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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, March 21, 1980
Page 4
Jesus took the Passover, INSTITUTING AND SETTING THE TIME OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT PASSOVER on the evening of the 14th--sarne time the lamb had
been killed in ancient Israel--but the ROMANS crucified Hirn in the after
noon of the same 14th day. It was the ROMANS who did their part (cruci
fying) at a different time of day. But Jesus instituted the New Testa
ment Passover at the precis�time of day we take the Passover today.
But by that time the Jews had begun to call the seven days of un
leavened bread by the name "Passover."
Jesus had sent disciples to prepare the Passover.
"Now when the even
(dusk) was come, he sat down with the twelve" (Matt. 26:20).
Now Mark 14:1-2: "After two days was (omitting uninspired italicized
words) the passover, and of unleavened bread; and the chief priests and
the scribes sought how they might take Hirn by craft, and put him to death.
But they said, 'Not on the feast day [annual holy day--Abib 15] lest there
be an uproar of the people.'"
So notice, Jesus was not to be taken and crucified on the annual holy
day, the 15th.
Now notice Luke's account. "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread,
on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed" (Luke 22:7, RSV). It
does not say "Feast of Unleavened Bread" but "day" of unleavened bread.
Unleavened bread was to be used at Passover, but unleavened bread was NOT
to be removed from the house until during the next day--the ''preparation"
day before the annual Sabbath.
And when the hour was come, Jesus sat down with the disciples. At
this last Passover they partook of roast lamb and a meal. But after that,
same evening, Jesus introduced the NEW TESTAMENT service of the bread
and wine.
After this Passover, beginning cf 'he 14th, after sunset, Jesus ana
the disciples went outside. Later that night the bloodthirsty men, headed
by Judas Iscariot, came and seized Jesus.
All through that night--the 14th--the night before the annual Sabbath,
they took Jesus to be tried before one judge and another. Finally, by
daylight, still the 14th, Jesus was brought before Pilate. Unbelieving
Jews cried out for His crucifixion.
Finally that morning, the 14th, Jesus was scourged, beaten severely
with stripes, then ordered to carry his own cross to Golgotha outside the
city wall. He was crucified at about 9 a.m. He died at about 3 p.m.
Joseph of Arimathaea took His dead body. His own new and unfinished tomb
was directly below Golgotha. He had to hasten to have the body properly
prepared and buried before the holy day came on at sunset.
I think this sets the record straight. The Passover, officially,
is the eve of the 14th day--the night before the preparation day for the
annual holy day which comes on at sunset.
God commands us through Paul that we all speak the same thing (I Cor.
1:10), that there be no divisions among us!