Introduction
The purpose and climax of the life of Jesus Christ was His sacrificial death. He came into the world to die. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says, “Even the Son of man came . . . to give his life a ransom for many. ” That was not an alteration in the plan; that was the plan. It was not a bad ending to a good beginning. Jesus came to die for the sins of the world. One writer that the cross was not the end of the story, but the theme of the story.
A. The Theme of Sacrifice
1. In the Old Testament
The meaning of sacrifice has been progressively given by Old Testament revelation. In the story of Adam and Eve we first learn that sacrifice is necessary to cover sin (Gen. 3:21). In the sacrifice of Abel we learn that a certain sacrifice is necessary to please God–a sacrifice of death (Gen. 4:4). From Abraham we learn that God will provide that sacrifice, just as he provided an animal in the place of Isaac (Gen. 22:13). The Passover reminds us that the sacrifice must be without spot or blemish (Ex. 12:5). All those aspects of a sacrifice prepare us for Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice.
2. In the New Testament
Everything in the New Testament focuses on the cross. Between twenty and forty percent of the text of the gospels center around the final week of the Lord’s life. The book of Acts is the record of the world’s reaction to the death and resurrection of Christ. The epistles were written to those who believe in the death and resurrection of Christ to instruct them in the implications of it. In the book of Revelation we meet the Lamb that was slain. And He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The death of Jesus Christ is the focal point of all redemptive history. It is no accident; it is the apex of the plan of God. From the slain animals whose skins were used to clothe Adam and Eve to the slain Lamb of Revelation who is worshiped in glory and majesty, the cross is everything.
B. The Theme of Matthew’s Gospel
Throughout his gospel Matthew has successfully presented Jesus as king. But the end of Christ’s life forces Matthew to accomplish something that appears to be impossible: maintaining the majesty and dignity of Jesus Christ in the midst of His betrayal and execution. It is thrilling to see how there is no diminishing of His glory. In Matthew 26:17-30 He appears more majestic and sovereign than at any time in the gospel of Matthew. Beginning in chapter 26, Matthew unfolds the glorious event of the death and resurrection of Christ. Verse 17 begins a section where we see Christ prepare Himself for His death by experiencing His final Passover and then establishing the Lord’s Supper.
I. EXPERIENCING THE FINAL PASSOVER (vv. 17-25)
A. Setting the Time (vv. 17-19)
“On 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. ”
1. The persistence
The Lord was committed to keeping the Passover. Matthew 3:15 tells us He came to fulfill all righteousness, which is the law of God. One element of the law of God was keeping the Passover. Luke 22:15 tells us Jesus had an intense desire to keep the Passover with His disciples.
The Feasts of Israel
The Jewish year was filled with special feasts, not unlike our own. We have customs, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Good Friday, and Easter. Some churches celebrate other holy days throughout the year. The Jewish people were no different. They held commemorative celebrations and festivals, which were occasions for remembering God’s work in the past.
1. The Feast of Pentecost (Weeks)
Pentecost celebrated God’s provision in the harvest of their crops.
2. The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths or Tents)
This feast commemorated Israel’s wandering in the wilderness when they lived in tents. God provided for them by giving them food and water as He led them through the wilderness.
3. The Day of Atonement
This festival was highlighted by a sacrifice in the Holy of Holies. The high priest entered into the Holy of Holies once a year and sprinkled blood on the altar to atone for the sins of the nation for that year.
4. The Feast of Purim
This feast celebrated the deliverance of the people of Israel by Queen Esther. She intervened at a time when the Jewish race could have been wiped out.
5. The Feast of Dedication (Hannukah)
This feast, also called the Feast of Lights, commemorated the deliverance of Israel under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus during the intertestamental period (about 167 [sc]B. C. ).
6. The Feast of Trumpets
This feast celebrated the new year.
7. The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover)
Both are mentioned in Matthew 26:17. This was an eight-day festival. The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted one week, from the fifteenth to the twenty-first of Nisan (called Abib before the exile) as prescribed in the Old Testament (Lev. 23:5-6). Passover was celebrated the day before, on the fourteenth. Those two celebrations were so connected in the minds of the people that they often referred to the entire eight-day period as the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
