Sixth day…After his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (foundation of God…Salem, peace ), he visits the Temple, looks around, and returns to Bethany before sunset that day. He is getting the lay of the land, so to speak. Many of the crowd continue to lavish praise on him. This is also the time that he weeps for Jerusalem, realizing that it will be destroyed and beseiged by its enemies. He spends the night in Bethany (Mark 11:11; Luke 19:41-44).
…MARK 11:11…And He entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around, He departed for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
…LUKE 19:41-44…And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
(Note: This well describes the way in which the Romans invested and destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD.)
Fifth day…He returns in the morning to the Temple in Jerusalem. On the way there he curses the fig tree for not bearing fruit to ease his hunger (Matthew 21:18, 19; Mark 11:12-14).
…MATTHEW 21:18,19…Now in the morning, when He returned from the city, He became hungry. And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it, and found nothing on it except leaves only; And He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
…MARK 11:12-14…And on the next day, when they had departed from Bethany, He became hungry. And seeing in a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it; He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And He answered and said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
(Note: Mark tells us that the fig tree “withered” later, below. And he says they are going to Jerusalem, whereas Matthew says they are leaving Jerusalem, and that the tree withered “at once”.)
This seems on the surface to be completely out of character for Jesus, but who knows the ways of God and His Son. He would naturally know it isn’t the season for fig trees to bear fruit. Maybe he just wants to demonstrate, once again, the awesome power of God. He brought man to life and now he brings death to nature’s handiwork.
After entering the Temple courtyard, Jesus drives out the money changers”…accusing them of being “robbers” and “thieves” (Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46).
…MARK 11:15-17…And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began casting out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations.’ But you are making it a robber’s den.”
It’s interesting to read how graphically Matthew and Mark describe the actions taken by Jesus…you can see the “tables” of the “moneychangers” and the “seats” of the “dove sellers” being overturned. Another interesting point that Mark makes is where Jesus says the temple should be for “all nations”, and yet the temple is excluded to all those who are not Jews.
Now, it is necessary for “money changers” to be in the Temple area, so that those without livestock and doves to sacrifice at the Temple can purchase them. These creatures will then be sacrificed at the altar by the priests, in the name of the person who provides the sacrifice, to atone for the misdeeds of that person. The person requesting the sacrifice cannot perform the sacrifice, himself, because the altar is in the Priest’s Court, which is off-limits to the common man. He has to be content to observe the procedure from the Court of the Israelites. The women are even less fortunate because they are not permitted to even enter the Court of the Israelites (B-17-134-136).
Apparently the “money changers” are “gouging” the people and Jesus takes exception to this practice, calling them “thieves” and “robbers”. Some paintings of this event show a vengeful Jesus cracking a whip over the miscreants, but I think all he needed to do was show his wrath and raise his voice, I doubt it was necessary to strike anyone. Maybe he grabbed a few of them by the shoulder and “escorted” them out of the courtyard…
I share with others the belief that Jesus takes this symbolic action to show that the old system of sacrificing creatures to appease God for the misdeeds of His chosen people is no longer to be practiced. This custom, introduced by Moses, is no longer acceptable to God (B-14-37). After Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross there will never be any need for further sacrifices.
I take this one step further. Jesus uses this method to show that, as sacrifices were no longer required, there will no longer be the need for priests, or any mediator, between the people and their God. And in Mark, Jesus presages the mission of Paul by saying “all the nations” should be able to pray to the Father. Paul was the apostle to the “nations/ gentiles” (Ephesians 3:8).
…EPHESIANS 3:8…To me (Paul), the very least of the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.
Those in positions of power, through the old system of sacrifice and mediation, know what Jesus means when he drives out the “money changers”. They know that he is directly challenging the old system…their right of power, and that he has to be silenced.
The scribes and Chief Priests want to kill Jesus for the actions that he takes with the “money changers” and for the doctrines he is teaching, but they are afraid that the crowds will interfere and prevent them from seizing Jesus. He leaves Jerusalem and returns to Bethany, where he spends the night. And so ends the fifth day (Matthew 21:46; Mark 11:18)…
…MATTHEW 21:46…And when they sought to seize Him, they became afraid of the multitudes, because they held Him to be a prophet.
…MARK 11:18…And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; because they were afraid of Him, for all the multitude was astonished at His teaching.
Fourth day…In the morning, on Jesus’ return to
Jerusalem, they discover that the fig tree has dried up. Jesus reminds his disciples of what faith in God can do (Mark 11:20-23).
…MARK 11:20-23…And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. And being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, the tree that You cursed has withered .” And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes in what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.”
Jesus is confronted by the chief priests and scribes, in the Temple. He responds to their challenges and answers them with parables, in such a way as to silence his accusers. This brings about greater enmity on their part. The multitude look upon Jesus as a prophet. The priests and scribes plot against him (Matthew 21:23-46; Mark 11:27-30,33; 12:1-12; Luke 20:1-19).
…MARK 11:27-30 33; 12:1-12…And they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking into the temple, the chief priests, and scribes, and elders came to Him, and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You the authority to do these things?” And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me”…And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things”…And He began to speak to them in parables; “A man planted a vineyard, and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press, and built a tower, and rented it out to vinegrowers and went on a journey. And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vinegrowers. And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty handed. And again he sent another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some, and killing others. He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘they will respect my son’. But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘this is the heir; come let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ And they took him, and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyards to others. Have you not even read the scripture (Psalm 118:22,23): ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” And they were seeking to seize Him; and yet they feared the multitude; for they understood that He had spoken the parable against them. And so they left Him, and went away.
The Pharisees and Herodians then attempt to entrap him, and Jesus outwits them, just as he has the priests and scribes (Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26).
…MATTHEW 22:15-22…Then the Pharisees went and counseled together how they might trap Him in what He said. And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God, in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll tax to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show me a coin used for the poll tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s”
The Saducees next question him at length, on the resurrection (they do not believe in the resurrection of the dead). Jesus answers them convincingly, and silences them (Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40).
…LUKE 20:27-40…Now there came to Him some of the Saducees (who say that there is no resurrection), and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up offspring to his brother’. Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died childless; and the second and the third took her; and in the same way the seven also died, leaving no children. Finally the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for neither can they die anymore, for they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the “burning bush”, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.” And some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher,You have spoken well.” For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.
The scribes and lawyers challenge Jesus regarding the commandments, and he answers the challenge (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34).
…MATTHEW 22:34-40…But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Saducees to silence, they gathered themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” And He said to them, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like unto it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus uses this opportunity to tell how the Old Covenant and its Law…the law of Moses (the Ten Commandments) has been replaced by the New Covenant and Love and Faith. He is telling them that the first five commandments reflect the love of God: 1) Have no other God before Me; 2) Make no idols; 3) Do not take My name in vain; 4) Observe the Sabbath; 5) Honor your father and mother. While the last five reflect the love of your “neighbor”: 6) Shall not commit murder; 7) Shall not commit adultery; 8) Shall not steal; 9) Shall not bear false witness; 10) Shall not covet anything belonging to your neighbor.
Apparently the “law keepers” are greatly afraid of Jesus’ teachings and his effect on the people, because they challenge him again and again on this day, but are unable to trap him. Jesus, in turn, accuses the “law keepers” of hypocrisy and he cautions the people not to follow their ways (Matthew 23:1-3).
…MATTHEW 23:1-3…Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and His disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses; therefore all they tell you to, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them.”
Jesus refers to a psalm of David to disprove the claim of the “law keepers” that the Christ is the son of David. He warns the people to be wary of the “law keepers”, telling them that they make a “big show” of living by the letter of them that they make a “big show” of living by the letter of 35-40; Luke 20:41-47).
…MARK 12:35-40…And Jesus answering began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put thine enemies beneath Thy feet’ (Psalm 110:1). David himself calls Him “Lord”; and so in what sense is He His son?” And the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him. And in His teaching He was saying; “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They are the ones who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”
Which son? They no doubt mean Solomon, who is the best-remembered son of David, King of Judah and Israel. But when you examine what is said, it becomes evident that here, and in other examples, there is, apparently, a belief in Reincarnation, Jesus acknowledges the generosity of the old woman…the fact that she contributes more to the Temple, proportionately, than the others (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). …LUKE 21:1-4…And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a certain poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put more in than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
He ends by openly accusing the “law keepers” of doing vicious acts against humanity, and of the fate awaiting them, because of their acts (Matthew 23:13-39).
…MATTHEW 23:13-16,23-25,27-29,33,36-39…“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated’…”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law; justice and mercy and faithfulness; but those are things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence”… ”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are the whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and uncleanness. Even so you too appear outwardly righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness”…”You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?”…”Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers a chick under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
(Note: In the Apostle Paul’s confrontation with the Sanhedrin in the temple, he refers to the chief priest as a “whitewashed wall”…reminiscent of what Jesus says about “whitewashed tombs” (Acts 23:1-3).)
…ACTS 23:1-3…And when Paul, looking at the Council, said, “Brethren I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest, Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law, order me to be struck?”
(Note: Again refer to Acts and we read of the martyrdom of Stephen, the first prophet of the New Covenant…who was stoned to death, as prophesied by Jesus above, “and stones those who are sent to her” (Acts 7:58-60).)
…ACTS 7:58-60…And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul (later St Paul). And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep.
Even though Jesus performs signs and miracles, the people still do not believe that he is the Messiah (John 12:37).…JOHN 12:37…But though He had performed so many miracles before them, yet they were not believing in Him.
On his way out of the Temple area he tells everyone of how the temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:1,2; Mark 13:1,2; Luke 21:5,6).
…MARK 13:1,2…And as He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
Then he leaves Jerusalem and takes refuge on the Mount of Olive. He spends the night with his disciples talking about the signs to look for at the “end of the age”, and how the Kingdom of Heaven will come to earth (Matthew 24:3-31; Mark:13:3-37; Luke 21:7-36).
…MATTHEW 24:3-7,9,14,15,20-24,29-31…And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of war; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes”…”Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name”…”And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come. Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF THE DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand)”…” But pray your flight may not be in the winter or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. Then if any one says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’, or ‘There He is’, do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect”…“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the POWERS OF THE HEAVENS WILL BE SHAKEN, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels WITH A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS, FROM ONE END OF THE SKY TO THE OTHER.”
And he gives his disciples a number of parables explaining the necessity of being prepared for the kingdom of heaven and the arrival of the Christ, and he tells of how the faithful will be rewarded ( Mark 13:34-37;Matthew 25:1-46).
…MARK 13:34-37…”It is like a man, away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’
…MATTHEW 25:3436, 40…”Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you, who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me’…“And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me’.”
He, literally, hides himself from others after dark, so that he can instruct his disciples in greater detail, undisturbed; and so as to be out of sight of the “law keepers”, during the hours when there is the most danger of being captured. The fourth day ends on the Mount of Olives. This is the procedure that he follows for the next two days…Teach in the Temple during daylight hours and return after sunset to the Mount of Olives to give detailed teachings to his disciples. This leads to the second day before the Passover (Matthew 26:1,2; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1).
…MATTHEW 26:1,2…And it came about that when Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be delivered up for crucifixion.”
It is at this time that the chief priests and scribes, including the high priest Caiphas, plot in earnest, to arrest Jesus. But they want to avoid doing so, during the Festival, to prevent the people from rioting (Matthew 26:3-5; Mark 14:1,2; Luke 22:2).
…MATTHEW 26:3-5…Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth, and kill Him. But they were saying, “Not during the festival, lest a riot occur among the people.”
In Bethany, at the home of Simon the Leper, a woman anoints him with precious ointments. A number of his disciples complain of the waste. Jesus reprimands them, reminding them that her beautiful “work” would go toward his burial; and her act will be known throughout the world (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9).
…MARK 14:3-9…And while He was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of costly perfume of pure nard (abreviated form of spikenard…mentioned earlier); and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some (Matthew says they were disciples) were indignantly remarking to one another, “For what purpose has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone, why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her.”
(Note: Jesus takes this opportunity to chide them about how they can care for the poor, anytime they want to…just make the effort.)
It is at this time that Judas Iscariot becomes directly involved in the plot to seize Jesus…to betray him (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6).
…MARK 14:10,11…And Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests, in order to betray Him to them. And they were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking out a time that he could betray Him at an opportune time.
In Matthew 26:15, it says “…And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver.”
Judas Iscariot was so called to distinguish him from all the other Judas’ in the land. Judas Iscariot signified that his family was originally from Kerioth, a town located in the southern part of Judea.
Many reasons have been given for Judas’ betrayal. Some say that he was just naturally evil and never loyal to Jesus. Luke relates that he is possessed by Satan. John says the devil put it in his heart to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3; John 13:2).
…JOHN 13:2…And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him.”
Judas Iscariot was a zealot…a Jewish patriot/terrorist. There are those who think he has become disillusioned with Jesus, like many of the people, because he would not lead the uprising against Rome, and wants to repay him for being disallusioned. Some believe he feels betrayed, because Jesus wants to do away with the old ways. Others say he betrays Jesus, because he wants to force Jesus’ hand. He wants to make Him declare Himself king, taking action in the meantime to save Himself; then establish his kingdom, and destroy the Romans.
I favor the last reason. But no matter why, he is God’s instrument used to bring about the death of His son. Jesus knows that Judas Iscariot will betray him (John 13:21-26).
…JOHN 13:21, 24-26…When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray me”…Simon Peter therefore gestured to him (John), and said, speaking to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ breast, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus therefore answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
The first day of the Week of the Passover is the day of unleavened bread, the Feast of the Passover. Three of the gospels describe the preparations that day. The Feast is to be held in the evening of the following day, in the “upper room” (Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13).
…MATTHEW 26:17-19…Now on the first day of theFeast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.