Introduction

The whole redemptive calendar is about to start. The Passover and the Unleavened Bread start off the new Hebrew calendar each new year, but with Christ being sacrificed as the Passover Lamb, a whole new redemptive calendar was going to start and never end. This is the making of the kingdom of God. Note the Hebrew Seven Biblical Holidays Calendar chart below.

There are seven Hebrew Biblical holidays. They form a type for redemptive history. They are grouped together as the above chart shows. Three in the first month (Nissan) of the year; Pentecost in the third month and three more holidays in the seven month. Seven portrays the complete picture.

The first three holidays speak of Christ's death, the New Covenant (blood on doorway) and the resurrection (Day of Firstfruits). Once the Day of Firstfruits was celebrated, Pentecost was surely to come fifty days afterwards as recorded in Acts 1-2. The fourth to sixth months are the indefinite months between Christ's first and second coming. The last three holidays speak of the final judgment and victory. The following months speak of the eternal life to come after Christ's return. This calendar provides an excellent overview of the schedule of events that matter most in the history of mankind.

This 'Last Supper,' then, becomes very significant because it initiated the whole redemptive calendar into action. Once started, it would never end. As Jesus said, it was a new covenant in His blood (e.g. His death).

This is the reason Satan appeared on the scene. This was not his cronies, the demons, but Satan himself. It was a most tense time. The city of Jerusalem was throbbing with people getting ready for this national holiday. Important events require special preparations, and the ones mentioned in the following verses were no exception. Each focused on the same event, but from totally different perspectives. Let us now look at the four sections one by one.

Let's see how the Jewish leaders were readying themselves for the Passover.