In the days preceding the arrest and execution of Jesus, before His resurrection and return to the Father, Christ prepared His followers for what was to come. The resurrection of Lazarus, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the Temple – all seemed to indicate victory for the Messiah. But the cost had yet to be paid.
Secluded in the upper room, celebrating the Seder meal, Jesus revealed to His disciples the coming fulfillment of the Passover. The significance of the meal established so long ago took on new meaning. The bitter herbs, the blood of the Lamb, the bread without leaven – no longer only symbolic of the salvation of the children of Israel but of the sacrifice that would remove barriers between man and God and bring all who would follow into the presence of the Father.
When He took the Cup of Blessing and Redemption after the Passover meal, Jesus created a new covenant, promised by God to the prophet Jerimiah, replacing the one broken by the Children of Israel.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people… I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
But before this blessing could be shared, judgment had to be satisfied. In the agony of Gethsemane, Jesus put Himself in the will of God so that redemption might be poured out on all believers.
And so it is for us to come to the Upper Room, to drink from the Cup of Blessing and to share in the Bread of Life offered in the words of our Lord. His message was not only for the disciples but for each one who would follow the Savior. Our God is Eternal and His truths “endure to all generations.”
In the coming weeks preceding the celebration of Easter, we invite you to join us as we examine the message of Jesus to the eleven, preparing them, not only for His death, but for the responsibility of victory. In His words, we find strength, encouraging us to grow in our faith and in our witness so that “the world may believe.”
( The Series “From the Upper Room” will be posted through April 16 and written by different women in the Crossfire ministry.)