36] Next let us refer to John’s account of the meal, which was eaten on the night Jesus was betrayed.  

John 13:1-4 “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended … He riseth from supper and laid aside his garments"

Here we read it is before the Feast of the Passover. Here John reveals that Jesus ate a supper (Deipnon and not Pascha) and this supper was before the feast of Passover. 

John simply writes, the Feast of the Passover. It was not the Feast of the Jewish Passover nor was it the Feast of the Lords’ Passover, nor was it the Christian Passover. It was the Passover, which the Jews were given to keep and properly preserve. The Feast of Passover was the one and only Passover and the reader knew it was the Passover, which the Jews kept, as given by the Law of Moses.

John sheds important light on the fact that "the supper" was before the Feast of the Passover.

If the Exodus 12 (Statutory) Passover was really eaten at the beginning of the 14^th and Jesus and the disciples were eating the Passover at that time, why did John not simply say; “now at the Feast of the Passover” or “now the Passover was being eaten” or “now that we were eating the Passover,” or “He riseth up from the Passover,” or “and the Passover being ended?”

Why did John say, before?

John was writing to the assembly of called out ones, the Church in about 90 AD. Rather than indicating that Jesus ate the Passover meal, John specifically states before the feast of the Passover, the Jewish Passover – the Exodus 12 Passover. It is obvious why we read that this meal was called "supper" as opposed to "Passover."

The Church back then, as does the Intercontinental Church of God today, knew the Exodus 12 Passover was sacrificed at the end of the 14^th day of the first month and the Passover meal was eaten on the night, the beginning of the 15^th day of the first month.

Let us continue with the sequence of events and the narrative account, which John presents.

John 18:28 "Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of Judgment and it was early and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover."

In the morning of the 14^th, Jesus’ meal was past, but here we read the Passover meal was yet to be eaten. Notice John does not call it their or the Jews’ Passover. He simply states “the Passover.” The only Passover known to anyone reading John’s letter, was the Passover yet to be eaten – THE Passover.

John 19:14   "And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour and he said unto the Jews, behold your King."

Here the sixth hour (Roman time reckoning – actually 6:00 am) is the early morning of the 14^th the preparation day. Obviously, the Passover had not yet commenced; the lamb was not yet sacrificed.

While comparing this verse with Matthew, Mark and Luke, we realize that Jesus only had nine more hours to live (Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:46). He was put on the stake at 9:00 a.m. At noon, darkness covered the land and at 3:00 p.m., He died.

If we only read John’s account of the last day of Jesus’ life, we would be content to understand that the last meal eaten by Christ and His disciples was a supper, which was eaten on the night before the Passover was sacrificed.

Finally, notice John 21:20: “Then Peter turning about seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper…”

Notice once again the word supper is used, not Passover.

Understanding the sequence of events in Exodus 12 allows one to understand the events that took place on the preparation day in the year of Christ’s death.

The introduction of the New Testament/Covenant on the night of the 14^th, one night before the Passover Meal was necessary. The Old Testament Passover meal was necessary. Each event provides a unique meaning that is not to be overlooked or covered over. There is a New Covenant, the elements of which are consumed and there is the Old Testament Passover meal, the elements of which are consumed. Both are unique and both carry a weight of understanding that cannot be mingled or combined. One did not change the other.