“It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.
And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.”
The cross is now only hours away.
The religious leaders have been plotting to kill Jesus. Now, Judas agrees to betray Him. The disciples still don’t understand what is about to happen. Yet through it all, Jesus knows exactly where He is going.
In the middle of these events, a woman comes to Jesus carrying an alabaster flask of expensive perfume. She breaks it and pours the perfume over His head.
Some are outraged. What a waste! The perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.
But Jesus sees her action differently.
“She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.”
Whether she understands everything that is about to happen or not, her act points toward Jesus’ approaching death. Jesus is being prepared for His sacrificial death. While others are plotting, betraying, and misunderstanding, she gives extravagantly to Jesus.
Later, Jesus gathers with His disciples to celebrate the Passover.
For generations, God’s people had remembered how He rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. A lamb was killed, its blood marked their homes, and God’s judgment passed over them.
Now Jesus takes the bread and says,
“This is my body.”
Then He takes the cup and says,
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
The Passover had always pointed beyond itself. Now, simple bread and wine become Jesus body and blood. God’s Word accomplishes what it says.
Jesus is the greater deliverance.
He is about to give His own body and shed His own blood to rescue sinners, not merely from earthly slavery, but from sin and death. And He gives His disciples this meal so that His saving gifts will continue to be given to His people.
What makes this even more remarkable is that Jesus knows exactly who is sitting at the table.
Jesus knows their weakness better than they do, and He still gives Himself for them.
That is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus does not wait for His disciples to become worthy of His sacrifice. He goes to the cross for sinners who desperately need what only He can give. He is the greater Passover lamb that takes away the sin of the world.
That includes us.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for willingly giving Your body and blood to save sinners like me. Forgive me for the ways I fail You, and keep my faith fixed on Your sacrifice for me. Thank You for giving Yourself completely so that I might have forgiveness, life, and salvation.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.

In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt