Luke 22:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

NIV: And he said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

NASB: And He said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

CSB: Then he said to them, "I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

NLT: Jesus said, 'I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.

KJV: And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

NKJV: Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

A week prior, Jesus entered Jerusalem as if He were a king come for His coronation. Since then, the disciples have watched Him establish His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 20). Following Jesus' instructions, Peter and John have prepared the Passover meal and found a room for the core group of Jesus' followers (Luke 22:7–13).

The Passover is the annual memorial celebration of the night God told the Israelites they were finally going to be free from their Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12). The disciples are still riding high on the triumphs they have witnessed. Now, Jesus says He has wanted to share this meal with them. They may wonder: is this the Passover meal before the Jews are freed from Roman rule?

They still don't understand that Jesus isn't talking about freedom from Rome. He's talking about rescue from death and sin. The night before the first Passover meal, God struck down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. Soon, Jesus will be struck down: the Lamb slain for the sins of the world (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6).

Ultimately, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover Feast. The Hebrews were protected from God's judgment by the blood of a lamb, freed from slavery in Egypt, and invited into the Promised Land. Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19), by whose blood we can be forgiven (Romans 5:8–11). God frees us from sin and invites us into true life (Ephesians 1:3–14; 2:1–10). It was at this meal that Jesus instituted what is known as the Lord's Supper or Communion. He took part of the Passover ritual and explained how He was instituting the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34) by shedding His blood and giving His body (Luke 22:19–20). When believers today partake in the Lord's Supper, they both proclaim the reality of Jesus' sacrifice and look forward to His return (1 Corinthians 11:25–26). Someday, there will be another feast: the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–10).

This Passover for the disciples began with celebration and ended with mourning. But a time is coming when it will all be joy (Revelation 21—22).

Luke 22:14–20 records the Last Supper. Bible scholars debate at what point, exactly, Judas left this gathering, raising the unanswered question of whether he, too, participated in what we now call "communion." Jesus has warned the disciples of the hardships they will face. Yet He promises they will not perish and encourages them to remain faithful (Luke 21). The Last Supper gives them the symbols to remind them their faith is not in vain: Jesus gave His life for them, ushered in the new covenant, and rose from the dead, and He will return. The disciples' fear and doubt described in the following verses are a demonstration of our need for Jesus' work on the cross (Luke 22:21–34). Parallel accounts of the Last Supper include Matthew 26:20, 26–29; Mark 14:17, 22–25; and 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.

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.