9:11-14.