Luke 22:8-13

22:8 Jesus¹ sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover² for us to eat.”³ 22:9 They⁴ said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare⁵ it?” 22:10 He said to them, “Listen,⁶ when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water⁷ will meet you.⁸ Follow him into the house that he enters, 22:11 and tell the owner of the house,⁹ ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 22:12 Then he will show you a large furnished room upstairs. Make preparations there.” 22:13 So¹⁰ they went and found things¹¹ just as he had told them,¹² and they prepared the Passover.

¹tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 22:14). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.

³tn Grk “for us, so that we may eat.”

⁴tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁵tn In the Greek text this a deliberative subjunctive.

⁶tn Grk “behold.”

⁷sn Since women usually carried these jars, it would have been no problem for Peter and John to recognize the man Jesus was referring to.

⁸sn Jesus is portrayed throughout Luke 22-23 as very aware of what will happen, almost directing events. Here this is indicated by his prediction that a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.

⁹tn Grk “to the master of the household,” referring to one who owns and manages the household, including family, servants, and slaves (L&N 57.14).

¹⁰tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions.

¹¹tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

¹²sn The author’s note that the disciples found things just as he had told them shows that Jesus’ word could be trusted.