What is happening on the first day of unleavened bread in this passage?

The first day of unleavened bread was the time when the Jewish people removed leaven from their homes and prepared for the Passover meal. In this passage, that day has arrived and the disciples know it is time to get everything ready. The Passover lambs would be killed that afternoon in the temple, and the meal would be eaten that evening. So the disciples come to Jesus and ask where He wants to eat the Passover. They are following the normal pattern for the feast, but looking to Jesus for clear direction.

What does Jesus mean when He says, "My time is at hand"?

When Jesus says, “My time is at hand,” He is not just talking about the hour of the meal. He is speaking about the time of His suffering and death that is now very close. The Passover pointed back to God rescuing Israel from Egypt, but it also pointed ahead to the greater rescue that would happen through Jesus’ death. By using this phrase, Jesus shows He knows exactly what is coming and freely moves toward it. He is not caught off guard. He is choosing to obey the Father’s plan down to the very hour.

Why did Jesus tell the disciples to go to a specific man in the city?

Jesus tells the disciples to go into the city to a certain man and give him a message. In the other accounts, they are given a sign of a man carrying a water jar, which would lead them to the right house. This shows that Jesus knew in detail what would happen and where. He did not own a house in Jerusalem, yet He directed them to someone ready to receive Him. This highlights His quiet authority and His knowledge of future events. It also reassures the disciples that, even as suffering approaches, nothing is outside His control.

What is the significance of Jesus keeping the Passover in a borrowed house?

Jesus keeping the Passover in a borrowed house shows both His humility and His faithfulness. He had no house of His own in Jerusalem, yet He still fully kept God’s commands about the feast. At the same time, by choosing this place and time, He ties the old Passover to what He is about to do on the cross. The lambs slain in the temple pointed to Him as the true Passover Lamb. In this simple upper room, He will share the meal with His disciples and move from the old covenant sign to the new covenant in His blood.

How did the disciples prepare the Passover for Jesus?

The disciples did exactly what Jesus told them. They went into the city, found the man and the house as Jesus had said, and then made all the normal preparations for the Passover. That would have included getting a lamb, having it killed in the temple, its blood sprinkled, the fat burned on the altar, and then roasting the lamb. They would also prepare unleavened bread, wine, bitter herbs, and the usual dishes for the meal. Their careful obedience shows how those who want to enjoy Jesus’ presence should be ready to follow His instructions closely.

What does this passage teach about obedience and trust in Jesus?

This passage shows the disciples taking Jesus at His word, even when they do not have all the details. He simply tells them to go into the city, speak to a certain man, and prepare the Passover there. They do not argue or ask how it will all work out. They obey and find everything just as He said. This is a pattern for believers. We often do not see the full picture, but we are called to trust Jesus’ words and act on them. As we do, we find that He has already gone ahead of us and arranged what is needed.

How does this Passover preparation relate to Jesus’ death on the cross?

The timing and setting of this meal are closely tied to Jesus’ death. The Passover remembered how God rescued Israel from slavery through the blood of a lamb. Here, Jesus prepares to eat that very meal just as His own death is near. By saying, “My time is at hand,” He connects the feast to His own sacrifice. He is about to become the true Passover Lamb whose blood brings a greater deliverance from sin. The careful preparation of the meal shows that what is about to happen is not random, but part of God’s long-planned rescue.

Why does the day of unleavened bread in this passage seem hard to understand?

This part can seem confusing because different parts of Scripture describe the timing of Passover and the feast in slightly different ways. Some readers have noticed that Jesus eats the Passover with His disciples before the leaders eat theirs. Faithful readers have seen this more than one way, but a clear reading is that Jesus is still keeping the day set by God’s law, while the leaders are following later customs that joined days together. What is plain in the passage is that Jesus respects God’s command and yet moves with purpose toward His death.

How can this passage shape the way believers approach the Lord’s Supper today?

This passage stands before the meal where Jesus will speak about the new covenant in His blood. Here we see careful preparation, obedience to God’s commands, and Jesus’ clear sense that His death is near. For believers today, this encourages a thoughtful approach to the Lord’s Supper. Hearts should be prepared, not rushed or careless. There is room for quiet self-examination and fresh trust in the One who gave Himself for us. Just as the disciples made ready the Passover at His word, we come to the table at His word, remembering His sacrifice.

What does this scene teach about Jesus’ character as He nears the cross?

In this short scene, Jesus appears calm, purposeful, and obedient. He knows His time is near, yet He takes care to keep the Passover as God commanded. He quietly arranges a place, shows knowledge of details no ordinary person would know, and chooses to share this meal with His disciples. He is not running from what is coming, but walking toward it in line with God’s plan. This shows both His true humanity, submitting to the law, and His divine knowledge. It helps us see that His death was not an accident, but a willing choice to save.

Matt.26.17

Matthew 26:17

KJV

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?

Preparing the Passover

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?

And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.