***All Jewish days go from Sunset to Sunset… this makes it difficult for those of us who are orientated to the Gregorian calendar and not the the Judean Calendar. I will try to help you understand…
Nisan 13 (March 26th) started at sunset on March 25th until sunset of the 26th.
Last evening just after sunset, my husband and I ate the a commemorative “Last Supper” of Jesus and his disciples. We ate fish, romaine lettuce with bitter dressing, dill pickle, olives and leavened bread and wine. (we believe that leaven bread was eaten at this meal because ALL leavening must be removed from the house (premises) before the feast of Unleavened bread starts on the 15th of Nisan. We’ve been told all of our lives: “to waste not is to want not” (not scriptural).
Nisan 14 (March 27th) started at sunset on March 26th until sunset of the 27th.
Today, my husband and I are reading scriptures and remembering the period of time that is referred to today as the Passion of Christ. The time before his crucifixion and the day of his crucifixion. As I write this (PST), we are well into the 3 hours of darkness that started at the 6th hour and waiting for the 9th hour when Jesus – Yeshua gave up the ghost.
I’ve been wanting to share this with the readers of this blog for quite some time. I’m not going to tell you that it has anything to do with Salvation as I honestly don’t know…although I’m going to tell you that it has everything to do with truth. We can’t understand the times when Jesus – Yeshua walked on this earth if we don’t understand and recognize the customs that were practiced during His time. Once we recognize the correct timing, it also changes the time of His resurrection from our traditional custom of “Easter”.
ALL Scriptures taken from the TLV – Tree of Life Version (TLV is a new Bible translation produced by Messianic Jewish and Christian Scholars.)
The Passover is to be celebrated at the close of Nisan 14th, which is in March or April ( Ex. 12:128 & Lev. 23:47) .
All throughout the Bible we find Passover being celebrated, including by Yeshua and His disciples. Upon reading about Yeshua’s last Passover, it seems as if Matthew 26:17 , Mark 14:12 , and Luke 22:78 are saying that the Last Supper was a Passover Seder, eaten at the end of Nisan 14th.
But John 13:12 & 18:28 indicates that the Last Supper was not the Seder because it was eaten a night earlier, at the beginning of Nisan 14th. To find the answer we need to look closely at the Gospels and a Galilean Jewish tradition.
The Gospels and Yeshua’s last Passover
Matthew 26:35 and Mark 14:2 both state that the leaders who conspired to have Yeshua put to death did not want His death to occur “ during the feast , lest there be an uproar among the people”.
Luke 22:15-16
“(15) And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (16) For I tell you, I will never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” TLV
After the last lamb was sacrificed on the evening of 14th (before the Seder) the High Priest would say “ it is finished . ”
John 19:30 “When Yeshua tasted the sour wine, He said, “ It is finished !” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” TLV
The Galilean Jewish Tradition for Passover
The Mishnah records that Galilean Jews had a different tradition than the Judean Jews for celebrating Passover. This Galilean tradition is very important for understanding the Gospels telling of Yeshua’s “Last Supper” with His disciples. For the Galilean Jews, Nisan 13th was preparation day for Passover, not the Nisan 14th. All preparation for the Feast was finished by the start of Nisan 14th. Matthew 26:2 and Mark 14:1 could be referring to this tradition when it says in “two days is the Passover ” (Nisan 13th). Then the celebration of the Passover started at the beginning of Nisan 14th with a traditional “Last Supper” before the start of the Fast Of The Firstborn (Ta’anit Bechorot). This fast was a tradition for all firstborn males in order to remember the tenth plague that came upon Egypt in the book of Exodus. The fast was to be broken with the Passover Seder at the close of Nisan 14th or Nisan 15th
Yeshua’s Last Supper
Yeshua was the firstborn of Mary and Joseph. Both Yeshua and the disciples were Galilean Jews. Therefore they followed the tradition to prepare for Passover on Nisan 13th and keep the Fast Of The Firstborn with a “Last Supper”at the start of Nisan 14th. Prayer is a very important part of fasting, so after the Last Supper, Yeshua and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Therefore Yeshua’s Last Supper was a traditional way that He started the Passover celebration each year, not the Seder as we know it today. That year Yeshua used the traditional Last Supper to show His disciples a new revelation about Him known today as the Lord’s Supper or Communion ( Matt. 26:2628;
Mark 14:2224; Luke 22:1920; 1 Cor. 11:2325). He also taught at the “Last Supper” that the Master is the Servant and that we’re all to Love one another as He loved us.
Today, Judaism has placed the Galilean last supper meal within the Seder, not the night before. But some in Judaism still keep this traditional way of starting the Passover with a last supper meal the night before the Seder and then the fast. In Closing Chronological order of the Last Supper and Crucifixion
(1.) On Nisan 13th, Yeshua and His disciples kept the Galilean preparation day for the Passover.
(2.) At sunset, the start of Nisan 14th, Yeshua and the disciples had the traditional Galilean “Last Supper” before the start of the traditional “Fast Of The Firstborn”.
(3.) The next afternoon, still on Nisan 14th, Yeshua was crucified at the exact time that the lambs was being sacrificed for the Passover Seder.
(4.) At sunset, the start of Nisan 15th when the Passover Seder was to be eaten, Yeshua (sinless and unleavened) was placed in the tomb at the start of the week long Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), fulfilling these Feasts.
Thank you to https://www.olivetreemessianic.org/
Jesus ~ Amazing Grace! 