How does Luke 22:1 foreshadow the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion? Luke 22:1—The Stage Is Set “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching.” Passover: A Built-in Prophecy • Exodus 12: The night Israel’s firstborn were spared through the blood of a spotless lamb. • John 1:29—John calls Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” • 1 Corinthians 5:7—“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” • The approaching feast signals that the true Passover Lamb is about to fulfil everything the original meal only pictured. Unleavened Bread: A Picture of Sin Removed • Leaven symbolised corruption (Matthew 16:6; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8). • For seven days the nation ate bread without leaven, rehearsing the removal of sin. • Jesus’ sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) qualifies Him to be the perfect, unleavened sacrifice for sinners. Divine Timing Meets Human Plotting • Crowds swell in Jerusalem for the feast, heightening tension (Deuteronomy 16:16). • Leaders fear public backlash (Luke 22:2), so they look for a covert way to seize Jesus. • God’s sovereign calendar ensures the crucifixion coincides precisely with Passover, fulfilling type and prophecy. Crowded City, Secret Arrest • Packed streets make a daytime arrest risky; night becomes the chosen moment (Luke 22:53). • Judas’s betrayal (Luke 22:3–6) provides inside access when the crowds thin, advancing the plot foretold in Psalm 41:9. From Commemoration to Fulfilment • What Israel remembered—deliverance through a lamb’s blood—Jesus accomplishes in real time for the world (1 Peter 1:18–19). • The verse’s simple calendar note quietly signals that the final, once-for-all sacrifice is imminent. Key Takeaways • Luke 22:1 is more than a date stamp; it telegraphs the gospel’s climax. • The Passover setting identifies Jesus as God’s ordained Lamb. • The unleavened feast underscores His sinless nature and our call to live cleansed lives. • God turns human conspiracy into redemptive victory, right on schedule. |
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