Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0141A recorded on February 24, 1980 teaching from Luke 22 – The Day Before the Crucifixion.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens examines the four distinct preparations—earthly, hellish, heavenly, and of the heart—that converged on the day before the crucifixion. He describes how earthly leaders plotted in secret to avoid public riots, while Satan entered Judas Iscariot to facilitate a private betrayal, marking a strategic shift in spiritual warfare. Amidst these hostile maneuvers, Jesus orchestrated a heavenly preparation by using a secret sign to secure a guest chamber, where He transformed the traditional Passover into a new covenant centered on His own sacrifice. Ultimately, Stevens emphasizes that the preparation of the heart requires individuals to move beyond ritual and recognize their personal responsibility to receive the cleansing power of Christ’s shed blood.