Luke 22 (1) (2)

Pray Psalm 33.10-12.
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Sing Psalm 33.10-12.
(Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns)
He nullifies the nations’ plans; forever stands His sov’reign Word.
All they are blessed who with Him stand—the chosen people of the Lord.

Read Luke 22.1-13; meditate on verses 7-13.

Preparation
1. What did Jesus tell the disciples?

2. What happened when they followed His instructions?

Meditation
We might wonder why Luke included this little vignette here. In view of what was about to happen, it seems so trivial. Is Luke just being the fussy historian, unable to lay aside even the most apparently insignificant of his research notes?

Hardly. Both Matthew and Mark include this story as well. The reason is clear. Jesus here reminds His disciples that God is sovereign in all the details of what happens to Jesus. Jesus, knowing those details, is God. But He doesn’t just know things—about this man with water, the master of the house, and the guest room upstairs. He arranged all these things. And even though the man with the water and the master of the house couldn’t tell you why they were where they were, or how it is that this room was ready just so, still, they were subject to the sovereign rule of King Jesus, Who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1.11).

God, Who orchestrated all the arrangements for the Passover supper, similarly orchestrated all the details of what would follow, including the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (cf. Acts 2.22-24). We may feel sometimes like our lives are “out of control.” Jesus never felt that way, because He was always in control of all things, and that includes everything that pertains to Him and His work.

He is sovereign in all the details of your life as well, which is why you can glorify Him and be at peace in even the most quotidian of activities (1 Cor. 10.31). Thanks and praise are always due the Lord, Who sees us from His holy heaven, upholds us by His powerful Word, guides and empowers us by His Spirit, and works all things together for our good.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
God cares about the details of our lives.

Fifty years ago, we got a small rebate. With that rebate we bought one of our first pieces of furniture. It is not an expensive piece, nor is it an antique, or of any value to anyone other than our family. But in all our twenty-three moves we have always been able to find a special place for this water bench. And fifty years ago, God knew exactly where this old piece of beloved furniture would be sitting right now.

In the same way, I think about that house where Jesus and His disciples shared their last meal together. When the builder built it, he had no idea that years later the Savior of the world would eat there. When the owner of the house bought it, he could never have imagined what that furnished upper room would hold in eternal value. The details. God is always in them.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well…
And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me,
when as yet there were none of them” (Ps. 139.13, 14, 16).

When we look and see His trustworthy faithfulness, day in and day out, in furniture, families, buildings,  rooms, and people, we are overwhelmed with His tender, sovereign, and loving care over all of His creation.

God not only knew about our water bench, but He knew about us. Before we were born.
And He knew about that upper room. Where Jesus dined and sent out the one who betrayed Him.
None of this caught Him by surprise, for everything is “orchestrated” by Him.
All of life, death, and resurrection. The eternality of His Word.
All of the coming destruction to this world, and the creation of the new heavens and earth.
All of it. Everything. He knows.

The disciples had already experienced Jesus’ ability to tell them what the future held:
“So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them” (Lk. 19.32).
And His present day disciples have experienced His resurrection and the filling of His Holy Spirit.
So, we need not worry about our future. We are in His loving hands.

And He, we know, is “Sovereign in All the Details”.

For reflection
1. Why is it important that we understand that Jesus is sovereign in all the details of our lives?

2. How does knowing this provide comfort? Encouragement? Hope?

3. How should knowing this shape the way we pray about our daily lives?

The Lord said this to them clearly, on account of everything that would happen to them. He also did this on Palm Sunday, with the donkey and her colt, where they would find it, and what the person would say if they would dare to untie it. This was so that they might take some courage and not be quite so afraid of the violence of the Jews, if they heard how the Lord knew everything ahead of time which would befall them. Melchior Neukirch (1540-1597), The Second Part of the Passion 9

Pray Psalm 33.13-22.
Praise God for His sovereign oversight of all things, that He watches constantly over you, cares deeply for you, and is ever ready to bring you more deeply into His joy.

Sing Psalm 33.13-22.
(Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns)
God from His throne looks down on men; He knows our works and made our hearts.
Let not Your Church, let none depend on strength or skill or human arts.

God watches those who fear His Name, who hope upon His grace and love.
He keeps their souls from death and shame who trust in Him Who reigns above.

God is our Helper and our Shield; upon us let Your grace descend!
We hope in You; to You we yield; we trust in Jesus to the end.

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available free by clicking here.