Believe it or not, Jesus knew a thing or two about preparedness.

In fact, during the Last Supper, He told his disciples many important things as they ate this meal, including introducing communion and informing Peter he would deny Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.

You are likely familiar with these parts of the Easter story, but Jesus said other things to his disciples that night.

Here it is from the NIV translation:

He knew what was coming. 

Jesus knew what the world would look like in the coming days for his disciples when He was no longer with them.

His advice? Be prepared for tough times ahead. Take “a bag.”

What We Can Take from This

No matter your faith, you can learn from this.

Jesus knew danger was coming, much like we see the danger around us in the world right now.

He knew He was about to be killed because of who He was, and He knew that also put those He loved—his disciples—in danger as well.

This is why He tells them to have a purse—money—a bag, and a sword.

They will face emergencies where they will need money.

The disciples were going to be traveling, and they might need to make quick escapes as they were pursued.

This is why they needed to have a bag, just like we all need a go-bag.

You never know when there will be an emergency that will force you to up and leave, whether it is a hurricane or an attack on the home front; but you’ll be much more prepared if you have a bag of essentials that you can grab and go.

Jesus also told his disciples to sell their cloaks in order to get a sword. They needed a sword to protect themselves from enemies or those coming for their supplies.

In our case, this is similar to bartering to get the supplies you need.

It is also a good reminder that we must always be ready to defend what we have. 

[Related Read: Grab and Go Emergency Evacuations Must-Haves]

What Happened Next

Jesus knew His disciples were going to face some rough times.

And they did.

They made it their mission to share their faith around the world, and they encountered many dangerous situations.

The Bible includes stories about how some of his disciples were imprisoned and attacked for their faith.

For example, James was beheaded by King Herod, and John was sentenced to the prison island of Patmos where He wrote the Book of Revelation.

Plus, church history holds that most of the original disciples were martyred.

Emperor Nero made it his goal to exterminate Christians during his reign, which included imprisoning and killing them. He tortured and beheaded Paul in AD 67. 

Attacks on Christians continued well after Nero.

Today, attacks on people for religious and political beliefs continue around the world. Some say it is even happening here.

Prepare for the Unknown 

We don’t know what our future holds. 

But a quick scan of headlines on our newsfeeds tells us WE NEED to prepare. 

We may not know what we are preparing for, but like the disciples, we can assume danger lies in the future.

• Get your finances in order. Build up some emergency savings. Buy gold and silver. 
• Stock up on emergency food and get heirloom seeds to grow your own food. 
• Have a go-bag packed and ready.

We don’t want to end on a note of doom and gloom. 

That’s not what Easter is about. Easter is about hope.

We can hope for a better tomorrow because we have taken steps today to ensure tomorrow’s safety. 

Happy Easter, friends!

In liberty,

Grant Miller

My Patriot Supply