XXXIV. The Fourth Day
133. Preparation for the Passover
17Now the apostles came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”a13And he sent two of his disciples, Peter and John, and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14and wherever he enters, say to the householder, 'The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room, where I am to eat the Passover with my apostles?”' 12And he will show you a large upper room furnished; there make ready.”
13And they went, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
(Mt. 26:17; Mk. 14:13–14; Lk. 22:12–13)
a “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”—The Passover was a part of the Jews' commemoration of the time of their escape from Egypt under Moses. The Passover meal took place on the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan) of the Jewish calendar (middle of March). The feast of Unleavened Bread began the next day and lasted for seven days. (Leviticus 23:5–6)
The Passover was celebrated in remembrance of the original Passover meal in Egypt. This was the time when Moses directed the Hebrew slaves to slaughter a lamb, put its blood on their doorposts, and then to eat the lamb. That night, according to tradition, the Lord “passed over” the Hebrew households while the first born of all the Egyptians died. Because of this, Pharaoh summoned Moses and “urged the people to hurry and leave Egypt.” The feast of Unleaven Bread was celebrated in remembrance of this hasty exit from Egypt. (See Exodus 12:1–33.)
Mt. 26:17 Now the / Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the • the apostles came (Ch. 22, fn. a) / the disciples came (RSV)
Mk. 14:13 disciples, Peter and John, and (Lk. 22:8) / disciples and (RSV)
Mk. 14:14 my apostles?” (Ch. 22, fn. a) / my disciples.” (RSV) (178:2/1933)
