Church Fathers Commentary Luke 22:7-13

"And the day of unleavened bread came, on which the passover must be sacrificed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and make ready for us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we make ready? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house whereinto he goeth. And ye shall say unto the master of the house, The Teacher saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover." — Luke 22:7-13 (ASV)

Titus of Bostra: Our Lord, in order to leave us a heavenly Passover, ate a typical one, removing the figure so that the truth might take its place.

The Venerable Bede: By the day of unleavened bread of the Passover, He means the fourteenth day of the first month, the day on which, after putting away the leaven, they were accustomed to hold the Passover—that is, to sacrifice the lamb—toward evening.

Eusebius of Caesarea: But should anyone say, "If the disciples of our Savior prepared the Passover on the first day of unleavened bread, then should we also celebrate the Passover on that day?" we answer that this was not a command, but a history of the event. It is what took place at the time of the saving Passion, but it is one thing to relate past events and another to sanction them and leave them as an ordinance for posterity.

Moreover, the Savior did not keep His Passover with the Jews at the time that they sacrificed the lamb, for they did this on the day of Preparation, when our Lord suffered. Therefore, they did not enter Pilate's hall, so that they might not be defiled but could eat the Passover. For from the time they conspired against the truth, they drove the Word of truth far from them.

Nor on the first day of unleavened bread, on which the Passover ought to have been sacrificed, did they eat their accustomed Passover, for they were intent on something else. Instead, they ate it on the following day, which was the second day of unleavened bread. Our Lord, however, kept the Passover with His disciples on the first day of unleavened bread—that is, on the fifth day of the week.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now on that same fifth day, He sends two of His disciples to prepare the Passover: namely, Peter and John—the one as loving, the other as loved. In all things, He showed that even to the end of His life He did not oppose the law. He sends them to a stranger's house, for He and His disciples had no house; otherwise, He would have kept the Passover in one of their own. So it is added, they said, "Where do you want us to prepare?"

The Venerable Bede: It is as if to say, "We have no home; we have no place of shelter." Let those who are preoccupied with building houses hear this. Let them know that Christ, the Lord of all places, had nowhere to lay His head.

St. John Chrysostom: But as they did not know to whom they were sent, He gave them a sign, just as Samuel gave one to Saul. As it follows, He told them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters."

St. Ambrose of Milan: First, observe the greatness of His divine power: He is talking with His disciples, yet knows what will happen in another place. Next, behold His condescension, in that He does not choose the person of the rich or powerful, but seeks after the poor and prefers a humble lodging to the spacious palaces of nobles. Now the Lord was not unaware of the name of the man whose mystery He knew, and that he would meet the disciples; but he is mentioned without a name, so that he might be counted as lowly.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He sends them to an unknown man for this reason: to show them that He underwent His Passion voluntarily. For He who could so sway the mind of a stranger to receive them was also able to deal with the Jews just as He wished. Others say that He did not give the man's name so that the traitor, upon learning it, would not reveal the house to the Pharisees. Otherwise, they might have come and taken Him before the supper was eaten and before He had delivered the spiritual mysteries to His disciples.

Instead, He directs them by specific signs to a certain house, which is why it says they should say to the master of the house, "The Master says, 'Where is the guest room...?'" and that "he will show you a large upper room..."

Glossa Ordinaria: Perceiving these signs, the disciples zealously fulfilled all that had been commanded them, as it follows: And they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

The Venerable Bede: To explain this Passover, the Apostle says, "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." This Passover, in truth, had to be slain there, as it was so ordained by the Father’s counsel and determination. And thus, although He was crucified on the next day, that is, the fifteenth day of the month, it was on this night on which the lamb was slain by the Jews that, being seized and bound, He consecrated the beginning of His sacrifice—that is, of His Passion.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By the day of unleavened bread, we must understand the way of life that is wholly in the light of the Spirit, having lost all trace of the old corruption of Adam’s first transgression. And living in this way, it is fitting for us to rejoice in the mysteries of Christ. Now Peter and John prepare these mysteries—that is, action and contemplation, fervent zeal and peaceful meekness. A certain man meets these preparers because in these things lies the condition of humanity, which was created in the image of God. And he carries a pitcher of water, which signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit. But the pitcher is humility of heart, for God gives grace to the humble, who know themselves to be but earth and dust.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Or, the pitcher is a more perfect measure, but the water is that which was considered fitting to be a sacrament of Christ: to wash, not to be washed.

The Venerable Bede: They prepare the Passover in that house to where the pitcher of water is carried, for the time is near when, for the keepers of the true Passover, the typical blood is taken away from the lintel, and the baptism of the life-giving fountain is consecrated to take away sin.

Origen of Alexandria: But I think that the man who meets the disciples as they enter the city, carrying a pitcher of water, was some servant of a master of a house, carrying water in an earthen vessel either for washing or for drinking. And this, I think, is Moses conveying spiritual doctrine in literal histories. But those who do not follow him do not celebrate the Passover with Jesus. Let us then ascend with the Lord united to us to the upper room, which is the guest chamber. This room is shown by the understanding—that is, by the master of the house—to every one of Christ's disciples. But this upper room of our house must be large enough to receive Jesus the Word of God, who is comprehended only by those who are greater in comprehension. And this chamber must be made ready by the master of the house (that is, the understanding) for the Son of God, and it must be cleaned, completely cleansed of the filth of malice. The master of the house also must not be any common person with a known name. Hence, He says mystically in Matthew, "Go to such a one."

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now, in the upper room he has a large furnished room, so that you may consider how great were the merits of the one in whom the Lord could sit down with His disciples, rejoicing in his exalted virtues.

Origen of Alexandria: But we should know that those who are consumed by banquets and worldly cares do not ascend into that upper part of the house, and therefore do not keep the Passover with Jesus. For after the words of the disciples with which they questioned the master of the house (that is, the understanding), the Divine Person came into that house to feast there with His disciples.