PREPARING FOR THE PASSOVER

PREPARING FOR THE PASSOVER 
After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead Caiaphas the High Priest unintentionally prophesied that Jesus’ death would not be for Israel only, but for all the children of God scattered around the world, and from that time on the Jewish leaders began plotting the death of Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus then stopped his public ministry and left Bethany, near Jerusalem, and went to the edge of the desert, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there for a while with his disciples before returning to Bethany. Reading on now in the next chapter of the Gospel of John.
John 12:1 As the Passover approached, many people came to Jerusalem early for the cleansing rituals, and in the Temple they whispered, “Will Jesus come?” And hearing this the chief priests and Pharisees warned everyone to report him so they could arrest him. Six days before Passover Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead. A dinner was held in Jesus’ honour and while Lazarus reclined with Jesus Martha served, and Mary came and poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair, with the fragrant aroma filling the house. 
Judas Iscariot objected to Mary doing this, pretending to care for the poor, though he often stole from the disciples’ funds, and Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She’s preparing me for burial. The poor you will always have with you, but not me.” Crowds gathered, wanting to see both Jesus and Lazarus, while the chief priests even plotted to kill Lazarus, since many were believing in Jesus because of him. The next day, news of Jesus’ arrival spread, and as Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover week the whole city was stirred. People in the crowd were saying “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee, and the large crowd came out to meet him waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosannah. blessed is the King of Israel!” 
Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey, fulfilling the prophecy from Zechariah: “Don’t be afraid, people of Israel. Your King comes, riding on a donkey’s colt.” But the disciples only understood this later, after Jesus was risen in glory. 
Jesus then went into the Temple into the court of the gentiles and drove out the Temple money changers, angrily overturning their tables while they were selling doves at exorbitant prices to the visiting Jewish pilgrims. He said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you’ve turned it into a den of thieves!” And the blind and the crippled came to him in the Temple, and he healed them, but when the chief priests and religious leaders saw the miracles and heard children shouting, “God bless the Son of David!” they were angry. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Jesus. “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you read the Scriptures? ‘Even children and infants will give praise.’
Those who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus spread the word, which drew even more people, and the Pharisees were getting desperate and said, “We’ve lost, everyone’s following him!” Some Greeks who had come for Passover asked Philip if they could meet Jesus and Jesus responded, “The time has come for me to be glorified. Like a grain of wheat, I must fall into the ground and die in order to produce a harvest of new life in the earth. Those who cling to life will lose it; those who give it up for my sake will gain eternal life, and anyone who wants to follow me must go where I go, and the Father will honour them.” Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify your name,” and a voice from heaven replied, “I have, and I will again.” Some thought it was thunder; others said an angel spoke. But Jesus told them, “The voice was for your sake, and now is the time for a time of crisis that will test and assess the world. When I’m lifted up, I’ll draw everyone to me,” referring to his death.
 The crowd was confused. “Isn’t the Messiah supposed to live forever?” Jesus answered, “Walk in the light while you have it. Then you will become children of light.” After saying this, he left and stayed out of sight for a short time, and despite all his miracles, many still didn’t believe. But Isaiah had prophesied this, saying their eyes and hearts would be hardened so they wouldn’t turn and be healed. Yet some leaders did believe, but kept silent, fearing the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue because they valued human praise more than` God’s. Then Jesus came back to speak once again to the crowd and cried out, “If you trust me, you’re trusting God who sent me. I’ve come as light into the darkness. I didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. But those who reject me and my words will be judged by the truth I’ve spoken. These are not my own words—they’re from the Father, who gives eternal life. And I say exactly what he tells me to say.” Reading on into the next chapter of John – Chapter 13:1
On the evening of the Passover supper, Jesus knew his time on earth was ending and he would soon return to the Father, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot to betray him during the supper. Jesus, fully aware of his own divine origin and destiny, showed his deep love for his disciples by getting up from the table, removing his robe, wrapping a towel around himself, and beginning to wash their feet. When he reached Peter, Peter protested, “Lord, you shouldn’t be washing my feet! Jesus said, “You don’t understand now, but you will later.”
Peter insisted, “Never! “Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you can’t share life with me.”  Then wash my hands and head too!” Peter said. Jesus told him, “A person who has bathed only needs their feet washed to be fully clean. And you are clean—though not all of you,” referring to Judas who would betray him. After washing their feet, Jesus put on his robe and asked, “Do you understand what I’ve done? You call me ‘Lord’ and ‘Teacher’—and rightly so. And if I, your Lord, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s. I’ve just given you an example of what serving means —you know that I have served you so serve one another, and you’ll be blessed. “I’m not speaking to all of you; I know whom I’ve chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: ‘The one who shares my bread will betray me.’ I’m telling you now so when it happens, you’ll believe. Anyone who welcomes my messenger welcomes me—and the One who sent me.” Deeply troubled, Jesus said, “One of you will betray me.” The disciples were all stunned, and each one said to him ‘Is it I Lord, except for John who leaned in and asked, “Lord, who is it? ” Jesus answered, “It’s the one I give this piece of bread to.” Then he dipped it and gave it to Judas Iscariot. As soon as Judas ate it, Satan entered him. Jesus said to Judas, “Hurry—go and do what you must do.” 
The others didn’t understand—some thought Jesus was sending Judas out to buy food or give money to the poor. Judas left quickly, stepping into the night. Once he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, and God will be glorified in him. Dear children, I’ll be with you only a little longer. You’ll look for me, but you can’t come where I’m going. “So I give you a new command: love one another as I have loved you. Your love for each other will show the world that you are my disciples.” Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “You can’t follow me now—but you will later. “But why not now?” Peter asked. “I’m ready to die for you!” Jesus answered, “Die for me? Before the rooster crows tomorrow, you’ll deny three times that you even know me.”
The Last Supper was the last time Jesus would gather with all of his disciples in one place and teach them and model to them the way of serving and loving one another. When he broke the bread and drank the cup with him he said ‘do this in remembrance of me’. He was telling them of his expectation of how they would live for him with loyalty and unity and sacrificial love for one another and for the world. But he also told them the reality that in the hours to come one of them would betray him and one of them would deny him and that all of them would scatter and desert him when he surrendered himself to those who would take him and kill him.

The disciples were incredulous to all of this, still not understanding the meaning of the things Jesus did and said, and this was what Jesus had expected. But the actions and words he expressed that night were immortalised, and would be lived out, serving as a remembrance for his disciples and for all of humanity who would believe. Heaven would soon bestow faith and the grace upon the earth through the Holy Spirit, and the events of that evening would encourage and inspire and challenge every soul that hears this story.

The man Judas allowed darkness to take over his being because of his wilful anger and resentment because of his lost hopes to bring about his idea of justice. He regretted what he did immediately after his treachery.  Judas was unable to surrender the demand of his self-centred justice that drove his life. Instead of letting Jesus die for him and give him a new life he took his own life in his despair. Nevertheless, Jesus still died for him and said to his Father on the cross ‘forgive them Father they know not what they do.’ Not one of them knew what they were doing. Perhaps Mary his mother understood because it was the sword that continually pierced her heart, which was prophesied to her by Simeon when Jesus was dedicated as a baby.

The man Peter denied him just as Jesus predicted but his sin was not angry or resentful but a fear of being associated with the shame of what he saw as the failure of Jesus’ mission. He lived to receive the forgiveness and repentance and faith in the totally committed love of Jesus for him. He received the commission to live in partnership with Jesus as a witness of his resurrection. 
When we can believe in the totally committed love of Jesus for us and we can accept our imperfect selves as being loved with so much compassion, we can then allow that love and compassion to flow out from us into the imperfect lives of the people in our personal world. We, like Peter receive that commission to be in partnership with Jesus in reconciling people to God for forgiveness and receiving the faith and the grace to be transformed into his likeness as a New Creation. Amen