How does this verse connect to Old Testament Passover preparations? Matthew 26:19 in Focus “So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.” Echoes of Exodus: Obedience in Preparation • Exodus 12:7, 11 — Israel obeyed the detailed instructions for the first Passover; the disciples mirror that careful obedience. • Deuteronomy 16:1-2 — The command to “observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the LORD” resurfaces as Jesus’ followers now prepare at His word. • Key link: In both settings, God’s people trust explicit, sometimes surprising directions and act promptly. Selecting and Examining the Lamb • Exodus 12:3-6 — A lamb without blemish is chosen on the tenth day and kept under watch. • John 1:29, 36 — John identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” • Matthew 21–26 — During Passion Week, Jesus is publicly examined (by priests, Pharisees, Pilate) and found without fault, fulfilling the unblemished-lamb requirement. • Thus, when the disciples “prepared the Passover,” they were unknowingly readying the true Lamb for sacrifice. Removing Leaven, Making Room for Holiness • Exodus 12:15 — All leaven is cleared out for seven days. • 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 — “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven…” • By responding to Jesus’ directive, the disciples begin a physical preparation that hints at the spiritual cleansing Jesus will accomplish. The Shared Meal, the Shared Story • Exodus 12:26-27 — Parents explain the meaning of the Passover to their children. • Matthew 26:26-29 — Jesus interprets the elements for His disciples: bread as His body, cup as His blood. • Connection: Both meals are catechisms in action, teaching redemption—first from Egypt, now from sin. Timing and Fulfillment • Exodus 12:12 — Judgment on Egypt’s firstborn occurs that night. • Matthew 26:31-56 — Within hours of the meal, the Firstborn Son faces judgment for humanity. • Remarkable parallel: the protective blood on Israelite doorposts prefigures Jesus’ blood poured out for many. Anticipating the Greater Exodus • Isaiah 53:7 — The suffering servant is “like a lamb led to slaughter.” • Luke 9:31 (literal Greek: exodus) — Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus about His “departure,” His exodus at Jerusalem. • By preparing the Passover in Matthew 26:19, the disciples set the stage for a new exodus—deliverance not merely from Pharaoh, but from sin and death. Takeaway Matthew 26:19 is more than a logistical note; it is the gospel writer’s quiet assurance that every ancient detail of Passover preparation—from choosing the spotless lamb to clearing out leaven—finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. |
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