How can we faithfully "prepare the Passover" in our daily spiritual practices? Opening up Matthew 26:19 “So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.” (Matthew 26:19) The verse highlights simple, wholehearted obedience. The disciples listened, trusted, and acted. Their pattern guides every believer who wants Passover truths to shape daily life. Understanding Passover’s Purpose • Exodus 12:3-14 establishes Passover as deliverance through the blood of the lamb. • God called it “a memorial” to be kept “for the generations to come” (Exodus 12:14). • In the Upper Room, Jesus revealed its ultimate fulfillment in Himself (Luke 22:19-20). Christ: Our True Passover Lamb • “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) • His blood secures eternal protection, just as the lamb’s blood shielded Israel’s homes (Exodus 12:13). • Daily preparation centers on remembering and applying this finished work. Practical Ways to “Prepare the Passover” Daily Obedience like the disciples’ expresses itself through habits that rehearse redemption: • Start each morning by thanking the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:12). • Read a Gospel passage daily, letting Christ’s words direct attitudes, plans, and reactions. • Set aside time to examine the heart, inviting Scripture to expose hidden sin (Psalm 139:23-24). • Confess promptly and receive cleansing through His blood (1 John 1:7-9). • Share meals with family or friends while recounting God’s deliverance stories; keep Christ at the table conversation. • Celebrate the Lord’s Supper regularly with your congregation, approaching the bread and cup in reverence and joy (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). • Practice hospitality, opening the home as the Israelites opened theirs for the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:4). • Serve the needy in Christ’s name, reflecting the Servant who washed feet during the Passover meal (John 13:14-15). Guarding the Leaven of Sin • Passover required removing every trace of yeast (Exodus 12:15). • “Get rid of the old yeast… the yeast of malice and wickedness.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) Daily application: – Reject habits that quietly inflate pride or bitterness. – Replace them with “the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” – Keep short accounts with others, pursuing reconciliation swiftly (Ephesians 4:32). Living in Continual Remembrance • Israel retold the exodus yearly; believers recall the cross continually. • Simple cues help: a cross on the desk, Scripture cards at the sink, psalms on the commute. • Each reminder turns ordinary moments into sacred rehearsals of redemption. Anticipating the Ultimate Supper • Jesus promised, “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29) • Every earthly preparation points toward the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). • Living ready means cultivating hope, purity, and faithful service until He comes. Daily obedience, deliberate remembrance, and earnest expectation—these actions echo the disciples’ readiness in Matthew 26:19 and keep the Passover reality alive in every ordinary day. |
    |