What Old Testament prophecies connect with Jesus' statement in Matthew 26:18? Jesus’ Words in Focus Matthew 26:18: “The Teacher says, ‘My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house.’” The Passover Blueprint (Exodus 12) • Exodus 12:6 “…the whole assembly…shall kill it at twilight.” • The original Passover lamb had to die at a set time; Jesus identifies Himself as that Lamb whose pre-appointed moment has arrived. • Exodus 12:46 “It must be eaten inside one house.” – Jesus’ plan to share the meal in one specific home mirrors the first Passover’s household setting. Jerusalem—The Chosen Place (Deuteronomy 16:1-6) • Deuteronomy 16:2 “You shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God.” • vv. 5-6 stress celebrating “at the place the LORD will choose.” – Jesus, God’s chosen Lamb, keeps the feast in the very city God chose—confirming prophetic expectation. An Appointed Time Foretold (Daniel 9:24-26) • Daniel 9:26 “After the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off.” • Daniel’s timeline places Messiah’s death at a precise “time;” Jesus’ phrase “My time is near” signals its fulfillment. The Lamb Motif Deepened (Isaiah 53) • Isaiah 53:7 “Like a lamb led to slaughter, and as a sheep before shearers is silent.” • Isaiah links the Servant’s suffering to the lamb imagery of Exodus, anchoring Jesus’ Passover statement in prophetic expectation. Timing in the Psalms • Psalm 31:15 “My times are in Your hands.” – David’s confession foreshadows Jesus’ confidence that every moment of His mission is divinely scheduled. Historical Echoes (2 Chronicles 35) • Josiah’s great Passover (2 Chron 35:1) spotlights a king reforming worship. – Jesus, the greater King, restores true meaning to the feast, fulfilling the pattern set by righteous kings. Why These Connections Matter • Scripture weaves one continuous story: the Passover lamb, Jerusalem as God’s chosen place, and a divinely fixed timetable all converge in Jesus’ final meal. • His simple sentence in Matthew 26:18 gathers centuries of prophecy, showing that the cross was not an accident but the long-promised climax of redemption. |
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