Saturday in the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13

His Time Is at Hand

The day is Thursday in the afternoon, the first day of Passover in which the lamb was sacrificed, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the weeklong celebration of the liberation of the people of Israel from their Egyptian bondage, some fourteen-hundred years before Jesus’ time (or twelve-hundred, depending on dating).  This was the quintessential festival of the Jewish Church which served as the type or shadow of the good things to come through Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God without spot or blemish which the Passover lamb foreshadowed (Hebrews 8:5; 9:11; 10:1).

Today’s passage is about the disciples coming to Jesus and asking him, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”  It is obvious that they had not discussed this matter.  Jesus answers as one who had already planned it out: Go to the city where a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.  Follow him to whatever house he enters and then speak to the master of the house in this way: “The Teacher says, ‘Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’”  And then he will show you a large upper room ready for you to make preparations for the meal.  And then the passage ends with, “And the disciples … found it just as he had told them….”

It is a question as to whether Jesus made reservations ahead of time with people whom he knew so that he could evade the authorities who were watching him, or if this is another one of our Lord’s miraculous signs.  There is no way to answer definitively, but the way the passage ends in both Mark and Luke with the disciples finding things just as Jesus said indicates to me the miraculous; I mean, why say that, if Jesus coordinated events ahead of time?

Matthew includes a line that Mark and Luke don’t.  There, the disciples begin by saying to the master of the house, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”  It’s more than a command.  Were it not Jesus, it would be arrogant presumption!  But the master of the house obeys; his house is the Lord’s house.  And why is this?  Because the Lord’s time is at hand.  I need your house and I need it now to celebrate Passover with my disciples.  It will be a solemn time when I shall institute a new Supper that my Church will observe, which shall proclaim my death until I come (1 Corinthians 11:26).  Our Lord does more than merely command; he expects, because his and our time is at hand.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist