Read: Mark 14:12-16
He will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. (v. 15)
There was no mistake that it was during the Jewish feast of the Passover that Jesus and his disciples found themselves nearing Jerusalem. Little did the disciples realize that one greater than the lambs being sacrificed in the temple nearby was in their midst. Very soon, Jesus, the Lamb of God, would take away the sins of the world by his sacrifice on the cross.
But the disciples were concerned about where they would eat the Passover. A room had to be reserved and preparations had to be made. Evidently, Jesus had already made the preparations. Designating two disciples, he instructed them to go into the city and look for a man who was carrying a jar of water. That detail may not mean much to us, but a man carrying a jar of water would stick out like a sore thumb—such a task was always done by women. They were to follow this man and he would lead them to “a large upper room.”
It was there that Jesus, the true “Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7), would give new meaning to the Passover meal. In what we have come to know as the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus broke the bread as a sign of his soon to be broken body and shared the cup as a sign of his blood to be shed for our sins. —John Koedyker
As you pray, ask God to prepare your heart to receive him in all of life’s opportunities and challenges.
About the Author
Rev. John Koedyker has been a pastor in the Reformed Church in America for more than forty years. His ministry began in Japan where he served as a missionary for ten years. After that he has served churches in Iowa and Michigan. He has served as the Stated Clerk of Muskegon Classis, RCA, for the past sixteen years and also presently serves as pastor of congregational care at First Reformed Church of Grand Haven, Michigan. John has written a number of times previously for Words of Hope and he has a bi-monthly religion column in the Grand Haven Tribune. He is married to Marilyn, and they have four grown children and seven grandchildren.
