The calendar of events this week is comparable to the calendar at the time of Christ. The Jews celebrated Passover this past Monday. Jesus was crucified at the time of the Passover. It was in God’s divine timing that He chose to shed His blood for His people as the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, the Passover Lamb, at the time of Passover.

Here are events that occurred during this time.

Jesus spoke to his disciples,

Luke 22:15 KJV - And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

The Passover is a holy day recalling how the Lord passed over all the Hebrew homes which had the blood of the Lamb on their door posts, not allowing the destroyer to enter their house to smite them. Death came to all the firstborn males in Egypt that did not have the blood covering upon their house. (Exodus 12:12-14)

Just as a lamb was killed to save the firstborn males in the Hebrew homes, Jesus the Lamb of God was killed to save all those that apply his blood to their lives by baptism in Jesus name. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29, Revelation 1:5)

The “arm of the LORD,” God in a human body, the “Son of man,” had a mission.

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again." - Matthew 20:18-19

"And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me." - Mark 14:17-18 KJV

The bread at Passover – matzah – is called many names: "bread of affliction" "bread of poverty" "bread of proclamation" "bread of humility" "bread of faith" and the "bread of healing."

"And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body." - Mark 14:22 KJV

The fruit of the vine that is drank at Passover is usually red, since that is the color of blood. It is a reminder of slavery, when Israelite slaves were beaten and bled. It is a reminder of the freedom that came on the night before the Exodus when the Israelites were commanded to kill a sheep or goat and to smear its blood upon the door posts of their houses. This was the sign that the Israelite homes would be saved from the plague of the death that would come upon all the first-born sons of the Egyptians. And then the freedom that came when they left Egypt.

"And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many." - Mark 14:23-24 KJV

After the Passover Seder, they went out to the mount of Olives where He prayed.

"And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." - Mark 14:36 KJV

"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." - Luke 22:44 KJV

When Jesus finished praying He said,

"Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders." - Mark 14:42-43 KJV

To be continued…