Mt 26:17-19

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139. Jesus prepares the Passover (Matt 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13)

Normally the Jews killed the sacrificial lamb on the afternoon of Passover day, and ate it together in a meal that night (cf. Exod 12:6,8).

Jesus knew he was to die as the sacrificial lamb on Passover day, and therefore he prepared the meal a day earlier. He would eat the meal with his disciples the evening before Passover, but probably without a lamb, since he himself was to be the lamb.

Knowing that the Jews were looking for him to arrest him, Jesus secretly made careful arrangements for the feast. No one knew where it would be held except two unnamed disciples, who were apparently unknown even to the twelve apostles. This arrangement prevented Judas from giving any advance information to the Jewish leaders (Mark 14:12-15).

Two of the apostles met the two unnamed disciples, and between them they prepared the place for the Passover (the ‘upper room’) and the food and drink for the meal (Mark 14:16).