The disciples probably thought they were about to partake in an ordinary Passover feast, much like they had countless times over. They did not know however, that this particular Passover was going to be different. It was about to turn into the Last Supper of Jesus, the beginning of a new communion tradition; and Jesus was about to be arrested, crucified and resurrected in line with the ancient Passover tradition.
The synoptic gospels record that the Last Supper took place in the upstairs guest room of a house in Jerusalem. Jesus had instructed Peter and John to go to Jerusalem, meet a man carrying a pitcher of water, and follow him to his master. This is an indication that the Holy Spirit had told Jesus what to tell Peter and John, that the Holy Spirit was directing the servant to go to the gates at a specific time (whether the servant was aware of the Holy Spirit’s leading or not is unknown), and the Holy Spirit might have somehow spoken prophetically to the master since the room had already been prepared when Peter and John arrived at the house (Luke 22:7-13). The master’s name is not recorded, but it is possible he could have been a business owner and the home was part of his business since he was a master and had a servant.[1]
Once the Last Supper begins, it is filled with other Holy Spirit -led prophetic messages that Jesus gave to his disciples—his death as the plan of God the Father, the announcement of betrayal by Judas and the denial of Peter (Luke 22:14-38). The first two synoptics record Peter’s denial at the Mount of Olives instead of at the supper; and Matthew records Jesus telling all of the disciples that they will desert him (Matt. 26:31) whereas the other synoptic gospels do not. Why certain omissions or chronological inconsistencies occur here are unknown, but what is important to remember is that, “The apparent contradictions that are usually discussed when assessing the Gospels’ historical value do not normally fall under [a] heading of conflicting theology.”[2]
In addition to giving prophetic messages during the Passover feast (Last Supper), Jesus fulfilled prophecy symbolized in the Passover itself. Not only is the Passover a remembrance of the Hebrew deliverance from Egypt according to Exodus, but is also prophetic of Jesus as Messiah unknown until after Jesus’ resurrection (and still unknown to Jews today). Therefore, it is not coincidence that the crucifixion occurred at the same time as the sacrifice of the lamb during Passover.[3]
A further study into the symbolism of the Passover can unfold into a book-length discussion. This only goes to show the mastery of the plan of salvation as prophesied throughout the Passover tradition.
[1] James S. Jeffers, The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic), 54-56.
[2] Craig L. Blomberg. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic), 156.
[3] H. Wayne House, Chronological and Background Charts of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan), 81.
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