Luke 22:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters

NIV: He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,

NASB: And He said to them, 'When you have entered the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.

CSB: "Listen," he said to them, "when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters.

NLT: He replied, 'As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters,

KJV: And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.

NKJV: And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.

Jerusalem is teeming with people; some estimates say hundreds of thousands. They have come to celebrate Passover. In a few scant hours, those people will sit at dinner with family and friends, eating roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and oil with herbs, and drinking wine. Jesus has decided it's time for Peter and John to prepare the meal for Himself and the twelve disciples (Luke 22:8).

Peter and John trust that Jesus knows what they should do. Getting supplies shouldn't be a problem: the merchants are used to providing for all the travelers. Where to hold the dinner would be a problem if they didn't have Jesus.

Most homes in Jerusalem don't have their own water supply. Women are usually tasked with going to public fountains to draw water for the household, but sometimes male servants do, as well. The wording in Matthew 26:18 suggests that Jesus may have prearranged both the room and the meeting with the man, but it's unclear.

Regardless, Peter and John follow the man into a house in the city and tell the owner, "The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" (Luke 22:11). Peter and John follow Jesus' instructions and find things exactly as He had said.

Luke 22:7–13 is a preparation. The Sanhedrin has prepared for Jesus' arrest, and Judas is prepared for his betrayal of Christ (Luke 22:1–6). Now, Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare for the Passover dinner. The disciples have witnessed Jesus' supernatural knowledge, so of course they follow His oddly specific instructions and find a room already prepared for them. Matthew 26:17–19 and Mark 14:12–16 also record the preparations.

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.