April 25
“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified,’” Matthew 26:1-2.
Jesus had given His disciples much final information. However, He still had a few things to say in a final farewell. He told them that after two days, they would be celebrating the Old Testament Passover Festival. For Jesus, it would be the final one. He informed His disciples that He would be betrayed, condemned and crucified.
The religious leaders, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were assembling to plot and plan His crucifixion. Of course, as it is always when people are plotting to do evil, they had to figure out how they could do it and save face and avoid causing a big uproar among the people.
You will remember that the disciples had a difficult time “swallowing,” as we say, what Jesus was telling them. Peter took it upon himself to tell Jesus that He had it all wrong, that things would not happen as Jesus predicted! Jesus warned Peter that he would deny knowing his Savior. Peter said that maybe others would be offended and deny Jesus, but that he would never do such a thing. Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed Thursday night.
When Jesus first informed His disciples that He was going to Jerusalem where He would suffer and die by crucifixion, all of the disciples were upset. Then Jesus gave His disciples and us those glorious, comforting words: “‘Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me,’” John 14:1-6.
Jesus observed the holidays and festivals of the Jews. However, when He told His disciples about the coming Feast of the Passover in two days, it would be different than the celebration of any previous Passover. He, the Lamb of God, would be crucified and sacrificed. He was the Lamb of God to whom John the Baptist pointed at the beginning of His ministry and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” John 1:29. Yes, the Lamb of God, who was symbolized by the Old Testament Passover, has delivered us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood shed on Calvary’s cross. It is He in whom we are invited to believe and to put our trust for the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life in heaven.
Lord, I believe were sinners more, Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid, For all a full atonement made.
When from the dust of death I rise, To claim my mansion in the skies,
E’en then this shall be all my plea: Jesus hath lived and died for me. Amen.