Twas the Night Before Passover (Luke 22:14-30)

The Nature of Redemption

When Christ institutes the Lord’s Supper, he captures the uniqueness of the Passover in contrast to the familiar myth-making found in "’ Twas the Night Before Christmas." While the poem crafts a benevolent Santa Claus who rewards the good, Christ’s Lord’s Supper, which builds on the Passover, underscores the necessity of violent redemption, revealing humanity’s deep need for a savior who does more than merely reward or punish based on merit. Christ’s appropriation of the Passover demonstrates that redemption is not a gentle or sentimental transaction, but a costly one that addresses the fundamental brokenness and unworthiness present in every person.

Christ’s Transformation

Central to the message is how Christ’s celebration and redefinition of Passover radically departs from tradition. Instead of recounting a distant act of salvation, Jesus identifies himself as the sacrificial lamb, instigating the new covenant through his body and blood. These actions confound expectations and overturn religious scripts, compelling the disciples and all who remember the story to reflect on the true meaning of remembrance and participation in God’s redemption. The meal serves not merely as a memorial, but as a sign of ongoing spiritual communion, nourishment, and transformation that only comes through Christ.

Kingdom Values and Discipleship

Finally, the sermon challenges listeners to reconsider their attitudes toward significance, worthiness, and power in God’s kingdom. The disciples’ arguments over position at the table reveal human tendencies to seek status, even at a sacred moment of redemption. Christ responds by redefining greatness in terms of humble service and dependence on divine grace. The text calls believers to find joy not in our achievements or entitlement, but in Christ’s radical grace that alone makes the recipients worthy to draw near. Ironically, we find our significance by emptying ourselves of significance.