Jesus' Passover

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• Mark 14:12 . . And the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the
Passover, his disciples said unto him: Where wilt thou that we go and
prepare that thou mayest eat the Passover?

That passage can be a bit misleading for folks unaware that the seven-day
feast of Unleavened Bread (a.k.a. Passover) consists of a total of eight days.

The "first day" is when all the lambs are slaughtered and roasted with fire,
ready to eat by sunset; which is when the seven-day part of the feast kicks
off seeing as how the Jews' holy days begin and end with sunset.

In other words: the "first day" isn't a holy day. In point of fact it is a very
busy day because of all the preparations that have to be made for dinner
that night; which includes a witch hunt (so to speak) for any and all
leavened bread in the Jews' homes.

• Matt 26:3 . .Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled
in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted
to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. But not during the Feast-- they
said --or there may be a riot among the people.

They failed to accomplish Jesus' death apart from the Feast.

The fixings for Jesus' Passover were prepared on the day leading up to the
night of his arrest. The Jews prepared for their Passover on the day of his
crucifixion. In other words: Jesus' Passover was prepared a day ahead of
theirs.

He being a prophet in direct contact with God would know the correct date of
the "first day" of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, whereas the Jews'
calculations were vulnerable to human error. Consequently the Jews were
unaware that their religious calendar was running behind that year.

I'm guessing that God kept them in the dark because a correct calendar
wasn't near as important to Him as it was for Jesus to be slain during the
Jews' preparations. So then; while the Jews were slaying lambs for dinner
that night, the cross was simultaneously slaying the lamb of God.

• Isa 53:5-6 . . He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for
our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by
his wounds we are healed.

. . .We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own
way; and The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
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So, as it turned out; Jesus was crucified on what the Jews believed was the day of
preparation, but in reality was one of the seven days of the Feast.

* The Jews' mistake worked to Jesus' advantage. Had their calendar been correct,
then Jesus would've lost an opportunity to share one last sacred event with his
men; something he really wanted to do.

"Then, at the proper time, Jesus and the twelve apostles sat down together at the
table. Jesus said: I have looked forward to this hour with deep longing, anxious to
eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins." (Luke 22:14-15)
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Jesus isn't done with Passover just yet. His so-called last supper wasn't the end of
it.

• Luke 22:15-16 . . I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I
suffer. For I tell you: I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of
God.

In order to conduct a proper Passover, Jesus will require a Temple in Jerusalem
staffed by qualified Levitical priests. That's coming.

• Jer 33:17-18 . . For this is what The Lord says: David will never fail to have a
man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, nor will the priests, who are Levites,
ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to
burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.

• Jer 33:19-22 . .This is what The Lord says: If you can break my covenant with
the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at
their appointed time, then my covenant with David my servant-- and my covenant
with the Levites who are priests ministering before me --can be broken and David
will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. I will make the
descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as
countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

See also Ezek 40:1 thru 46:24
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He being a prophet

The primary occupation of a prophet is to speak for God.

• Deut 18:15-19 . .The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from
among your own brothers. You must listen to him. . .The Lord said to me: "I will
raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words
in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not
listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to
account.

Jesus fulfilled Moses' prediction.

• Acts 3:21-24 . . For Moses said: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he
tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among
his people. Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken,
have foretold these days.

• John 3:34 . .He is sent by God. He speaks God's words

• John 8:26 . .He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which
I have heard of Him.

• John 8:28 . . I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the
Father taught me.

• John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

• John 14:24 . .The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent
me.

Although Jesus is easily the most reliable prophet that the people of Israel will ever
encounter, his messages were often ignored; especially by those closest to him.

• Matt 13:54-58 . . Coming to His home town He began teaching them in their
synagogue . . And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them: "A prophet is
not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household." And he did
not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
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