Passion Week Musings: The Last Passover Supper

After the Olivet discourse the events documented in the Gospel’s really focuses on events of preparation leading up to the Last Supper which was a Passover meal.   Prior to that meal there are two other significant documented events.  Jesus was anointed with perfume by some woman, which Jesus described as his being prepared for burial.  During this same time the other event described in the Gospels is Judas making a deal with the religious leaders to betray Jesus.   Up until the last Supper all the tensions were mounting and the crescendo was building.   As Jesus spent time preparing both himself and his disciples for what is coming there had to be an emotional storm building in Jesus.  The anticipation of what was to come had to far more intense than anything any of us have gone through.  Tomorrows post on the Garden will touch a bit more on the emotions of Jesus.  Here the focus is really about the preparation and Jesus pointing ahead and trying to prepare his disciples for what is to come while the pieces were moving and being set into play.  Jesus focus during that last Passover supper was all on what is to come.

After all the pieces were in place, Jesus and the disciples had the Passover meal and celebration. Now if the reader is not aware, the Passover points to the night Israel was delivered from Egypt with the tenth plague, the death of the 1^st born males in Egypt.  There was instruction to sacrifice a lamb and place the blood on the doorpost, resulting in being spared having the first born killed.   The Passover meal reminds us of sin and bondage and points to God’s once and for all sacrifice in Jesus.  Jesus declared himself the “Afikomen” when he directed his disciples to eat the bread. He declared himself “salvation” when he drank the third cup.  He really told the disciples about what was coming and it would be for salvation.   Jesus also spent time giving the disciples words to remember and a significant object lesson of serving and loving one another.  His actions were all about preparing the disciples for what was ahead, even though he knew they did not understand that they could not possibly understand. When Judas left the meal, after likely dipping the parsley at the same time as Jesus and announced as a betrayer, imagine the confusion and shocked the disciples experienced.  I can imagine the indignation the disciples felt as they were told that they would all falter.  Imagine after the resurrection, the disciples talking and discussion the events of the Last Passover Supper with a new grasp and understanding that had failed them in the midst.  The point that really hits home today thinking about this, is the Jesus and the Father both spent a lot of time preparing the disciples and those around for the events that were to unfold.  The essential point here is God does prepare us for what is ahead. 

Now our being prepared is not something that we are fully aware of at the time.  We like the disciples may be confused and lost in the midst.  We wonder the who, what, when, where, and whys of things we do not grasp. Yet, God does go before us and prepare us. God is in control.  Sometimes many pieces come into play that converge, but God is not caught off guard or surprised by anything and he gives us what He knows we need, which is often different than what we think we need.  Jesus spent personal time with his disciples during an important and meaningful time to prepare them for what is to come.  As what was to come in the next few days was an apex of darkness before the point of victory occurred.  The time leading up to the Last Passover supper was all about preparation,  it was the “middle” part of the story that at the time seems insignificant and can even get  bogged down but really is the essential time as it was the time the pieces moved into place, the character moments established that build to the climax, which in the cause were the death and resurrection to come. 

In this day and age, when pieces and events seem to be moving us ever closer to the second coming, it is important to know that God has us undergoing times of preparation. Whatever we are doing and going through, it really serves to build us up and prepare us for what is yet to come.  God is working in each of our lives to give us the teaching, training, and growth needed for what is yet to come.   Each day is a day closer to Jesus return.  Just like the cross, the moment of victory will be preceded by a time of great darkness and the appearance of victorious darkness. Yet, Jesus is coming and Victory is assured.  God has prepared us for what is ahead and will go before us and lead the way.  We just need to stay the course, be sober, be alert, and remain awake.  God is and will test all claiming to be in the faith. Lines are being drawn, pieces are moving, and we are nearing the end.  It is both a terrible and glorious day.  But worry and fear not, because it is God that prepares our hearts and minds, it is he that enables us to stand firm.  Just seek and pursue truly loving God and others, walk the path God directs and points you and trust that God will prepare you for what is ahead.

The praise song The Horse and Rider- What it teaches us about the Joy of the Lord

Recently the praise song The Horse and Rider has been on my mind.  The song when sung is often done in a round. It is catchy tune but rarely have taken time to reflect more on the meaning of the little song.  Here are the lyrics (sadly could not find a video.)

THE HORSE AND RIDER:

I will sing unto the Lord
for He has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and rider thrown into the sea…

The Lord my God,
My strength and song
Is now become my victory.

The Lord is God
And I will praise Him,
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

The song is based on Exodus 15:1-2 when God delivered Israel from Egypt in the Red Sea. It is known as the Victory song. It celebrates God supernaturally intervening and giving Victory. God served as the defender of His people who he brought out of the slavery of Egypt. It is no different for those of us who have become His children and entered into His Kingdom through Jesus.  God is our strength and our defense.  The enemies are powerless even if it looks like all  is lost and darkness will overwhelm and win.  God assure victory. In fact the ultimate victory has already been declared through the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

So reflecting on this there are simple facts clearly stated.  God is our strength and song.   God as our strength  easier to grasp. God is our defense, or shield our covering, our attack force, and so on.  All measure and concept of strength is found in God and He shows it on an ongoing basis. 

The harder to grasp concept is God is our song.  In thinking about this song really is about a response.  Now often the words have been used as shield and reference defense but the concept of praise and source of joy is also appropriate. In essence, a response to the difficult and trying times including times of wilderness call for response beyond self.   In a sense this song and passage really reflects the concept of the Joy of the Lord. 

It is also interesting that if you think about strength and song they reflect male and female characteristics.  Strength is masculine and denotes the ability to take initiative.  Responding to others  a feminine characteristic and the use of song reflects that.  So the song really points to God being our initiative and response. In Him alone is totality and the source of all strength. 

In this is His Joy,  God’s initiative and response, including Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Godhead fully engaged, fully relating to us.  There is nothing that can stand, ever.  This is the source of Joy in the Lord.  Nothing can stand before Him. Not mountain, not sea, not armies, not disease, not sin, not suffering,  not anger, not hate, not a thing. If we grasp even a wisp of the totality of God and His initiative and His response we have no other response but to rejoice.  In God alone is victory and it has been declared and demonstrated with All that God is, His entirety. 

Now, these thoughts come at an interesting time here.  Prayer and thought has been going into writing an article on coping with acute stress relation in part to minister to the Livesay’s and others.  The writing has not come easy, the words have not yet really flowed.  The thought is that may be in part because the starting point is the Victory Song.  That whatever we have endured, gone through God has been there.  He has been our strength and song.  In the midst He is there.  So whatever words I say that point to skills and means of coping, they would be empty without first this recognition.  For the Joy of the Lord is our strength. The Joy of the Lord is in His Victory and His Victory involves His totality in both initiation and response.  It is His Love which is so Amazing. So take time and Rejoice and Rejoice again.  For YHWH is our Strength and Song.  He is our victory.