Trying to reconcile the timing of the Last Supper

[RonJohnSilver]

I'm teaching a short devotional this coming Wednesday. I'm giving a breakdown of each day of that last week in Jesus' ministry. Then, when I get to Friday I've inserted S.M. Lockridge's "It's Friday but Sunday's coming!" sermon passage. My problem is that the Last Supper was on Thursday by all accounts. And I've always assumed that the Last Supper was, in fact, the Passover meal. But, in John 18:28 it says this ..."...But they themselves (the Jewish leaders) did not go into the Praetorium (Pilate's place) lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover." See the problem? Either the meal Jesus/disciples ate was not the Passover or, well, I don't know. Adding to my confusion is some explanations that say that Jesus' meal was the meal celebrating the Festival of First Fruits which apparently is going on at the same time. And, this from a Messianic Jewish site, "Jesus died at the time when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed, fulfilling the Hebrew Scriptures." Were the lambs sacrificed on Thursday or Friday? So, Passover meal...Thursday or Friday?

 

[mattfivefour]

Interesting conundrum. Since there is much debate as to which year --and therefore which day-- Christ was crucified, let's cut to the essential issue: the day Christ ate his last meal with his disciples. Since the Passover meal was eaten an hour after the sacrifice was slain (which occurred approximately 3 pm) Jesus clearly could not have eaten it with his disciples. Therefore, He would have had to have had His last meal with his disciples the evening before the day he was crucified. Nonetheless, he went through the entire ritual up to and including the third cup. He will drink the fourth cup with us in heaven. Does that help at all?

 

[Almost Heaven]

Ken Johnson has this teaching. I've been studying the Dead Sea Scrolls and calendar with him for several years.

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[RonJohnSilver]

Interesting conundrum. Since there is much debate as to which year --and therefore which day-- Christ was crucified, let's cut to the essential issue: the day Christ ate his last meal with his disciples. Since the Passover meal was eaten an hour after the sacrifice was slain (which occurred approximately 3 pm) Jesus clearly could not have eaten it with his disciples. Therefore, He would have had to have had His last meal with his disciples the evening before the day he was crucified. Nonetheless, he went through the entire ritual up to and including the third cup. He will drink the fourth cup with us in heaven. Does that help at all?

To correct what I originally wrote. The concurrent feast was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, not First Fruits. Anyway, the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem (Monday) was 'Passover Lamb Selection Day', Nisan 10. According to Exodus 12, the slaughter of the Lamb was to be on the 14th day or Nisan 14 (Friday). So that fits with the Jewish leaders wanting to remain undefiled for the Passover meal and with the day of the lamb slaughter being the day of crucifixion. What doesn't fit, still, is the Last Supper. In the text, the disciples clearly ask Jesus, "Where should we prepare for the Passover meal?". I suppose it's possible that what they meant by 'Passover meal' could be different from the actual Passover but that seems a stretch. So then, Jesus and the disciples ate the 'Passover meal' on Thursday evening. Since the Jewish system of time counts a day from sundown to sundown, then maybe Jesus ate the meal after 6pm, thus making it Friday. Jesus was crucified at about 9am Friday morning so if the leaders wanted to eat before Friday 6pm, then that would also be Friday. Does that sound correct?

 

[mattfivefour]

The Passover lamb was definitely killed on Nisan 14. But it depends on the year what day of the week Nissan 14 falls on.

Certainly, whatever day of the week Nisan 14 fell on that final day of Christ's fleshly life was the day the Passover lamb was slaughtered; and the Jews ate the Passover meal starting about an hour following that sacrifice.

 

[1LoverofGod]

This has some information for consideration on The Last Supper........


The Last Supper

The Last Supper

 

[BABBAB58]

I'm teaching a short devotional this coming Wednesday. I'm giving a breakdown of each day of that last week in Jesus' ministry. Then, when I get to Friday I've inserted S.M. Lockridge's "It's Friday but Sunday's coming!" sermon passage. My problem is that the Last Supper was on Thursday by all accounts. And I've always assumed that the Last Supper was, in fact, the Passover meal. But, in John 18:28 it says this ..."...But they themselves (the Jewish leaders) did not go into the Praetorium (Pilate's place) lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover." See the problem? Either the meal Jesus/disciples ate was not the Passover or, well, I don't know. Adding to my confusion is some explanations that say that Jesus' meal was the meal celebrating the Festival of First Fruits which apparently is going on at the same time. And, this from a Messianic Jewish site, "Jesus died at the time when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed, fulfilling the Hebrew Scriptures." Were the lambs sacrificed on Thursday or Friday? So, Passover meal...Thursday or Friday?

The Passover that year was on a Wednesday. They needed unleavened bread prepared for the Seder meal ( last supper) AND for the next 7 days. The Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise. There are no conflicts. There is the regular and the High Holy Sabbath in this time frame.

When Jesus instructed the man of the house to prepare for the meal it was the Seder meal and the preparation was to make sure that the proper foods were provided BEFORE 7pm or sundown. All Jews had until 7 am to eat the Passover. The Jewish leaders were so consumed with gathering men that they found themselves unable to enter Pilot's place during the night or be found unclean to eat their meal once they arrived back to their home.

Sorry for the brevity, but keep studying and you will find that everything fits perfectly, naturally.
Learn the names of the 4 cups of wine shared during the Seder meal, especially number 3 . Number 4 is the one that Jesus is so eager to share with us.

 

[rstrats]

. The Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise.

That doesn't seem right. What am I missing?

 

[mattfivefour]

That doesn't seem right. What am I missing?

The plain word of God? According to Genesis 1:5 (and ff) God counts each day starting with the evening and ending before the following evening. Hence a day runs from sunset to sunset. This is contrary to the western way of counting a day as beginning at one split second after midnight and ending at midnight of the same day.

 

[rstrats]

The plain word of God? According to Genesis 1:5 (and ff) God counts each day starting with the evening and ending before the following evening. Hence a day runs from sunset to sunset. This is contrary to the western way of counting a day as beginning at one split second after midnight and ending at midnight of the same day.

Actually, your post should be directed to BABBAB58 since he's the one who said, "the Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise."

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[mattfivefour]

Okay, I am officially confused by this thread. I'm sorry but I'm failing to understand what the bone of contention is. @rstrats, perhaps you can restate what issue you are trying to clarify or present?

 

[rstrats]

Okay, I am officially confused by this thread. I'm sorry but I'm failing to understand what the bone of contention is. @rstrats, perhaps you can restate what issue you are trying to clarify or present?

I'm simply asking BABBAB58 what I'm missing with regard to his/her comment that 'the Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise. I'd never heard that one before.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I'm simply asking BABBAB58 what I'm missing with regard to his/her comment that 'the Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise. I'd never heard that one before.

Gen 1:5

 

[mattfivefour]

The plain word of God? According to Genesis 1:5 (and ff) God counts each day starting with the evening and ending before the following evening. Hence a day runs from sunset to sunset. This is contrary to the western way of counting a day as beginning at one split second after midnight and ending at midnight of the same day.

Actually, your post should be directed to BABBAB58 since he's the one who said, "the Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise."

Okay, I am officially confused by this thread. I'm sorry but I'm failing to understand what the bone of contention is. @rstrats, perhaps you can restate what issue you are trying to clarify or present?

I'm simply asking BABBAB58 what I'm missing with regard to his/her comment that 'the Jewish day begins at 7 or sundown and lasts until 7 or sunrise. I'd never heard that one before.

And I was simply telling you what you were missing: Genesis 1:5.