For Simon …
Luke 22: 7-13 “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. 10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
Go and make preparations …
Where do you want us to prepare for it?
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. (“I’ve prepared everything for your preparations”)
They prepared the Passover.
This involved the selection of a lamb, searching for any dropped and hidden leaven which needed sweeping out of the house, getting the basins of water ready for the foot-washing, wine, candles for the table, vegetables, herbs etc. All these have their own significant meanings even for us today.
Jesus was eager to celebrate the Passover, to take the journey of the Exodus and to demonstrate that he is the Lamb of God.
As followers of Jesus this is the central message that we are trying to communicate. The God of the Exodus, the power of the blood of the lamb to deliver and redeem from the power of sin and how it all culminates in the life of Jesus who gave his life as a ransom for us.
Every day we go into the ‘city’ of our world, we do life, but we do it preparing the way for the Lord, living our life as an example, laying our life down for others, living unselfish lives so that people may see Jesus the Lamb.
We do it knowing that if we hold on, even in the difficult seasons, we will soon be at another table with the Lamb. v28-30 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And of course we do it knowing what Jesus had already told the disciples previously, (John 14: 2) “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”
Simon, my friend, a member of my team, an energetic leader and enthusiastic Pastor of a Christ-centred Church finished the preparations yesterday.
He demonstrated in his life and especially in his trials what it was to demonstrate and honour Jesus.
He finished the race yesterday, earlier than normal. He prepared the way for the Lord. His preparations sat in the hands of a God who prepares everything.
Today he sits around a prepared table in a prepared place.
Today I speak the Passover Psalm (118) for him:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
He has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Missions Paul 
Bless you Paul for your support through this difficult time I’m so proud of what Simon achieved in his short time at Rugby he had everything in place.