Matthew 26:17-19
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus' disciples ask "where" to prepare, not "if" or "when"—a subtle but important detail. It highlights their assumption that Jesus, like any good Jewish man, would uphold this sacred tradition, focusing their immediate concern on the practical logistics rather than questioning the observance itself.
With Judas already plotting his betrayal, Jesus and his disciples are preparing for the Passover meal. They ask him where they should make ready for the feast, and Jesus gives them specific, almost miraculous instructions to find a man with a water pitcher, revealing his foreknowledge of events. This sets the stage for the Last Supper, which Jesus knows will be his final meal with them before his impending suffering.
The disciples approach Jesus with a practical question, but His answer reveals something far deeper about His awareness of the future.
As the disciples ask Jesus where they should prepare the Passover meal, Jesus responds with specific instructions that highlight His incredible foreknowledge.
A Master Plan
He doesn't just point them to a location; He gives them a detailed sign: find a man carrying a water pitcher, follow him, and tell the householder, 'The Master says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.' (Matthew 26:18).
Divine Certainty
This wasn't a guess or a lucky find. The disciples followed His instructions and 'found everything exactly as Jesus had foretold' (Matthew 26:19). This demonstrates Jesus' complete control over the circumstances leading up to His crucifixion. His suffering wasn't a surprise; it was a divinely orchestrated event He willingly entered into.
The Passover was a meal steeped in history and divine command, but Jesus' celebration of it held a unique, urgent significance.
The Passover meal was a pivotal moment in Jewish history, commemorating their liberation from slavery in Egypt. It was a feast rich with tradition and strict observance, especially concerning the timing and the lamb.
A Different Kind of Passover
The disciples asked about preparing the Passover meal, a tradition they knew well. However, Jesus frames their preparation with a sense of urgency: 'My time is near' (Matthew 26:18). This wasn't just about observing the traditional feast; it was about fulfilling its ultimate meaning.
The True Lamb
Commentators note that Jesus likely celebrated this Passover a day earlier than the public observance. This wasn't to break the Law, but to align His own sacrifice with the very essence of the Passover. He is the Paschal Lamb, whose sacrifice would bring about a far greater deliverance than the exodus from Egypt. His statement, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer' (Luke 22:15), underscores His deep longing to fulfill this redemptive act.
Understand the original words
pascha · Greek Noun
The annual Jewish feast celebrating the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, centering on the sacrifice of a lamb. It serves as a type for the redemptive work of Christ.
azymōn · Greek Noun
A period of seven days associated with the Passover, during which Jews eat only bread made without leaven, symbolizing the haste of the Exodus and, metaphorically, the purging of sin.
mathētai · Greek Noun
One who follows a teacher or master; in the New Testament, it refers to the followers of Jesus Christ who are called to learn from Him, obey His teachings, and imitate His life.
didaskalos · Greek Noun
The disciples' question about preparing the Passover meal occurs during a pivotal moment. Jesus knows His 'time is near,' and this Passover is not just a remembrance of past deliverance but a profound foreshadowing of His own sacrificial death.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry in Jerusalem
Jesus makes His final journey to Jerusalem for Passover, knowing His arrest and crucifixion are imminent.
Nisan 13, early 1st century AD
Judas Arranges Betrayal
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, secretly meets with the chief priests and agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Evening of Nisan 13 / Morning of Nisan 14, early 1st century AD— this verse
Disciples Prepare the Passover Meal
Jesus sends Peter and John into Jerusalem to find a specific room where they will prepare and eat the Passover meal.
Evening of Nisan 14, early 1st century AD
The Last Supper
Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper with His disciples, sharing the Passover meal and teaching them important final lessons.
This verse establishes the timing and significance of the Passover lamb's sacrifice, directly setting the context for Jesus' final meal with his disciples and their question about preparation.
Luke 22:7-13This passage provides a parallel account of the disciples' inquiry and Jesus' specific instructions for preparing the Passover meal, offering a more detailed look at the logistical arrangements.
John 13:1-2This passage immediately follows the Last Supper narrative, highlighting that the supper occurred ' before the feast of the Passover,' which helps clarify the timing of Jesus' meal in relation to the public Passover observance.
1 Corinthians 5:7Paul uses the imagery of the Passover lamb sacrificed to draw a profound connection between the ancient festival and Christ's own sacrificial death, showing how this meal pointed forward to His ultimate purpose.
bensonMatthew 26:17: "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?"
Matthew 26:17 . On the first day of unleavened bread — Being Thursday, the fourteenth day of the first month, Exodus 12:6 ; Exodus 12:15 . The disciples came, saying, Where wilt thou that we prepare the passover? — They meant at what house. And he said, Go into the city to such a man — This implies that Jesus named the pe…
calvinMatthew 26:14-20: "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,"
- Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, 15. And said to them, What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you? And they appointed to him thirty pieces of silver. 16. And from that time he sought an opportunity to betray him. 17. Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where dost thou wish us to prepare fo…
Jesus' disciples ask "where" to prepare, not "if" or "when"—a subtle but important detail. It highlights their assumption that Jesus, like any good Jewish man, would uphold this sacred tradition, focusing their immediate concern on the practical logistics rather than questioning the observance itself.
With Judas already plotting his betrayal, Jesus and his disciples are preparing for the Passover meal. They ask him where they should make ready for the feast, and Jesus gives them specific, almost miraculous instructions to find a man with a water pitcher, revealing his foreknowledge of events. This sets the stage for the Last Supper, which Jesus knows will be his final meal with them before his impending suffering.
With Judas already plotting his betrayal, Jesus and his disciples are preparing for the Passover meal. They ask him where they should make ready for the feast, and Jesus gives them specific, almost miraculous instructions to find a man with a water pitcher, revealing his foreknowledge of events. This sets the stage for the Last Supper, which Jesus knows will be his final meal with them before his impending suffering.
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A title often used for Jesus, signifying his role as an authoritative instructor of divine truth and the Law of God.
kairos · Greek Noun
In the Gospel of John and elsewhere in the Passion narrative, this refers to the divinely ordained hour of Jesus' suffering, death, and glorification.
Night of Nisan 14 / Early morning of Nisan 15, early 1st century AD
Jesus' Arrest
Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane after being betrayed by Judas.
Nisan 14 (Friday), early 1st century AD
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is crucified on the day the Passover lambs were traditionally sacrificed, fulfilling the symbolism of the Passover.
"Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand.…" — Jesus' disciples ask "where" to prepare, not "if" or "when"—a subtle but important detail. It highlights their assumption that Jesus, like any good Jewish man, would uphold this sacred tradition, foc…
