Passover

Extract 76
Passover at last, the sense of expectation is incredible, everyone expecting Jesus to declare himself the Messiah. Everyone thinks that in just a few days, we will be free of the Romans, free from oppression. I long to make it stop, but I know I can't. Anyway, tonight should be a welcome break from all the madness. Jesus, the family, his friends, celebrating God's goodness, the salvation of our God.

Extract 77
It was so moving. Jesus and some of his friends have gone on to Gethsemane to pray, I'm too full of such a wonderful night to sleep yet. Jesus led us through the meal. Our hosts had a young boy called John Mark and he had the honour of asking the questions 'Why this meal, why this night'. Then, as we ate, Mary came in weeping. She had a jar of perfume, I can't imagine how much it must have cost or what she must have sacrificed to buy it. But she brought it to where Jesus was. I expected her to unstop the jar and pour a little onto his feet, I imagine everyone who had seen her thought the same. But she didn't. With a crash that silenced the room, she broke the whole jar and added to the shock by uncovering her head, unpinning her hair like a prostitute. Then she washed his feet with her tears and with gasps from everyone, began to dry his feet with her hair. Finally, extravagantly, she anointed his feet with the Nard. It was such a wholehearted act of worship, so typical of this courageous woman, that no one spoke for a minute. Then Judas shattered the moment complaining at the waste, but Jesus rebuked him. 'What this woman has done is beautiful and prophetic, anointing me for burial'. And then what must have cut Judas who was always looking for fame; 'Mary's name and this act of kindness will be remembered in all generations.' My heart filled with pride and love for Mary and my son, but the rage in Judas eyes disturbed me.

In a moment he was gone and all that was left was the sweet fragrance of the perfume.

Extract 78
Eventually, the meal continued until at the end Jesus stood and moved from his place to the spare place set as always for Elijah. Early in the meal he had shocked us by changing one of the traditional prayers when he blessed the bread, speaking of brokenness. Now he did something that had never been done before. He took the cup poured for Elijah and said 'This is the cup of the New Covenant, which is sealed in my blood, shed for many for the remission of sin' then he passed the cup to each of us to drink from. No-one knows what it means but the world seemed to stop as he spoke. A new covenant, the law fulfilled, a new beginning for us all.

Perhaps there is hope in this Passover after all.