Luke 22:8
ESV
So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it."
NIV
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."
NASB
And so Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, 'Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.'
CSB
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."
NLT
Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, 'Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.'
KJV
And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
NKJV
And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”
What does Luke 22:8 mean?
It is hours before Jesus and the disciples are to celebrate the Passover. The disciples only now ask Jesus where they should eat (Mark 14:12). Traditionally, they should eat in the temple courts. But by this time too many people come for the courts to hold them all, so families slay their lambs at the temple but feast elsewhere in the city.Preparation doesn't just mean finding a lamb and slaughtering it. It means finding a room big enough for Jesus and all twelve disciples. They must collect oil, wine, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. Tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of travelers have flooded Jerusalem. Peter and John don't seem too concerned about this; they've seen Jesus perform some pretty amazing miracles. They simply ask Jesus where they should meet (Luke 22:9).
This is the day before Passover. Peter and John will have to find a lamb and take it to the temple courts between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. to slaughter it. The meal must be ready by sunset: the beginning of Passover Day (Numbers 9:2–3).
This is the first mention of just Peter and John together. Until now, John's brother James and sometimes Peter's brother Andrew always accompanied them (Luke 8:51; 9:28; Mark 13:3). In the book of Acts, Peter and John will be together for significant events including the healing of a lame man at the temple, the first arrest of Jesus' disciples, and the mass conversion of Samaritans (Acts 3—4; 8:14–17).
