JESUS AND THE PASSOVER.
On the 12th of the First month, chodesh ha-a-viv, the month Abib, or Nisan, corresponding with our March and partly with April, the Lord Jesus, being 35 years and 3 months old, spoke the words contained in Matthew the twenty-fifth. At that time he remarked that “after two days,” that is, on the 14th day of the month was the Passover which he would eat with the apostles in Jerusalem. —Matthew 26: 1-2, 18. The 14th was the Feast-day on which the Passover was to be killed at even—Exodus 12: 6, 8; Leviticus 23: 5—and eaten in the night; so that “when the even was come, he sat down with the Twelve,” and “they did eat.” There was to be nothing to be left of it until the morning of the 15th day of the month. It was to be all eaten in the previous night; but if not entirely consumed, the fragments were to be burned with fire when morning came. —Exodus 12: 10. The eating of unleavened bread began with the eating of the paschal lamb, on the 14th day of the first month at even—Exodus 12: 18; so that this is also called hee protee toon azymoon, “the first of the unleavened.”—Matthew 26: 17. The unleavened continued for seven days, that is, from the 14th at even to the 21st at even. During this time, Israel was to eat nothing that had leaven in it, nor to give it place in their dwellings. The 15th day was the first day of the feast of the unleavened week. It was a great day, because it was a day of holy assembly, and rest from all manner of work. The seventh was like unto it, being the last, and sanctified by the same law.
On the 14th day at even Jesus eat his last Passover with his disciples, and said he would eat of it no more with them “until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God;” when they should eat and drink at his table in his kingdom, and sit on twelve thrones judging, or ruling over, the twelve tribes of Israel. —Luke 22: 16, 30. The Passover can only be eaten once a year, and that eating must occur in Jerusalem. There is no testimony to show that Jesus ate of it afterwards with the Twelve before the destruction of that city by the Romans. No one therefore can believe that he did. The Passover has not been celebrated in Jerusalem since its overthrow; therefore Jesus has not eaten it there since the siege. But he says he will eat it again, and that too with the Twelve, at a time when they shall rule over Israel as kings. Hence to accomplish his word these things must come to pass—first, he must return to Jerusalem; secondly, he must set up his kingdom there, and the twelve thrones of the House of David; thirdly, he must raise the apostles from the dead to die no more; fourthly, he must give them possession of the thrones; and fifthly, He must restore the Passover. —Ezekiel 14: 21-24. To realise these things was the hope of the apostles, and the recompense of reward promised to them for forsaking all their means of life, and following Jesus as their teacher, lord, and king. —Matthew 19: 27-30.
Jesus predicted his betrayal and crucifixion at the epoch of the Passover. The rulers, however, did not dare to apprehend him on the 14th day, before the Passover was eaten at even, “lest there should be an uproar among the people.” There was a traitor among the Twelve with whom they consulted, and covenanted for his delivery into their hands when the people should be at rest. This was Judas Iscariot, who sold God’s Lamb to them for thirty pieces of silver that they might kill him and eat him between the first and second evenings of the unleavened; that is, between the 14th day at even, and the 15th day at even, which was the paschal day, or Holy Convocation—the Day of Preparation for and of the slaying of Messiah the Prince.
It was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, that Jesus was anointed for his burial. —Matthew 26: 6-16. This was “before the feast of the Passover.” It was a fit and proper place for this anointing, as it was Simon’s son that was to betray him. —John 13: 2. This supper was an interesting occasion; for not only was he anointed with precious ointment, but he washed the feet of his disciples, revealed to them the treachery of Judas, and delivered that interesting address to them which has been recorded by John in his testimony from the thirty-first verse of the thirteenth chapter to the end of the sixteenth. At the supper in the house of Iscariot’s father, he presented to him the sop as the token to the others that it was Judas who would betray him. On receiving it the satanic spirit burned within him. Perceiving that his character was well understood by Jesus, and that he could no longer disguise it, he determined to be revenged. Jesus had charged him before all with having a devil, and not being able to deny it, he became his enemy and adversary even unto death. These ideas are expressed by the words, “after the sop Satan entered into him;” and Jesus perceiving it said, “What thou doest, do quickly.”
Between this supper at his father’s and the eating of the Passover at even on the 14th of the month, Judas had his interviews with the Chief Priests, and bargained for the sale of his master’s blood. That it was not after the eating of the Passover that Judas went to covenant with the priests appears from the fact that when Jesus said “what thou doest do quickly,” some of the disciples thought it was because Judas had the bag, that Jesus meant him to go, and buy those things that they had need of against the feast. —John 13; 29-30. The supper at Bethany was on the 11th or 13th of the month, “before the Passover.” “It was night;” not the night of his arrest, but the night of consultation at the palace of the High Priest, where it was determined to take Jesus by subtlety and to kill him.
While eating the Passover the betrayal became again the subject of conversation. Judas, although he knew that the matter was all arranged between himself and the priests, had the hardihood to say to Jesus “Master, is it I?” He was answered in the affirmative; and it is probable, that on receiving this answer, he withdrew from the feast, and went to the Chief Priests and pharisees. After he was departed, Jesus took the bread and wine, and blessed in the words of the seventeenth of John. Hence it is styled “the cup of blessing,” and with the bread is the common union of all the faithful, who, though many, are one bread, or one body. The body of Jesus was about to be shed for them all, and his blood to be shed for them all; and as they are all sprinkled by that blood by faith in it, when together they partake of the cup, it is to them “the communion of the blood of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 10: 16-17.
When Jesus had finished the blessing, and they had sung a psalm, they all withdrew to the garden of Gethsemane. They were not there very long before their retirement was invaded by a crowd with lanterns, and torches, and weapons, following Judas. A few words having passed, Jesus was arrested and “led” to the house of the High Priest where he remained in custody the rest of the night, and suffered much indignity at the hands of his guards. During this time Peter denied him thrice, and the cock crew. “As soon as it was day”—Luke 22: 66 Jesus was led from the hall of the palace into the presence of the elders, chief priests, and scribes in council assembled. He was not detained there long. The question was put by the High Priest “Art thou the Anointed? Art thou the Son of God?” “If I tell you,” said Jesus, “ye will not believe.” “Thou hast said; and hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Upon hearing this they charged him with blasphemy, and pronounced him “guilty of death.”
But though they said he ought to die, it was not in their power to put him to death. They therefore bound him, and led him away from the High Priest’s palace, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. —Matthew 27: 1-2. The indictment runs thus—“We found this man perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is anointed a King.” Upon this Pilate asked him “Art thou the King of the Jews?” This question elicited “the good confession” from the mouth of Jesus. —1 Timothy 6: 13. “I am a King,” said he; “to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”—John 18: 37. Pilate finding no fault in him sent him to Herod who was then in Jerusalem. He also put him to the question, but could elicit nothing worthy of blame. He therefore sent him back to Pilate; who again examined him, and treated him cruelly, but nevertheless sought to release him. This, however, he found impossible, without exposing himself to the charge of disaffection to his imperial master. He therefore yielded to the clamor excited by the enemies of Jesus, and delivered him to their will.
It was now the third hour, or nine A.M. of the Passover-preparation day, that is, the 15th day of the month, or day before the Sabbath. The Jews for some reason or other which does not appear, seem not to have eaten the paschal lamb till the evening after it was killed; for they would not enter into Pilate’s Hall of Judgment early on the morning of the 15th, lest they should contract defilement, and so be prevented from eating of the Passover. —John 18: 28. Mark says they crucified Jesus at the third hour—Mark 15: 25; but John says it was the sixth. —John 19: 14. On referring to the Greek, the marginal reading is found to be the same as Mark, being tritee instead of hektee, which Griesbach says is “a reading equal if not preferable to that in the text.” From the time of arrest till nine in the morning was ample time for the transaction of all that is narrated by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, concerning the examinations of Jesus before the Council, Pilate, and Herod. This would allow about thirteen hours from the arrest to the crucifixion.
Jesus was suspended from the third to the ninth hour, that is, six hours from nine till three in the afternoon. From the sixth to the ninth hour, or from twelve till three, there was a darkness over all the land; and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. Then it was that Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!” And yielded up his breath.
Between three P.M. and sun set on Friday evening, which was the beginning of the Sabbath, Jesus was taken from the cross and deposited in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. There he lay all that night, all the next day, and all the following night until the early dawn of Sunday morning the 17th of Abib, and the third day from his crucifixion. Indeed it was three entire Jewish days from his interment to his resurrection, counting the evening and the morning for one day.
EDITOR
