How does Luke 22:15 reflect Jesus' understanding of His impending sacrifice? Text of Luke 22:15 “And He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.’ ” Immediate Literary Setting Luke places the sentence at the opening of the final Passover meal (22:14-20). The verse precedes the institution of the bread and cup, so Jesus’ words frame the entire supper as an interpretive key: the meal looks backward to the Exodus, forward to the cross, and onward to the consummated kingdom (22:16-18). Historical Passover Backdrop Passover commemorated the deliverance of Israel through the blood of an unblemished lamb (Exodus 12:1-14). First-century sources (Josephus, Antiquities 14.337; Mishnah Pesachim) confirm that by Jesus’ day each family or fellowship group would share a lamb sacrificed at Jerusalem’s temple. By stating His longing to eat “this Passover,” Jesus ties His impending death to the sacrificial lamb—an echo of John 1:29 and 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Messianic Self-Consciousness Throughout Luke Jesus has predicted His passion (9:22, 9:44, 18:31-33). Here He locates the predictions in a liturgical act. By choosing the Passover evening, He explicitly identifies Himself with Isaiah’s Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:7 “like a lamb to the slaughter”) and with the covenant blood sprinkled at Sinai (Exodus 24:8; cf. Luke 22:20 “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you”). Voluntary Nature of the Sacrifice The longing is not born of fatalism but of sovereign purpose (John 10:17-18). Jesus controls the timing (“the hour has come,” cf. Luke 22:53) and the symbolism (bread broken, cup poured). His desire underscores that He offers Himself willingly, fulfilling Psalm 40:7-8, “I delight to do Your will.” Eschatological Horizon Verse 16 immediately follows: “For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” . The clause shows that the present sacrifice opens a future feast (Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 19:9). Thus His suffering is both climax of the old age and portal to the messianic banquet. Canonical Harmony Matthew 26:26-29 and Mark 14:22-25 parallel Luke but omit the explicit “eager desire.” John 13-17 supplies the inner discourse. Together the Gospels present a coherent picture: foreknowledge, voluntary substitution, covenant inauguration. Early creed material (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, c. AD 35-40) matches Luke’s outline verbatim, demonstrating that the church’s earliest strata understood the verse exactly as Luke reports. Typological and Theological Unity Luke’s language reflects a single redemptive storyline: • Passover lamb—Christ the Lamb (Exodus 12; 1 Peter 1:18-19). • Old covenant blood—new covenant blood (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 9:14-22). • Exodus deliverance—greater Exodus from sin (Luke 9:31, Gr. exodos). Across roughly 1,500 years of Scripture (Usshur’s chronology: Exodus c. 1446 BC; Luke c. AD 30), the pattern holds, underscoring divine authorship. Psychological and Relational Dynamics Behaviorally, intense anticipation before suffering often seeks meaningful connection. Jesus chooses covenantal fellowship. His shared meal forges community identity that will persist after His death (Acts 2:42). This mirrors attachment research: shared rituals cement group cohesion in crisis. Implications for Salvation Luke 22:15 shows that salvation is grounded not in accident but in divine intent. The sacrifice is substitutionary (“for you,” v.20), exclusive (“no other name,” Acts 4:12), and effectual (Romans 5:8-9). The believer’s response is trust and participation in the covenant meal—reflected today in the Lord’s Supper, proclaiming the death that saves until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). Practical Application 1. Worship: approach Communion with reverent gratitude; Christ longed for that fellowship. 2. Assurance: the cross was planned and desired; your redemption is secure. 3. Mission: proclaim the same Passover-fulfilled message; the kingdom banquet still awaits. Luke 22:15, therefore, is Jesus’ own commentary on His impending sacrifice: deliberate, loving, covenantal, and eschatologically hopeful—a single sentence that binds together the entire drama of redemption. |
    |