Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
John 18:28 NIV
I don’t know that I have ever picked up on the irony of this passage before. The Passover was an annual celebration of the Exodus and God’s deliverance of Israel. Each year, every family would kill and eat the Passover lamb to remember what God had done. But Passover, like the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures, was pointing ahead to Jesus and what he did. Jesus was the true Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), who was pictured in the annual Passover celebration.
The irony of this is that the Jewish religious leaders, while betraying Jesus, the real Passover Lamb, were concerned about being able to eat the Passover lamb. A lamb that was just a picture of the real thing. They were substituting the image for the reality. I wonder how often I am guilty of doing the same thing. Substituting my, or my church’s, traditions for the real thing. How often, for instance, am I content to come to a worship service, sing a few songs, and believe I have worshipped? Without ever falling down before the King of kings and Lord of lords. How often do I substitute church activity for real service to my Lord? All too often, I am afraid.
