Matthew 26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Last days of Jesus Christ #5 Matthew 26:17-19 – Passover Preparations

Matthew 26:17-19 – Passover Preparations

|| Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13

MT26:17 Now on the first day of the unfermented cakes[1] the disciples approached Jesus and asked, “Where do you wish to prepare to eat the Passover?” MT26:18 Jesus told them, “Go into the city and when you face So-and-so say to him,[2] ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near.[3] With you I am having the Passover[4] with my disciples.”’” MT26:19 And the disciples did just as Jesus directed them. They prepared the Passover.[5]

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[1] The first day of the unfermented cakes: There is no universal agreement on this phrase. The Greek PROTE may infer, “the day before,” meaning Nisan 13. Compare Exodus 12:18; Exodus 23:15. Mark 14:12 adds, “… when they customarily sacrificed the Passover.” (Luke 22:7) Nisan 14 would begin at sundown. The Jews had to clear all leaven out of their homes and prepare the sacrificial meal of lamb. In the case of the collection of manna it was to be done the day before Sabbath when they would get a double portion (Exodus 16:5, 22-27; Exodus 20:10). In time “the day before the sabbath” came to be termed “Preparation,” as Mark explained (Mark 15:42). “(The Jews) need not give bond (to appear in court) on the Sabbath or on the day of preparation for it (Sabbath Eve) after the ninth hour (3 PM).” The Jews thus began to prepare for the Sabbath on Friday afternoon, or on those occasions where a special Sabbath fell on another day, the afternoon before [Jewish Antiquities, XVI, 163 (vi, 2)]. Nisan 14 was also a Sabbath day no matter what day it fell on. Friday evening at sundown would begin a high holy day with a double Sabbath (John 19:31, 42; Mark 15:42, 43; Luke 23:54). There is disagreement on these dating of matters.

[2] When you face So-and-so say to him: Mark 14:13 adds, “… a man carrying an earthenware vessel of water will encounter,” something rare for men so easily identifiable (Luke 22:10). Or, NEB: go to a certain man in the city.

[3] My time is near: Or, NEB: my appointed time is near. How would Jesus know this? It is possible he could calculate the “middle of the week” of Daniel 9:25, 26 or three and a half years after the beginning of the Nazarene’s ministry which would have begun in the Fall of 29. This would be a period of 1,260 days or 42 months.

[4] With you I am having the Passover: Or, KJV: I will keep the Passover at thy house; RHM: with thee will I keep the Passover.

[5] They prepared the Passover: According to tradition this would begin late on Nisan 13 some hours before sundown and the beginning of Nisan 14. The first day of the eight-day Passover festival was also a Sabbath no matter the day of the week upon which it fell. This period was called “preparation” and would have occurred twice during this particular year. The disciples would have prepared a lamb, green herbs, unleavened bread, red wine for a dozen people. This was the average family size as the Passover was a family celebration.

Even among the Jews there is disagreement about the precise timing: some choosing Nisan 14 and others Nisan 15. “Different opinions have prevailed among the Jews from a very early date as to the precise time intended. Aben Ezra agrees with the Caraites and Samaritans in taking the first evening to be the time when the sun sinks below the horizon, and the second the time of total darkness; in which case, ‘between the two evenings’ would be from 6 o’clock to 7.20…. According to the rabbinical idea, the time when the sun began to descend, viz. from 3 to 5 o’clock, was the first evening, and sunset the second; so that ‘between the two evenings’ was from 3 to 6 o’clock. Modern expositors have very properly decided in favour of the view held by Aben Ezra and the custom adopted by the Caraites and Samaritans.” (Commentary on the Old Testament, 1973, Vol. I, The Second Book of Moses, p. 12)

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Preceding

Matthew 26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Last days of Jesus Christ #1 Matthew 26:1-2 – Two Days Before Execution

Matthew 26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Last days of Jesus Christ #2 Matthew 26:3-5 – Plotting to Seize Jesus

Matthew 26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Last days of Jesus Christ #3 Matthew 26:6-13 – A Woman to Be Remembered

Matthew 26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The Last days of Jesus Christ #4 Matthew 26:14-16 – The Price of Betrayal

Fellowship over meals

After God made a covenant with the People of Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses and the 70 leaders of Israel

“saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:11)

the did not literally saw God but felt His nearness. Every year Gods People also came together for a special meal, remembering how the Most High was willing to come to the help of those that worshipped Him. It was the most significant meal in the Tanakh (Old Testament) that God required the People to eat and as such Jesus (the Nazarene Jeshua, being a devout Jew) also took every year, as required by Scriptures, the occasion to have a Passover meal with those he loved.

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

(Exodus 12:14-17 KJB:PCE)

Jesus had more than once had meals with common people, sinners and publicans as well intimate meals with his beloved ones. We may not forget it was not generally accepted to have friendship with publican, because they were detested by the Jews at that time, because they were the tax collectors and had a reputation of adding their own greedy motives to the amount they collected. Just like the fishermen, when the master teachers asked the tax-collector Matthew to follow him, he went with Jesus, who wanted those who wanted to be his disciples to follow him in his word and not to be slaves of sin. When Jesus knew his time was coming to an end the master wanted to have the yearly memorial meal with his beloved in an upper-room in Jerusalem.

This coming week, on the first night of Passover (Passover Seder: Friday, April 19), believers who participate in the traditional Jewish Passover meal (known as a Seder) will have the opportunity to celebrate and enter into fellowship with Jeshua (Jesus Christ) as he instructed his disciples to do, the night he was betrayed and arrested.

Over the centuries, this Passover meal evolved into a lengthy ritual, and we don’t know for certain which parts of the custom existed at the time of Jeshua. We do know that Messiah’s last meal with his disciples included the breaking of bread and drinking of wine, as do Jewish meals to this day, and that is the part Jeshua or Jesus wants us to remember the most.

As Jeshua’s disciples gathered together for their final meal with him, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and said,

“This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).

In Christendom we can find lots of people who first of all think Jesus is God, Who would have come to earth and Who would through a mysterious process come into the bread itself. This is called transubstantiation and is practised by Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox Christians, such as Greek, Ukrainian, Ethiopian, etc. as well as other denominations.

However, in the ancient Jewish practice of sacrificial offerings that God instituted, nothing ever transformed from one substance into another substance.  Rather, most of the animal offerings were killed and eaten.

When Jesus said

“This is my body”

he did not have the intention to have those around him to believe the bread would have become part of his body.

Jesus often spoke about himself in metaphors, especially in terms of bread and life.

He said,

“I am the bread of life”

and

 “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.”  (John 6:35, 51)

Throughout history we can see how God provide the food (literal and spiritual) for His people. The manna was bread for man. The spiritual manna now was this sent one from God, the Nazarene master teacher Jeshua, Jesus Christ.

Jesus his teaching about eating his body and drinking his blood should be taken as a figure of speech, having the spiritual manna provided and represented by those symbols.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
(John 6:53-58 KJB:PCE)

Symbolically consuming the Word of God is not a foreign concept in Judaism and Jesus is seen as that Word of God having come into the flesh.

When we shall come together this Friday night we shall have a gathering where we remember those last hours of our master teacher. Assembled we shall feel united with brothers and sisters all over the world, gathering in private houses or in prayer halls (Kingdom halls or churches).

When we at the meeting come to eat the bread and drink the wine at the Passover meal this coming Friday night (April 19), we shall remember how we have been delivered from an eternal spiritual death that God provided through the sacrifice of His only begotten beloved son Jesus (Jeshua) him being

“the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).

With our sins paid for, his sacrifice heals any broken fellowship we had with God so we can freely commune with Him.

Coming together several times a year, we remember that moment of the Last Supper and once a year we remember it especially for two reasons, the liberation of Israel from Egypt, standing for the liberation of slavery from man, and secondly the liberation from the curse of death, by Jesus giving himself as a ransom for the sins of all.

All those meals we share in the year are just a reflection of that exceptional meal Jesus had in Jerusalem. The one night of fellowship on 14 Nisan is especially to remember those liberation acts provided by the Most High. By our gathering we show our thankfulness, but also our unity with all those who remember that Pesach Seder, all over the world. With all of them we have a united fellowship as brothers and sisters, being part of One Great Family, as children of God.

Christ has made know the path of freedom by his word to those who believe him and live in the truth. When calling ourselves “Christian”, “Jeshuaist” or “children of God” we should show others our unity and our “family”, showing them we are really following the real Christ and not the false dogmatic person who is part of a so called “holy Trinity”. Jesus worshipped not himself, but his heavenly Father, the Only One true God, the God of Abraham Who is an eternal Spirit (having no beginning or no birth and no end or no death). At the Memorial Meal Jesus had with his apostles he honoured that Singular God and expects from all his followers also to praise that One Supreme Being Who gave light and salvation to the world.

So, let us come together Friday night to remember how the Most High provided for the liberation of Israel and provided also for a lamb that brought salvation for Jews and non-Jews, to be liberated from the chains of death, being thankful that those who live in Christ’s word are free.

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Additional reading

1. Egypt, Moshe and Those who never felt they belonged there
2. At the Shabbat HaChodesh: readings about blood, liberation and purification
3. Commentary on Parashat Tazria
4. Why Fuss over a Little Leaven (Yeast)?
5. Purification and perfection
6. Shabbat HaGadol in preparation for Pesach

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5. Bible verses on Children of God.
6. “Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:26
7. A Gift from God
8. How Do We Make a Difference as a Christian? (Part 3)
9. Prayer: Our Home is in You (Genesis 17)
10. Day 10: He Ate with Publicans and Sinners
11. Prepping For Pesach
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14. Pesach: Jumping for Passover (Part 1/2) ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
15. Day 11: Go and Do Likewise
16. Daily Scripture, 4-10-19
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18. No Sin in Christ: 1st John 3:6
19. What God Has Made Clean: Acts 11:1-8
20. Let My People Go!
21. Torah Portion – Pesach A
22. Torah Portion – Pesach B
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24. God’s name on Seder Night
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26. The Order of the Passover Seder
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29. The Usual Suspects of… Pesach Prep
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On the first day for matzah

Miniature of the Last Supper from the Rossano Gospels

 

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“1  it was now two days before Pesach (that is, the festival of matzah), and the head cohanim and the torah-teachers were trying to find some way to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; 2 for they said, “not during the festival, or the people will riot.”” (Mark 14:1-2 CJB)

“10 then Y’hudah from K’riot, who was one of the twelve, went to the head cohanim in order to betray Yeshua to them. 11 they were pleased to hear this and promised to give him money. and he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Yeshua.” (Mark 14:10-11 CJB)

“6 (22:7) but I am a worm, not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 (22:8) all who see me jeer at me; they sneer and shake their heads:” (Psalms 22:6-7 CJB)

“I said to them, “if it seems good to you, give me my wages; if not, don’t.” so they weighed out my wages, thirty silver (shekel s, that is, twelve ounces).” (Zechariah 11:12 CJB)

“for the love of money is a root of all the evils; because of this craving, some people have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves to the heart with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:10 CJB)

14 Nisan

“12  on the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua’s talmidim asked him, “where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?” 13 he sent two of his talmidim with these instructions: “go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. follow him; 14 and whichever house he enters, tell him that the rabbi says, ‘where is the guest room for me, where I am to eat the Pesach meal with my talmidim?’ 15 he will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. make the preparations there.” 16 the talmidim went off, came to the city and found things just as he had told them they would be; and they prepared the Seder. 17 when evening came, Yeshua arrived with the twelve. 18 as they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.” 19 they became upset and began asking him, one after the other, “you don’t mean me, do you?” 20 “it’s one of the twelve,” he said to them, “someone dipping matzah in the dish with me. 21 for the son of man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! it would have been better for him had he never been born!” 22 while they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “take it! this is my body.” 23 also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank. 24 he said to them, “this is my blood, which ratifies the new covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people.” (Mark 14:12-24 CJB)“14 when the time came, Yeshua and the emissaries reclined at the table, 15 and he said to them, “I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! 16 for I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the kingdom of god.” 17 then, taking a cup of wine, he made the b’rakhah and said, “take this and share it among yourselves. 18 for I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the kingdom of god comes.” 19 also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “this is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.” 20 he did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “this cup is the new covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you.” (Luke 22:14-20 CJB)

“the “cup of blessing” over which we make the b’rakhah —isn’t it a sharing in the bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah? the bread we break, isn’t it a sharing in the body of the Messiah?” (1 Corinthians 10:16 CJB)

“21  “but look! the person who is betraying me is here at the table with me! 22 the son of man is going to his death according to god’s plan, but woe to that man by whom he is being betrayed!”” (Luke 22:21-22 CJB)

“17 when evening came, Yeshua arrived with the twelve. 18 as they were reclining and eating, Yeshua said, “yes! I tell you that one of you is going to betray me.” 19 they became upset and began asking him, one after the other, “you don’t mean me, do you?” 20 “it’s one of the twelve,” he said to them, “someone dipping matzah in the dish with me. 21 for the son of man will die, just as the Tanakh says he will; but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! it would have been better for him had he never been born!” 22 while they were eating, Yeshua took a piece of matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “take it! this is my body.” 23 also he took a cup of wine, made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them; and they all drank. 24 he said to them, “this is my blood, which ratifies the new covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many people. 25 yes! I tell you, I will not drink this ‘fruit of the vine’ again until the day I drink new wine in the kingdom of god.”” (Mark 14:17-25 CJB)

“24 an argument arose among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 but Yeshua said to them, “the kings of the Goyim lord it over them; and those in authority over them are given the title, ‘Benefactor.’ 26 but not so with you! on the contrary, let the greater among you become like the younger, and one who rules like one who serves. 27 for who is greater? the one reclining at the table? or the one who serves? it’s the one reclining at the table, isn’t it? but I myself am among you like one who serves. 28 “you are the ones who have stayed with me throughout my trials. 29 just as my father gave me the right to rule, so I give you an appointment, 30 namely, to eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and to sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Isra’el.” (Luke 22:24-30 CJB)

“26 after singing the Hallel, they went out to the mount of olives. 27 Yeshua said to them, “you will all lose faith in me, for theTanakh says, ‘I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 but after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil.”” (Mark 14:26-28 CJB)

““awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me,” says ADONAI-Tzva’ot. “strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the young ones.” (Zechariah 13:7 CJB)

“31  Yeshua then said to them, “tonight you will all lose faith in me, as theTanakh says, ‘I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 but after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into the Galil.” 33 “I will never lose faith in you,” Kefa answered, “even if everyone else does.” 34 Yeshua said to him, “yes! I tell you that tonight before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” 35 “even if I must die with you,” Kefa replied, “I will never disown you!” and all the talmidim said the same thing.” (Matthew 26:31-35 CJB)

“31 Yeshua answered, “now you do believe. 32 but a time is coming—indeed it has come already—when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave me all alone. yet I am not alone; because the father is with me. 33 “I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. in the world, you have tsuris. but be brave! I have conquered the world!”” (John 16:31-33 CJB)

“1  after Yeshua had said these things, he looked up toward heaven and said, “father, the time has come. glorify your son, so that the son may glorify you— 2 just as you gave him authority over all mankind, so that he might give eternal life to all those whom you have given him. 3 and eternal life is this: to know you, the one true god, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Messiah. 4 “I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 now, father, glorify me alongside yourself. give me the same glory I had with you before the world existed. 6  “I made your name known to the people you gave me out of the world. they were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because the words you gave me I have given to them, and they have received them. they have really come to know that I came from you, and they have come to trust that you sent me.” (John 17:1-8 CJB)

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Preceding article: Servant for the truth of God

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: Op de eerste dag voor matzah

French version / Version Française: Le premier jour de matsa

German version / In Deutsch: Am ersten Tag für Mazza

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Please do also find to read about the Last Supper:

1. Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy
2. 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
3. 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
4. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
5. 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
6. 14 Nisan a day to remember #5 The Day to celebrate
7. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
8. High Holidays not only for Israel
9. Festival of Freedom and persecutions

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14 Nisan a day to remember #5 The Day to celebrate

God’s Passover is to be held on the fourteenth day of the first month

The Bible tells us that Passover is always on Nisan 14. Numbers 28:16-17 says: “In the first month on the 14th day of the month is Adonai’s Pesach (Passover). On the 15th day of the month is to be a feast.” The Scriptures verify this several times. On the 14th, as Jehovah instructed, His people were to slaughter the lamb toward twilight/dusk toward the evening and eat it “that same night” – because the 15th was to be a feast.

The Jews’ Passover, by James Tissot (1836–1902) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So on the night when the 14th Nisan begins we as believers come together to commemorate the last moments of the life of Jesus Christ. The days afterwards we can gather with family and friends and celebrate the liberation of God’s people. When it is still day light it would be still the 14th of Nisan but as soon the sun goes under the 15th of Nisan begins and the evening meal can be taken full of joy, because the people who could leave Egypt was the way to the Land of God for the Jews. And the death of Christ was the liberation of all people so that everybody could receive the opportunity to come closer to God and would be able to enter the Kingdom of God.

We should always remember that Jesus himself said to the apostles, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;” (Luke 22:15 NAS) Jeshua died on the first evening of Passover, and Passover seders are to be held on the evening (sunset) of Nisan 14th, for the 15th (which starts immediately after sunset) is to be a feast (Numbers 28:16-17).

As such we are happy to invite everybody to gather with those who believe in Christ his death and resurrection for becoming our mediator between God and man and would like to find them in prayer and worship on 14 Nisan at the memorial table.

“”For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite [you.]” (Exodus 12:23 NAS)

“”You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.” (Exodus 23:15 NAS)

“”You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt.” (Exodus 34:18 NAS)

“3  “You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), in order that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4  “For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. 5  “You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which the LORD your God is giving you; 6  but at the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. 7  “And you shall cook and eat it in the place which the LORD your God chooses. And in the morning you are to return to your tents. 8  “Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God; you shall do no work on it.” (Deuteronomy 16:3-8 NAS)

2013 Confusion or controversy

This year there were many controversies on which day to hold the Memorial Meal. We take the gospel of John in consideration where is spoken of the 14th of Nisan as “the preparation of the Passover.” The next morning, after the final supper Jeshua had with his disciples, after the Jews had apprehended Jeshua and interrogated him, early that morning, they led him to the hall of judgement be judged by Pontius Pilate, Roman governor. The Jews themselves, however, would not go into the Roman judgement hall, “lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover” (John 18:28). Clearly Passover had not yet come. So for sure the 14 Nisan or our Memorial Meal service would have to take place one evening before the night the Jews would take their Pesach seder.

According to certain Jewish groups Erev Pesach (‘Eve of Passover’) – First Seder would be on Monday March 25, 14 Nissan, 5773.
The Torah (Exodus 12:15, as per Talmud, Pesachim 5a) sets midday of Nissan 14—for 2013 on Monday March 25^th –as the deadline for the destruction and/or removal of all leavened foods (“chametz”) from their possession in preparation for the festival of Passover, which begins that evening at nightfall. In practice, Torah law mandates that we desist from eating chametz two hours before midday, and that no leaven remain in our possession an hour before midday. These are not clock hours but “proportional hours”, defined by Jewish law as a 12th part of the time between sunrise and sunset.
When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, the Passover offering was brought there on the afternoon of Nissan 14 which would mean on the afternoon Tuesday 26. That day it is commemorated by the Jews their recitation of the “Order of the Passover Offering” in the afternoon of Tuesday 26 March, by the “shankbone” placed on the seder plate this evening, and the afikoman — a portion of matzah eaten in its stead at the end of the seder meal.

The Jewish calendar date begins at sundown of the night beforehand. Thus all holiday observances begin at sundown on the secular dates listed, with the following day being the first full day of the holiday. (Thus, the first Passover seder is held on the evening of the first date listed.) Jewish calendar dates conclude at nightfall.

The first two days of Passover (from sundown of the first date listed, until nightfall two days later) are full-fledged, no-work-allowed holiday days. The subsequent four days are Chol Hamoed, when work is allowed, albeit with restrictions. Chol Hamoed is followed by another two full holiday days.

According Chabad the holiday of Pesach, or Passover, falling on the Hebrew calendar dates of Nissan 15-22.

Here are coinciding secular dates for the upcoming years:

2013:   March 25-April 2

First Seder – Night of Monday, March 25, 2013
First Day – Tuesday March 26, 2013
Second Seder – Night of Tuesday March 26, 2013
Second Day – Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Seventh Day – Monday, April 1, 2013
Eighth Day – Tuesday, April 2, 2013

2014:   April 14-22

2015:   April 3-11

2016:   April 22-30

2017:   April 10-18

According to The Premier Kosher Information Source on the Internet Passover begins with the first Seder on the eve of the 15^th day of Nisan, corresponding (according to them) to Monday evening, March 25, 2013, and ends outside of Israel at the conclusion of the 22^nd day of Nisan, corresponding to Tuesday evening, April 2, 2013.

Festive Seder table with wine, matza and Seder plate. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to us we have to take in account the difference of timing of the East (Jerusalem), Europe and the United States (even there the East and West coast).

For 2013 we had New Moon on March the 11^th and Full Moon on March 27, so 14 Nisan should be on the evening of 26 March this year.

Therefore we kindly invite you to join us on Tuesday night for the Memorial of Jesus’ death, the Pesach or Lamb of God. On that evening we shall meet to commemorate the greatest man on earth and we shall examine what makes Jesus—and his sacrifice—so vitally important.

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Preceding articles: 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain

14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast

14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus

14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie: 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #5 De te vieren dag

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Please do find also other related articles:

Articles on 14 Nisan and Pesach/Pascha:

1. 1 -15 Nisan
2. Day of remembrance coming near
3. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
4. Pesach
5. Korban Pesach
6. Seven days of Passover
7. Day of remembrance coming near
8. Observance of a day to Remember
9. Jesus memorial
10. Bread and Wine
11. Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy
12. High Holidays not only for Israel
13. Festival of Freedom and persecutions

About Jesus his death:

1. About a man who changed history of humankind
2. How is it that Christ pleased God so perfectly?
3. God showing how far He is willing to go to save His children
4. Grace and beloved by God
5. The meek one riding on an ass
6. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
7. A new exodus and offering of a Lamb
8. Ransom for all
9. Swedish theologian finds historical proof Jesus did not die on a cross
10. Impaled until death overtook him
11. The day Jesus died
12. Jesus three days in hell
13. The redemption of man by Christ Jesus
14. The one who makes us well and gives life

About Easter:

1. Peter Cottontail and a Bunny laying Eastereggs
2. Altered to fit a Trinity
3. Jesus is risen
4. Risen With Him
5. Christ has indeed been raised from the dead
6. A season of gifts
7. Wishing lanterns and Christmas

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Related articles

• How long was Jesus in the grave? (wnd.com)
  For centuries, Christians have observed the crucifixion of Jesus as being on Friday afternoon and the resurrection at dawn the following Sunday. This is only a period of about  40 hours and certainly does not fit Jesus’ prediction of three days and three nights?
  “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a whale, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,”  Matthew 12:40. The problem is neither with Jesus’ prediction nor with the Bible. The problem is with our tradition that misses a very important fact of the events of that week in Jesus’ ministry. The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation for the Passover Sabbath (Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:14, 31). The Hebrew calendar begins each day at the evening twilight of the previous day. For example, the Jewish Friday begins at what would be the beginning of Thursday evening on our calendars. The Day of Preparation for Passover was always the 14^th of the Hebrew month Abib (also known as Nisan). Passover began that evening, the 15^th.

• Preparations for the Passover Meal – Luke 22: 7-13 (shalommysticwind.wordpress.com)
  The synoptic want to emphasize the Passover significance of the Last Supper and therefore they date it to the night of 14^th or 15^th of Nisan when the Jews celebrate their Passover Meal. Here the Last Supper is presented as Jesus’ own Passover, the new Passover Meal of his own body and blood. In gospel of John, however, the death of Jesus is connected with the Passover and not the Last Supper. Jesus the Lamb of God is sacrificed on the Cross at a time when the Passover lambs are slaughtered in preparation for the Passover Meal.

• Passover and the Feast of First Fruits (thebereanstand.wordpress.com)
  At the end of this month Christians around the world will be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the week before Jews will be observing the Passover. What most Christians do not know is that these two “Holy-days” are related to each other. The story of the preparations for the Passover Meal is itself introductory to the account of the Last Supper in Luke 22: 14-23.
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  The parallel passages in Matthew 26: 17-19 and Mark 14: 12-16 also present Jesus’ meal with his disciples as a Passover Meal held on the 14^th or 15^th night of Nisan. The same night Jesus was arrested and the following day, namely, on 15^th of Nisan he was crucified. It is also interesting to note that the three synoptic evangelists explicitly mention that day as the day of preparation, that is, the day before a Sabbath (cf. Mk 15: 42; Mt 27: 62; Lk 23; 54-56). The fourth evangelist (John) is also in agreement with the synoptic on this point.

• Our Passover Lamb (eternalchrist.wordpress.com)
  What does it mean that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and prophets?One of the ways we can see this is by examining the Feasts ofIsrael. YHWH established appointed times that the nation of Israel wouldmeet with Him in worship and thanksgiving. There were three feasts in the Spring (Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits); one in the Summer (Pentecost); and three in the Fall (Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacle).
  Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of these feasts, or appointed times.

• Faith Without Obidience (ioan17.wordpress.com)
   Special care was to be taken of this lamb until the 14th of the month, the Passover, when the lamb would be slaughtered at twilight.  On the original Passover, the blood of the  lamb was smeared on the doorposts of every Hebrew home to distinguish them from the Egyptians and to protect them from the destroyer.

• Happy Passover 2013 (/aksyrin.wordpress.com)
  Much of the symbolism of Jesus’ last Passover week is lost to us because we are unaware of the customs of the time.
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  The day Jesus was crucified was the day of the Passover celebration and the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For the previous 1,200 years, the priest would blow the shophar (ram’s horn) at 3:00 p.m. – the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel.At 3:00, when Jesus was being crucified, He said, “It is finished” – at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shophar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place. At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, several  story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies) tore from top to bottom – representing a removal of the separation between God and man. Fifty days later, on the  anniversary of the giving of the law (Pentecost), God left the earthly temple to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.
• The Lamb of God (calvinistview.com)
  One source tells us that around the time of Christ, 256,000 lambs were slain in Jerusalem for just one Passover. According to ancient Jewish law, there were ten people required for every one lamb. So that puts the population in Jerusalem for Passover at roughly 2.5 million people plus!

• The Passover Lamb has Gone Missing (waynehilsden.com)
  After sunset we join Jews around the world in a “seder” meal.
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  The lamb has gone missing. Yet the lamb of God was essential to Israel‘s redemption. As followers of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah we behold with the Jewish prophet John “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  And we celebrate Passover knowing that Jesus is the reason for the season. In the words of Rabbi Saul/Paul, “For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)