A Room Prepared
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him; and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ And he himself will show you a large upstairs room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” The disciples left and came to the city, and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
Mark 14:12-16 (NASB)
There are many words and phrases in the Bible that are not explained or elaborated on. Sometimes, it’s important to take note of those words, even if they seem unimpressive on the surface. For example, why would the Lord say, through a young man, “Go, tell the disciples, and Peter” (Mark 16:7)? It might seem obvious that He would mention Peter because he is one of the disciples, but if you dig a little deeper into this little fact, a world opens up. You may start to realize that this fact is significant when connected with the fact that Peter had just denied the Lord three times a few nights before. Why didn’t He say and John, or, and Thaddaeus? Maybe the Lord singled Peter out as a way of showing Peter that he was not forsaken by the Lord, even after his denial. Much inspiration could come out of just those two words, and Peter.
Similarly, in Mark 14, there is a very striking detail that is somewhat hidden in this incredible story. It’s the preparation of the Passover right before Jesus is crucified. In fact, the Passover is such a significant story in the Old Testament, and what Jesus does and says during the actual Passover feast is quite profound also. So from the very beginning, it’s notable that the Bible would even talk about the room that was prepared for this event. Why does the room matter? Shouldn’t the Bible save that ink to talk about what Jesus says during the Passover? And yet we have five, precious verses, Mark 14:12-16, that not only inspire us with their detail and implications, but also prompt us to consider how we view and approach practical services in our church life.
What would soon take place, in this prepared and readied room, would become one of the most prevalent teachings in Jesus’ earthly ministry. When they finally gathered around the table to eat, Jesus said, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). This dinner was very important to the Lord, and He was eagerly desiring this time with the disciples. Years later, the Apostle Paul referred to this event and unveiled more of what Jesus said, “...do this in remembrance of Me.” And now, many Christians today spend time participating in something every week that comes from this very dinner. Many today call it the Lord’s table or Communion. Having all that in mind, it’s easy to see how important it was to the Lord that this room would be prepared, furnished, and ready for this rich fellowship to transpire. He would need the right setting and the right atmosphere to share with His disciples something that He had been eagerly desiring.
The way in which the Lord spoke about His body and blood is interesting. As they were eating and enjoying this feast together, He “took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it, this is My body’” (Mark 14:22). You have to consider, who baked that bread? Would the Lord have had such a free way to share this without the preparation of the bread? Likewise, Jesus “had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it” (Mark 14:23). Someone had to set the table, and make sure there were cups available (at the very least one cup for them to share). Having these considerations, it begs the question, “Could the Lord have shared something so profound in a room that was not ready?” It’s hard to say, but as we consider this dinner in this way, we should realize how meaningful the preparation and readiness of this room was.
Serving to Make Something Ready
Knowing that many from the surrounding regions would travel to Jerusalem once a year for the Passover feast, I wonder if this homeowner began to develop something that would become quite precious to the Lord. You can imagine that every year this homeowner was very busy. With all the Jewish families coming into town, he might have wanted to prepare his home for any potential hospitality needs. For this, great thought and care would need to take place. He may have needed to go across town to find the best weaver to purchase some cushions or a nice rug to lay out in that upper room. Or maybe he needed to apply a new stain to the surface of the table to cover all the burn marks or fix one of the wooden chairs. He may have found out what worked well and what didn’t work that well. There might have been a need to hang up some curtains because how could anyone focus in that upper room with the evening sun beaming in their eyes? Knowing that the lamb is not to be boiled with water but should be roasted with fire (Ex. 12:9), he must have spent time gathering wood and setting up the metal rods for the lamb to be roasted on. This man may have become a very detailed person. He would eventually come to realize that this room would be a place where God Himself would enjoy a great meal and minister something of great value to His disciples. This room would need to accommodate and not hinder rich fellowship. The Bible doesn’t even record this homeowner's name, but when we consider how much he may have done to make this room ready for the Lord, we can see how meaningful this person’s service was to the Lord.
It’s also interesting that the Lord used the word “ready” in this verse, and not “perfect” or “the best.” I wonder if there was a certain point in the homeowner’s preparation that he felt the room was far from perfect, but it was now ready. Maybe he would fix that last wobbly side table beside the couches, and have a feeling, “Okay, this is enough, and ready to receive the brothers and sisters.” In my experience, I have gone too far in my serving and preparation. I can even remember, quite vividly, the Lord speaking to me when I was helping to prepare for a Labor Day conference the church was hosting. The Lord gave me a feeling that I’ve gone a little too far, and that I was trying to make things perfect. I think many of us know that things can always be better, but it’s another thing to have a feeling from the Lord that a given task or service is ready. Some of us may strive for perfection, or go too far the other way and not give certain things any thought at all. So it is very important for the Lord to give us such a balanced view in our own serving; to avoid doing the bare minimum, yet knowing when something is ready.
Leaving What’s Exciting to Prepare for What’s Needed
Now let us consider the two disciples who were sent to find this room and prepare the Passover. The way Matthew and Mark record the order in which the question is asked, portrays the disciples' initiation of the preparation, and may give a certain shade of understanding to the different effects these two gospels have compared with Luke. They asked, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You?” It’s quite precious that the disciples asked the question first. Wouldn’t it be easier to just wait on the Lord’s command? In fact, all of their following of Him could have been just that; passive and complacent. But instead, they may have been considering a lot before Jesus commanded them to go into the city. I think the Lord finds immense pleasure when His people initiate something according to what He would want. Remember, the disciples asked, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You.” They may have had a thought and consideration, and even more importantly, the initiation for what God Himself would gain and enjoy.
I wonder what Peter and John were thinking when Jesus asked them to go into the city. To some of us, this could have been a very boring task. They had to go into the city, and then look for a man they had never met carrying a pitcher of water. Then they had to scope out this room, and then they would start their own preparations of the Passover there, in that room. Afterward, they may have had to wait in line at the temple to slaughter their lamb. I think if some of us heard this command, we may have been thinking, “I don’t want to go and do all of these practical things. I don’t even like to cook. I would rather stay back with Jesus because he might perform another miracle or share more of God’s mysteries with us! That is where the real value is.” Would you stand there and wait in line with patience, or even more, with joy and anticipation? I think many of us would start to question our purpose, and might ask ourselves, “Is this really what the Christian life is about?” If we have a similar thought in us today, let us see how the practical side of the Lord’s ministry is equally valuable and quite precious in His eyes.
I have the impression that Peter and John went into the city with excitement and energy. The Passover couldn’t have been a small thing to these two Jews, and having followed Jesus the past three or so years, they may have had some expectation that the Lord would share something very important with them related to the Passover. If that is true, I bet they received the Lord’s command with great joy and eagerness. If they had any inkling or expectation that the Lord would continue ministering during this feast, it would be hard to not take up this task with much exuberance. I can imagine Peter and John singing from one of the Psalms while they were mixing nuts, wine, and fruit to make a dip for the bread. Or maybe as they were picking or cutting up the bitter herbs, they were praying and having sweet fellowship. You wouldn’t be able to find any complaining or grumbling among these two disciples. If we were to pick up this joy and expectation in all the practical tasks that we may perform, how different our serving would be!
Preparation for Jesus to Minister Today
Do we realize how much value is in our practical serving, or are we just completing tasks and “getting the job done?” I think our church gatherings would be a different place today if many of us had the same level of consideration that the homeowner may have had. The example of the homeowner preparing the upper room or the disciples preparing the Passover took place during the Lord’s earthly ministry. But how about today? Now, Jesus is in His heavenly ministry, speaking through the church (Hebrews 8 and 9). So when the brothers get together and carry a conference or a series of meetings, do we see how our practical serving can be carried out with the same value as what had taken place during the Lord’s earthly ministry? If we could serve with excitement and energy, realizing our efforts have the ability to actually support God’s speaking and work, then I believe the Lord would have more room and more freedom to accomplish His goal on earth. When we are setting up chairs for a gathering, do we see the value in that small, seemingly insignificant job? Have you ever considered what room in your own home would be the most conducive to fellowship? How is the arrangement of tables and chairs in our church buildings? Are they set up in a way that avoids distractions and encourages attention? If you are someone who has never considered these things before, don’t be afraid to endeavor in this way. Spend time considering many different ways to carry out whatever practical service you are involved in. We should realize how our practical serving can support and cooperate with what the Lord is eagerly waiting to do and speak through the church. Let us touch the same joy and excitement Peter and John may have had as they prepared the Passover. And let us also have the same level of care and thoughtfulness the homeowner had in his preparations of the room. Then, our view of serving could be elevated, and our experience could become deeper and richer.
—Austin Funk