33] Does the Bible state, “Jesus ate the Passover?” Did He eat the Passover?  

Matthew, Mark and Luke seem to indicate that Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover meal on the night He was betrayed.

However, the truth of the matter is you cannot read any of the following statements in Matthew, Mark or Luke or any other book of the Bible: “Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover” or “Jesus ate the Passover” or “he, they or anyone there” that night “ate the Passover.”

The New Testament scriptures never state the Passover meal was eaten that night.

Being honest with the Bible none of these phrases are in the Bible. Of a truth, the Bible does not say that Jesus ate the Passover. However, this is not convincing enough for some, so we will press on.

Let us examine the narrative wording of the gospel accounts as they are. Let us read what the Bible speaks.

Matthew 26:1-5 “And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples. Ye know after two days is the Passover and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him. But they said, not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people."

Mark 14:1-2 “After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft and put him to death. But they said not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

Luke 22:1 "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill him, for they feared the people."

These verses acknowledge that the Passover was imminent. The disciples were told that in two days time is the Passover and Jesus would be crucified. Notice how each writer differently summarized this information.

Passover and the death of the Son of Man were emphasized here. This was certainly the point the writers wanted to make. It was during the Passover Jesus Christ would be crucified.

Likewise, we learn that the council debated, if Jesus was to be put to death, it could not be on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, “the feast day.” The Passover Day, the 14^th day of the first month, was called at that time the preparation day. The Passover was not, is not a Feast Day/Holy Day.

The Passover/preparation day is not a Feast or Holy Day. Leviticus 23 makes that fact plain. On the 14^th day of the first month, there is neither a requirement for a Holy Convocation, nor a requirement that no work shall be done. These two requirements are specific only for the seven annual Holy Days, of which the 14^th day of the first month is not. There is no command that the 14^th day of the first month be a Holy/Feast day.

Keep in mind, as the Word of God, through the writing of Luke specifies, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is called the Passover. This nomenclature is still common today as we can witness on wall calendars. In the spring of each year, either the month of March or April, you will read the word Passover on a certain day. That same day is the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover and the first day of Unleavened Bread are synonymous as referring to the seven days of unleavened bread.

At least since the 1^st Century, even as it is today, the Jews call the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread the Passover.

On that preparation day, the Passover Lamb was sacrificed as the first act to commence the Feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread. Work could be performed on the preparation day; but generally ceased by noon, the 6^th hour of the day, as that day was “the preparation” for the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The First Day of Unleavened Bread is the High Holy Day referred to by the Sanhedrin in the synoptics. If Jesus were to be put to death on the Feast Day, the 15^th of Nisan, that act would have been a defilement of that Day and the Law of God. Likewise for him to be put to death during the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread would disrupt those days. With all the throngs of people in Jerusalem at that time, the leaders of the people did not want to make a mockery of this Feast season or cause a riotous disruption. The Council did not wish for his execution to happen on the Feast day because “they feared the people,” that is they feared what the people might do. The whole scheme had to be in secrecy and quickly so the populace and especially His followers would not create a riot, defending Jesus. (From the carnal point of view, we could understand their reasoning.)

Continuing, let us next consider the looseness of the narrative, the inaccurate time sequences, and chronological concerns that are evident in the following synoptic accounts. Herein lies the problem. It is not as though we cannot trust the Scriptures, it is simply the writers were not concerned with every nuance of detail in order to get their point across. They were writing for people who were closer to the situation back then than we are today. Their presentation was more about the context and substance rather than the detail.

John, who wrote some 30 years after the synoptics were written, did clarify any uncertainty and gave greater detail and meaning to the activities that occurred during the night and day portion of the day of preparation. 

But for our concern now we need to answer the question, “Did Jesus eat the Passover on the night He was betrayed?” Just what are the synoptic gospel accounts saying?

Matthew 26:17   "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?"

The following three words day, feast of were left unbold, as these three words are italicized in the KJV. These three words were not in the original text, rather were added to provide clarification and greater meaning of the sentence. Whether we read these three additional words or not does not change the more obvious problem with Matthew’s narrative. If we take this verse at face value, we can then conclude that it is false and misleading historically and against the Laws of the Passover as we read in the Old Testament.

Why?

Because on the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which is the 15^th of Nisan or Abib), Jesus was already dead. He died about the 9th hour (3 o'clock pm) (Mark 15:34) of the 14^th, or as the Scriptures call it, the preparation day.  He was placed in the tomb before the Sabbath, the High Day (Mark 15:34-42; Luke 23:44-54; John 19:31, 42)

Consequently, the disciples could not have come to Him on the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread for He was in the tomb that day. Also, one actually began to prepare for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (also known as the Passover) on the 13^th at the latest and easily earlier in the month (cf. John 11:55), but certainly not on the 15^th. Finally, by Law, the Passover is killed on the 14^th day of the first month, ben ha arbayim. To prepare the Passover on the First Day of Unleavened Bread is to prepare too late.

If taken literally, this verse is chronologically inaccurate. At best, it is a general comment, which cannot carry any weight of exact time sequence, nor can it be used as a proof text Scripture in order to determine doctrine. Notice now the inaccurate time sequence of Mark’s narrative.

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?"

To take Mark’s narrative literally causes confusion because it is chronologically inaccurate. It is a loosely worded narrative. Let us analyze this verse and let the Scriptures explain themselves.

1) "And the first day of unleavened bread" - We know this day to be the 15^th day of the first month (Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17). Scriptures inform us that Jesus was in the sepulcher on what we know to be the first day of unleavened bread (cf. Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42; John 19:31, 42).

2) "when they killed the Passover" - we know the Passover was sacrificed on the 14^th ben ha arbayim (Exodus 12:6; Leviticus 23:5). The Passover was not killed on the First Day of Unleavened Bread. So naturally we see a time order problem.

3) "his disciples said unto him" - If this verse is to be taken literally, then it is incorrect, for again on the 15^th Jesus was already dead. How then could the disciples talk to a dead man?

4) The disciples asked Jesus, "where will we go and prepare that thou mayst eat the Passover?"

Again, if the First Day of Unleavened Bread was the day these men asked Jesus (even if He were still alive) about preparing the Passover, it would have been too late to “prepare for the Passover” in order to eat it.

5) Jesus was not dead yet because He answered their question. Naturally then we can understand that the time (day) at which this verse was occurring was no later than the 13^th of Nisan, in the afternoon.

This verse shows a weakness of chronological order. On its face, it shows no historical accuracy. What else might be “generally” inaccurate?

Now notice Luke 22:7 "Then came the days of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed." 

Luke was terse but the time element is missing. When was the Passover killed?

The answer to that question is obtained by reading the Old Testament. The people in Luke’s Day, even Theopholis, knew that the Passover Lamb was sacrificed on the 14^th, ben ha arbayim, as the day was nearing an end.

The Jews observed the proper time sequence. From Moses, through Joshua, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah and at the time of Christ, the Passover timing sequence never changed.

Let us notice a curious discrepancy between the books of Matthew and Mark and the account in the book of Luke.

Matthew 26:17   "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?"

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?"

Luke 22:7-9 "Then came the days of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat. And they said to him, Where wilt thou that we prepare. " 

Here we see an obvious difference in the narratives of Luke from both Matthew and Mark. With regard to who initiated the question about where to eat the Passover, it seems that from both Matthew and Mark’s narrative, the disciples initiated the question, asking Jesus, “Where do you want us to go to prepare to eat the Passover?”

However, as you notice in Luke’s account, the narrative indicates that Jesus first instructed Peter and John– go prepare, and then the disciples (Peter and John, not all twelve) asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare?”

Because of this discrepancy, the question is asked: did the disciples want to know where to go and what to do, or did Jesus first tell them what to do and where to go?

Was this the practice of their previous Passovers? Did the disciples want to know where they should go this year as they were used to asking in previous years or was this the first year Jesus was with them to celebrate the Passover together as a group?

Were the disciples with their families during the previous Passover celebrations? Did Jesus say words to the disciples, which caused them to realize this year’s Passover observance would be different?

Did Jesus prompt them to want to ask the question, “Where do you want us to prepare to eat the Passover?”

Did they naturally get together a night earlier at previous Passover celebrations or was this year different?

Answers to these questions are silent in the Scriptures and it would not be wise to speculate. In any event, once again, we see a discrepancy between the gospel narratives and herein lies the problem.

Continuing, let us read the next verses.

Matthew 26:18-19  "And he said, Go into the city to such a man and say to him, The Master saith My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them and they made ready the Passover."

Mark 14:13-16 “And he sent forth two of his disciples and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared, there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth and came into the city and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover.”

Luke 22: 10-13 “And he said unto them, Behold when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And you shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover.”

Of interest, we see that Luke and Mark are almost word for word the same narrative. In these two accounts, the authors indicate that Jesus would be eating the Passover or at least preparing to eat the Passover. In the book of Matthew, the narrative relates to the fact that Jesus would be keeping the Passover. Just a slight difference. Let us continue.

Whether keeping or eating the Passover (that night or the next), the disciples knew they would be with Jesus in the Upper Room that night of the 14^th.

As Matthew 26:19, Mark 14:16 and Luke 22:13 all state, preparation was made (they made ready the Passover). But what do we know about the idea of “preparing” for the Passover or the term “they made ready?”

How would preparations for the Passover be made? What did the inhabitants of Jerusalem do to prepare or make ready the Passover? How would the disciples have made ready?

To make ready the Passover would have been something natural for the Jews and the disciples of Jesus to do.

To make ready the Passover does not indicate that the disciples were making ready for an Exodus-type Passover meal for consumption within the next 3-6 hours.

By no stretch of the imagination can we conclude that the disciples would be killing a lamb.

Consider the following:

"The sacrifice had to take place during the afternoon of the 14th day, so most pilgrims probably tried to arrive in Jerusalem a day or two early in order to make arrangements."

JESUS AND HIS TIMES

PAGE 120

“The special preparations for the Passover commenced on the evening of the 13th of Nisan, with which, according to Jewish reckoning, the 14th began, the day being always computed from evening to evening. Then the head of the house was to search with lighted candle all places where leaven was usually kept.

THE TEMPLE; ITS MINISTRY AND SERVICES

BY: ALFRED EDERSHEIM

PAGES 171-172

“The morning before … Thousands of priests and Levites are gathered in the Temple. There are twenty-four divisions of them on duty throughout the land and, generally, there is only one division present in Jerusalem to take care of the Temple service. However, during the three great festivals, when there are so many people in town and so many animals to be sacrificed, all divisions come to Jerusalem. The chomets, the bread and sour dough, is cleaned out of every house. The night before, by the light of oil lamps, every corner is searched and every bit of chomets removed.

THE JEWISH FESTIVALS

By: Hayyim Schauss

Page 52

“On the night preceding, the 14th [of Nisan] they seek out leaven by light of candle. … A.R. Judah says, “they seek out [leaven] (1) on the night of the fourteenth, (2) on the fourteenth in the morning, and (3) at the time of removal.” And sages say [If] one did not seek out [leaven] on the night of the fourteenth, he may seek it out on the fourteenth. If he did not seek it out on the fourteenth, let him seek it out (2) at the appointed time [11 am to 12 noon on the fourteenth]. … A.R. Meir says, “they eat leaven throughout the fifth [hour on the fourteenth] and they burn it at the beginning of the sixth hour [noon].”

THE MISHNA

Jacob Neusner

PAGES 229-230

By understanding the sequence of events of the Exodus 12 Passover, we realize that as the night of the 14^th commenced, Jesus was with the disciples in the guest chamber, they having prepared to keep the Passover. The sacrifice of the lamb would occur later that day ben ha arbayim and the Passover meal would be eaten at the night of the 15^th.

That night of the 14^th, the disciples prepared the upper room, allowing that there was no leavening in the guest chamber. They prepared to eat the Passover and keep the Feast of Passover after the lamb(s) was officially sacrificed on the 14^th, ben ha arbayim. As with all Judah, the disciples kept/ate the Passover on the 15^th day of the first month.

But that year, this first time ever occasion, Jesus Christ had to ensure that the room was clean of leavening (a type of sin) before He could present the purity of the New Covenant to His disciples.

To make ready the Passover would have been something natural for the Jews and the disciples of Jesus to do. To prepare for the Passover on the 13^th day and on up to noon of the 14^th day was natural for Judah to do and the disciples to do in preparation for Passover.

However, to the casual reader of the synoptic gospels, to make ready would imply the Passover meal was next to be eaten since the Passover was the topic of discussion in the previous verse. The next verse states; and they did eat.

However, the disciples were expecting to eat the Passover Meal the next night, as that was the correct night to partake of it. And of course they knew the meal could not be eaten until after the lambs were slain between the evenings of the 14^th.

What is strikingly obvious is that nowhere in the scriptures do we read that the Jews were wrong to celebrate and eat the Passover meal when they did, on the night of the 15^th.

Nowhere did Jesus Christ inform the disciples or His church that the correct time to eat the Passover meal was at the beginning of the 14^th day of the first month.

Nowhere is the time sequence, as the Jews have maintained and preserved even as it is today, as the Scripture teach, an issue or stated as wrong.

Never did the disciples or writers of the New Testament ever condemn the Passover of the Jews.

Consider, Christ was always present at, keeping the Feasts (of the Jews). When He was twelve, he kept the Feast of Passover (with the Jews). He even kept the “Jewish” Feast of Hanukkah (John 10:22-23).

It defies logic to think if the Jews were wrong in keeping the Passover when they did, at Christ’s time, why is there no mention anywhere in the Scriptures that they were wrong and some other way was right.

Paul and the 1^st Century Church kept the Holy Days with the Jews. We learn that fact not only from the Scriptures, but as well from history. Try as one may, you cannot refute the fact that the 1^st Century Church of God kept the Holy Days with the Jews.

The meal known today as the Seder meal or the Passover meal or the Night to Be Much Remembered Meal (all one in the same) is correctly eaten on the night of, the beginning of the 15^th day of the first month.

Now the Scriptures state, “And They Did Eat.”

Eat What?

Matthew 26:20-21 "Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.  And as they did eat he said, Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me."

Mark 14:17-18 “And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they sat down and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, one of you which eateth with me shall betray me.”      

Luke 22:14 “And now when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him."

A simple conclusion from these verses would be that they sat down and they did eat the Passover meal (implied).

But - did they really eat the Statutory Passover meal? Do the Scriptures really tell us that they ate the Passover?

Do these verses say, “they ate the Passover meal” or does one assume it was the Passover meal because the preceding verses inform us they were preparing for the Passover?

Matthew and Mark’s narratives simply state, they did eat.

Luke does not say they did eat. (Luke goes into greater detail, which we shall explore shortly.)

That is all we read; that is all the information we gain from the Scriptures, simply put. Because of this uncertainty, many erroneously speculate a conclusion that Jesus ate the Passover. They did eat; but eat what?

As we shall read in the book of John, this meal, which they did eat, was called a supper (John 13:2, 4), which was eaten prior to the Feast of Passover (John 13:1).