We need to ask ourselves are we celebrating the LORD’s Passover or are we trying to celebrate the Lord’s supper? Is there a difference between these two events or are they the same event?
What can we learn from reviewing the timeline leading up to our Lord’s Supper and the surrounding events of this Passover?
Nisan 12th Events
These are some of the events leading to the Passover ….
Mathew 26:1-2… Now when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples: 2 “YOU know that two days from now the Passover occurs, and the Son of man is to be delivered up to be impaled…
Mark 14:1-2…Now the Passover and the [festival of] unfermented cakes was two days later. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize him by crafty device and kill him; 2 for they repeatedly said: “Not at the festival; perhaps there might be an uproar of the people.
Luke 22:1-6… Now the festival of the unfermented cakes, the so-called Passover, was getting near. 2 Also, the chief priests and the scribes were seeking the effective way for them to get rid of him, for they were in fear of the people.3 But Satan entered into Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve; 4 and he went off and talked with the chief priests and [temple] captains about the effective way to betray him to them. 5 Well, they rejoiced and agreed to give him silver money. 6 So he consented, and he began to seek a good opportunity to betray him to them without a crowd around.
So, what prompted Judas to betray Jesus two days before the Passover?
Scriptures reveal that Satan entered into Judas. How could that have happened? What was going on that this could happen to Judas? John 12:6 says he was a thief. Let’s not forget that anyone of us can be overtaken by sin and be used by the wicked one for his purposes.
Jesus knew two days before the Passover that he was going to be betrayed and killed. Not only did he tell his disciples that, but the Holy Spirit had revealed it to a woman ahead of time and this happens next in the timeline.
Matthew 26:6-13… While Jesus happened to be in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman with an alabaster case of costly perfumed oil approached him, and she began pouring it upon his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 On seeing this the disciples became indignant and said: “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a great deal and been given to poor people.”10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them: “Why do YOU try to make trouble for the woman? For she did a fine deed toward me. 11 For YOU always have the poor with YOU, but YOU will not always have me. 12 For when this woman put this perfumed oil upon my body, she did it for the preparation of me for burial. 13 Truly I say to YOU, wherever this good news is preached in all the world, what this woman did shall also be told as a remembrance of her.”
So, this is the remembrance of the woman and her fine deed that she did for the Lord.
Nisan 13th Go Get Ready
Do you remember what preparation day was for?
Preparation day Nisan 14th was the day for the slaughtering the victim for the Passover. Also, they would begin to prepare for the unleavened bread this also was right before Sabbath at sundown Nisan 15th.
Follow the hyperlink to back to the first article: The LORD’s Passover – YHWH
Remember what we read in Exodus 12:6-8 you are to slaughter on the 14th and eat on this night and again in Exodus 12:17, this is in the same time frame. Remember what we read in Exodus 34:35 that what was leavened was not to be at the sacrifice. Due to these laws the people began to prepare the Passover and Sabbath earlier to which the whole day became known as preparation day.
We also need to remember that Jesus and the disciples are having to walk to within a distance close enough to Jerusalem to have the Passover. They still needed to gather supplies for the meal, find a place to have their meals because after all these events are not a single day event but is to last over seven days till Nisan 21.
Matthew 26:17… On the first day (Strong’s #4413 before) On the day before the unfermented cakes the disciples came up to Jesus, saying: “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?
Luke 22:7-8… The day of the unfermented cakes now arrived, (Strong’s #2064 came) The day came of unfermented cakes on which the Passover [victim] must be sacrificed; (Numbers 9:1-5) 8 and he dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the Passover ready for us to eat.”
Mark 14:12-16… Now on the first day (Strong’s #4413 before) Now before the day of unfermented cakes, (Nisan 14th is the day of unfermented cakes) when they customarily sacrificed the Passover [victim] his disciples said to him: “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the passover?”13 With that he sent forth two of his disciples and said to them: “Go into the city, and a man carrying an earthenware vessel of water will encounter YOU. Follow him, 14 and wherever he goes inside say to the householder, ‘The Teacher says: “Where is the guest room for me where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” 15 And he will show YOU a large upper room, furnished in preparation; and there prepare for us.” 16 So the disciples went out, and they entered the city and found it just as he said to them; and they prepared for the Passover.
With the proper adjustment to the Scripture according to what we found in Strong’s Concordance which you just read about, these were all the events of Nisan 13th before it got dark, or till the sun went down because at the setting of the Sun at dark started the next day Nisan 14th.
As the sunsets we need to turn our attention to what happens next.
Sun Set Nisan 14th
After the sun set the lord had a meal called the Seudah Maphsehket.
Luke 22:14-16… At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with YOU before I suffer; 16 for I tell YOU, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
What is this Jewish tradition of celebrating Seudah Maphsehket?
This Seudah Maphsehket is basically translated as Last Supper and the Galilean Jews established a celebration of eating this supper in remembrance for the first-born sons who were in jeopardy of losing their lives during the Passover. So, a special lifetime meal was adopted for a remembrance of them.
The New Covenant
Picking back up on our reading, Christ Jesus now begins to explain the meaning of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood as he reveals the new covenant.
Luke 22:17-21…And, accepting a cup, he gave thanks and said: “Take this and pass it from one to the other among yourselves; 18 for I tell YOU, from now on I will not drink again from the product of the vine until the kingdom of God arrives.” 19 Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”20 Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in YOUR behalf. 21 “But, look! the hand of my betrayer is with me at the table.
What does the loaf of unleavened bread represent? What does the wine represent? Was Judas Iscariot at this meal and participated in the passing of the emblems?
The Betrayer Reveled
Now reading what happened from the account of the apostle Matthew.
Matthew 26:20-29… When now, it had become evening, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. 21 While they were eating, he said: “Truly I say to YOU, One of YOU will betray me.” 22 Being very much grieved at this, they commenced each and every one to say to him: “Lord, it is not I, is it?” 23 In reply he said: “He that dips his hand with me in the bowl is the one that will betray me. 24 True, the Son of man is going away, just as it is written concerning him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been finer for him if that man had not been born.” 25 By way of reply Judas, who was about to betray him, said: “It is not I, is it, Rabbi?” He said to him: “You yourself said [it].” 26 As they continued eating, Jesus took a loaf and, after saying a blessing, he broke it and, giving it to the disciples, he said: “TAKE, eat. This means my body.” 27 Also, he took a cup and, having given thanks, he gave it to them, saying: “Drink out of it, all of YOU; 28 for this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell YOU, I will by no means drink henceforth any of this product of the vine until that day when I drink it new with YOU in the kingdom of my Father.”
Now the apostle John gives us a little more detail in his account.
John 13:2-27… Now by the time of supper, the Devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. 4 So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. 5 Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know.” 8 “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “Doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, “You are not all clean.” 12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you. 16 “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats My bread has raised his heel against Me. 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” 21 When Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit and testified, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me!” 22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. 23 One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.” When He had dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Therefore, Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”
Judas Iscariot was at the Lord Supper and was involved with the passing of the emblems. But we know he partook unworthily because of what Jesus said, “that not all are clean”. John 13:11 We also know that thieves will not inherent Gods Kingdom as revealed at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. This meal was before Jesus made a kingdom covenant with his 12 disciples. See Luke 22:30.
I Am the Bread of Life
Now the loaf or unleavened bread represented Jesus Christ body; he is the bread of life. And the wine represented the covenant that was being poured out on behalf of all mankind for the forgiveness of their sins.
John 6:35… Jesus said to them: “I am the bread of life. He that comes to me will not get hungry at all, and he that exercises faith in me will never get thirsty at all.
John 6:48-51… I am the bread of life. YOUR forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness and yet died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh in behalf of the life of the world.
John 6:60-63… Therefore, many of his disciples, when they heard this, said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this stumble YOU? What, therefore, if YOU should behold the Son of man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that is life-giving; the flesh is of no use at all. The sayings that I have spoken to YOU are spirit and are life.
What Jesus spoke about was his body being the bread of life and it represents something spiritual.
To sum up what we learned so far is that the Lord supper is not the same as the Passover. The Lord supper “Seudah Maphsehket” happened 24 hours before the Passover or Sabbath on Nisan 14th, before Jesus was tried, convicted, executed and died at the 9th hour or 3 pm on Nisan 14th before Passover at the setting of the sun making it night fall.
We have been asked by Jesus Christ to remember him in this celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the remembrance of the first-born sons.
We need to partake of the bread and wine so as to have life. Then we need to exercise our faith in Christ Jesus as our Savior and our Lord of heaven and earth. John 6:48-51
What else can we extrapolate from the Scriptures about the last days of the life and death of Christ Jesus our Lord of Heaven and Earth? Philippians 2:9-11
Follow the hyperlink to the next part of the last days of Christ.
The Conspiracy and Killing of Christ
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