Questions From Readers
Why the 70 disciples Jesus sent to preach before, were not there the first time he was starting the Lord Evening Meal? You think they turn their back on him?
That true, the 70 disciples were not there when Jesus started the Lord Evening Meal. But it not mean that Jesus not accept them or they turn their back on him. He just wanted to be with his apostles during that time.
He accept all the 12 and the 70 people to be his disciples. Jesus choose 12 men from among his disciples and he call them apostles. (Luke 6:12-16) He was in Galilee when “he called the Twelve” and “sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal.” (Luke 9:1-6) Later on, when he was in Judea, Jesus choose 70 other people and sent them out two by two. (Luke 9:51; 10:1) So, Jesus was having disciples preaching in different-different areas.
Maybe the Jews who became Jesus disciples was still coming celebrate the Passover every year with their families. (Ex. 12:6-11, 17-20) When the time for Jesus to die was coming near, he and his apostles went to Jerusalem. But he not call all his disciple them from Judea, Galilee, and Perea because he never wanted to make the Passover program too big. So it clear that Jesus only wanted to be with his apostles during that time. He tell them: “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”—Luke 22:15.
Jesus was having good reason for doing it because he was soon coming to die as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) The Passover suppose to take place in Jerusalem, where the people use to make sacrifices to God. The Passover lamb that the Israelite families use to eat remind them that Jehovah free them from Egypt. But Jesus sacrifice was coming do more than that because it was coming free everybody from sin and death. (1 Cor. 5:7, 8) The thing Jesus do make it possible for the twelve apostles to be the foundation for the Christian congregation. (Eph. 2:20-22) The book of Revelation say that the holy city Jerusalem get “12 foundation stones” that get the name of the 12 apostles of the Lamb on them. (Rev. 21:10-14) So, the faithful apostles were having important part to play in fulfilling God purpose. Now, we can understand why Jesus wanted only them to be with him for the last Passover and the Lord Evening Meal that he started.
The 70 disciples and the other disciple them were not with Jesus to the Lord Evening Meal. Still, all of them who remain faithful was coming benefit from the Lord Evening Meal that Jesus started. Any of them who became anointed Christian was coming be part of the agreement for the kingdom that Jesus talk about that night.—Luke 22:29, 30.