the day of preparation: a passion week devotion

And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us,

so that we may eat it.”

Luke 22:8

 At this time of year, I am reminded that this Passover sacrifice was not a “temple” thing - it wasn’t a church thing. The Passover meal was, from the very beginning, something that took place in the home, with family. One of the most important parts of preparing the home for the Passover meal was ensuring that any and all leaven had been removed from the place.

The historical significance of that act was to commemorate the haste with which the Israelites had to be prepared to leave Egypt during that very first Passover. They didn’t have time to let the bread dough ferment and rise. They couldn’t wait until it was convenient and all the work was done. God was providing an opportunity out of oppression and bondage, a new birth and a new identity. And it was important that they RUN, not walk, to that freedom.

The same truth applies to us today, who seek to understand and apply the spirit of the law by looking at the letter of the law. What can we take away from this preparation time as the celebration of the day of our deliverance approaches? It is this: whatever is holding us back from complete abandon to the Lord, whatever we are waiting for to devote ourselves wholly to Him…just like that leaven, it’s time to leave it behind. We don’t belong in bondage – it is for FREEDOM that we’ve been set free.

To really honor our Savior, we need to search our earthly residence – mind, heart, body and actual house. Identify the spiritual leaven; take an inventory of all those things that we are holding on to that are keeping us in bondage. And abandon those things, running to the holy, perfect and loving embrace of our King.

I pray we would all take these last few moments before the eruption of celebration, family gatherings, decorations and meal preparation, that we would, as families, as individuals, quietly, privately “prepare” the Passover. It is what Jesus commanded His followers do then…and it’s what He would have us do now.

What a wonderful time and opportunity to reflect, take stock, and recenter...

Blessings! He is risen indeed!

About the Photo: Yes, that's me and my crazy husband. And yes, we actually are removing the leaven from our house. I know that you might think that's strange, since we are Christ followers. We don't do it because we're legalistic, or because we want to seem super spiritual, or because we believe it has anything to do with our salvation. We do it because we find that beneath these observances, there are pictures of God’s character, of His redemptive plan, amazing and insightful principles that reveal His nature and ours only as they are lived out... and that helps us to honor Him more fully. These "moedim," appointed times, have blessed and challenged us for the last several years as we have walked through them with open minds and hungry hearts.