Everyone had a different role. Some of the disciples were sent to prepare the Passover meal. There is the unnamed disciple who welcomes Jesus and His disciples to use his home for their meal. He had been prepared for that moment. He was not only prepared to respond rightly to being told Jesus was going to use his home for His Passover meal with His disciples, but he had a home with the space prepared and set aside for guests. He had all he needed to be able to serve the Lord.

Judas had his own role, and like the others, he had a choice of obedience, even if he was set into position to carry out his role. Judas had a front-row seat to the glory of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. But, like most, he loved the darkness and rejected the light.

Jesus knew his part as well, but there He was reclining at the table. In a few hours He would be sweating blood in distress, and then just hours later blood would be pouring out of His pierced side. He was dining with the one He knew would betray Him. Yet, in spite of all this, He reclined. He ate with them. Would you have had an appetite?

Jesus teaches the disciples the body and the blood of the communion meal.

Then they sing Psalm 118. The Scripture doesn’t record what hymn they sing, but Psalms 113-118 are sung throughout the Passover feast. We have that tradition passed down. Psalm 118 praises the Lord’s steadfast love. It proclaims, “I shall not die, but I shall live,” and that “The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”

Then they move to the Mount of Olives. Jesus taught His disciples there. Jesus spent His nights there. Jesus will return there.

He tells His disciples they will be scattered. Peter is sure he can stand when the others fall. Peter swears that he wouldn’t deny Jesus, even to the death! They all say the same. They all would deny Jesus. They were flesh. Flesh is weak.