Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Luke, writing to a Greek-speaking audience, doesn't assume they know the Jewish calendar. By explicitly stating the Feast of Unleavened Bread "is called the Passover," he bridges that cultural gap and clarifies the significance of the upcoming event for his readers.
Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' ministry is drawing to a close, marked by the approach of the Passover feast, a time of remembrance and anticipation. As this significant week begins, the religious authorities are actively plotting how to arrest and kill Jesus, though they hesitate to act openly due to the crowds celebrating the festival. This sets the stage for the final, intense days of Jesus' earthly life and the ultimate sacrifice.
Why does Luke mention two names for the same festival? What's the deeper significance of this particular week?
Luke begins this pivotal chapter by highlighting the approaching Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was also known as the Passover. While these were distinct in their origins and practices, they were celebrated together, creating a week of immense spiritual significance for Israel.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
This feast commemorated the rapid exodus from Egypt. There was no time for the dough to rise, so Israel ate unleavened bread (matzah) as a reminder of their hurried departure and God's deliverance. It symbolized purity and sincerity, as leaven often represents sin or corruption.
The Passover
This was the foundational festival, instituted the night Israel was freed from slavery. The Passover lamb was sacrificed, its blood placed on the doorposts, sparing the Israelites from the final plague on Egypt. It was a commemoration of God's judgment passing over the faithful.
The Combined Celebration
When Luke mentions them together, he's reminding us of the dual themes of deliverance and sacrifice that defined this time. It wasn't just about remembering a past freedom; it was about an ongoing, profound act of God's redemptive power. This context is crucial as Jesus is about to fulfill the deepest meaning of both feasts.
The timing of the Passover is no accident. What was happening behind the scenes as this sacred week approached?
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While the religious calendar pointed toward remembrance and sacrifice, a darker plot was brewing in the hearts of the religious leaders. Luke, like the other Gospel writers, points out that the approach of this significant feast heightened the tension and urgency of their plans against Jesus.
Fear of the Crowd
The leaders knew that Jesus was popular. Seizing Him during the Passover festival, when Jerusalem was thronged with pilgrims, would be dangerous. They feared a public outcry or even a riot if they arrested Jesus openly.
Seeking a Covert Method
This fear drove them to seek a clandestine way to apprehend Jesus. They weren't looking for justice, but for a way to eliminate Him without causing widespread unrest. Their primary concern was maintaining order and their own authority, not upholding God's will.
Satan's Opportunity
It's at this critical juncture that Luke notes Satan entered Judas. This wasn't just a political calculation by the leaders; it was spiritual warfare. The enemy saw an opportunity to strike at the heart of God's plan by targeting the Savior during the very festival that foreshadowed His ultimate sacrifice.
Understand the original words
pascha · Greek Noun
A Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, characterized by the sacrifice of a lamb and the eating of unleavened bread. It serves as a typological foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ, the true Passover Lamb.
azumos · Greek Adjective/Noun
A seven-day festival following the Passover, marked by the removal of leaven from houses, symbolizing the removal of sin and the holiness of God’s people.
archiereus · Greek Noun
The leading religious and political authorities in Jerusalem, consisting of the high priest and heads of priestly families, responsible for the temple administration and the Sanhedrin.
grammateus · Greek Noun
Experts in the Mosaic Law who were responsible for interpreting, copying, and teaching the Scriptures to the people.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Final Passover Week
Jesus enters Jerusalem during the Passover festival, marking the beginning of the events leading directly to his crucifixion.
c. AD 30
Temple Leaders Plot Against Jesus
The chief priests and scribes, fearing Jesus' popularity with the crowds during Passover, actively seek a way to arrest and execute him secretly.
c. AD 30
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, secretly meets with the temple leaders and agrees to hand Jesus over for a sum of money.
c. AD 30
The Last Supper
Jesus institutes a new Passover meal with his disciples, signifying his impending sacrifice and establishing a new covenant.
c. AD 30
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Jesus wrestles in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing intense spiritual anguish as he anticipates his betrayal and crucifixion.
This passage details the institution of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, explaining the foundational meaning of remembrance and deliverance that Jesus is about to fulfill in a new way.
Leviticus 23:4-8This section of Leviticus outlines the specific observances and offerings required for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover, highlighting the sacred, appointed times that Jesus is entering.
John 13:1This verse immediately precedes Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet and his discourse in the Upper Room, setting the context for the Passover meal and Jesus' actions before his crucifixion.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8Paul connects the Passover imagery to the Christian life, urging believers to 'put out the old leaven' and live as unleavened bread, reflecting the transformative aspect of Christ's sacrifice that the Passover meal foreshadows.
vincentLuke 22:1: "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover."
Feast (ἑορτὴ)Properly festival. See on Mark 14:1.Drew nighImperfect: "was drawing nigh."
expositorsLuke 22:1: "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover."
Chapter 24THE WATCH IN GETHSEMANE . HITHERTO the life of Jesus has been comparatively free from sorrow and from pain. With the exception of the narrow strip of wilderness which fell between the Baptism and His inaugural miracle, the Divine Life has lain for the most part in the sunshine, above the fret and fever of anxious thought and care. True, He had enemies, whose hatred was persistent and virulent; the…
Luke, writing to a Greek-speaking audience, doesn't assume they know the Jewish calendar. By explicitly stating the Feast of Unleavened Bread "is called the Passover," he bridges that cultural gap and clarifies the significance of the upcoming event for his readers.
Jesus' ministry is drawing to a close, marked by the approach of the Passover feast, a time of remembrance and anticipation. As this significant week begins, the religious authorities are actively plotting how to arrest and kill Jesus, though they hesitate to act openly due to the crowds celebrating the festival. This sets the stage for the final, intense days of Jesus' earthly life and the ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus' ministry is drawing to a close, marked by the approach of the Passover feast, a time of remembrance and anticipation. As this significant week begins, the religious authorities are actively plotting how to arrest and kill Jesus, though they hesitate to act openly due to the crowds celebrating the festival. This sets the stage for the final, intense days of Jesus' earthly life and the ultimate sacrifice.
"Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people." — Luke, writing to a Greek-speaking audience, doesn't assume they know the Jewish calendar. By explicitly stating the Feast of Unleavened Bread "is called the Passover," he bridges that cultural gap an…
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Last reviewed October 2026