On a Thursday evening, some 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ had come to the end of his time on earth—the time of subjecting himself to life on earth. After 33 years of perfect obedience, doing all that his Father had given him to do, eighteen hours of crushing temptation and agony yet remained. Everything that Christ had accomplished in his life now came down to these final eighteen hours. From those to whom he had been the closest he would see jealousy, greed, betrayal and abandonment. From the Enemy he would again know temptation—though this time, he would not be tempted by the aroma of fresh bread, but by the unspeakable injustice and hatred of a world plunged into sin. From his own Father, he would experience being forsaken. He would know pain in a way that no other human would ever know.
Yet, when the time came to celebrate the Passover, he says this:
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer (Luke 22:14-15).
Jesus lived and died to do the will of his Father— eagerly!
Some challenging questions:
What do you eagerly desire? Do you desire, above all else, to acquire God’s wisdom, so that you will clearly see the path of obedience set before you? Does living for the glory and honor God consume you? When you see that following Christ will be result in difficulty and pain, do you still desire identification with Christ above all else? What do your children believe that you eagerly desire above all else?
Jesus eagerly desired to obey his Father by celebrating the Passover. He knew full well what the next eighteen hours would bring. He knew that he himself was the Lamb whose blood was sprinkled on the door. Yet for the joy set before him, he endured the Cross because loving his Father mattered more to him than anything else.