References used & quoted in this Bible study:
AOTJ, Antiquities of the Jews, by Flavius Josephus
BDB, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
GES, Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament
GNT, The Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (Interlinear with Morphology) (Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo M; Metzger, Bruce M; Robinson, Maurice; Wikgren, Allen)
LIT, Green's Literal Translation
LITG, Green's Literal Translation, Greek to English
SD, The NEW Strong's complete Dictionary of Bible Words, Nelson
TCP, The Christian Passover, 1993, by Fred R. Coulter
TGEL, Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament, Joseph H. Thayer
TWOT, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Harris, Archer, Waltke
YAC, Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Eerdmans

All scripture is quoted from LIT unless other wise noted.

This version was chosen because I personally believe it to be as accurate as any other. Please look up all scripture in your own Bibles.

No matter how big a problem is, it can usually be solved if you break it down into it's smallest components and tackle each by itself. Then uniting the results of each, to understand the problem as a whole.

So, first of all we have to separate all the items referred to as Passover (or part of the Passover) and examine each detail.

Opening Comment:
I have a couple of questions to ask.

1. Would we even have the term "passover" if it was not for the passing over of God and the destroyer?
2. Would Jesus have lied or been deceitful to His disciples?

Look at the following scriptures:
Mat 26:17, “And on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, Where do you desire we should prepare for You to eat the Passover?” LIT

Mat 26:17, “On the And first unleavened came the disciples to Jesus, saying to Him, Where will You we may prepare for You to eat the Passover?” LITG

Mat 26:17, “In the but first of the unyeasted went to the learners the Jesus saying where you want we might prepare to you to eat the passover” GNT

Mark 14:14, “And wherever he goes in, say to the housemaster, The Teacher says, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” LIT

Mark 14:14, “And where ever he enters, tell the housemaster, The Teacher says, where is the guestroom where the Passover with the disciples of me I may eat?” LITG

Mark 14:14, “and where if he might go in say to the house supervisor that the teacher says where is the guestlodge of me where the passover of learners of me I might eat” GNT

Luke 22:8, “And He sent Peter and John, saying, Having gone, prepare for us the Passover, that we may eat.” Verse 11, “And you will say to the housemaster of that house, The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” LIT

Luke 22:8, “And He sent Peter and John, saying, going, prepare for us the passover, that we may eat.” Verse 11, “And you will say to the house master of the house, Says to you the Teacher, Where is the guest room where the passover with the disciples of me I may eat?” LITG

Luke 22:8, “and he delegated Peter and John having said having traveled prepare to us the passover that we might eat” Verse 11, “and you will say to the house supervisor of the house says to you the teacher where is the guestlodge where the passover with the learners of me I might eat” GNT

MY OPINION:

The scriptures clearly tell me that Jesus told the disciples to prepare the Passover for He and they to eat it.

If He knew that He would not be eating the Passover with the disciples, wouldn't you consider that being deceitful, at the least?

BUT, please go on and examine each part of the Passover season.

From the Old Testament
1. Select a lamb on the 10th day of the first month. Ex 12:3
2. Keep the lamb until the 14th day of the first month and then kill the lamb in the evening. Ex 12:6; Num 33:3
3. Put blood from the lamb on the door posts and lintel. Ex 12:7
4. They shall roast and eat the lamb in that NIGHT. Ex 12:8
5. Any portion of the lamb which is left over has to be burned up by morning. Ex 12:10
6. They are to eat dressed with shoes on and in haste. Ex 12:11
7. The Lord will pass over killing the first born of both man and beast. Ex 12:12
8. The first born of those who put the blood on their door post will be spared. Ex 12:13
9. The scriptures tell us it was a feast and a memorial to be kept as a law forever. Ex 12:14
10. They could not go out of their house until the next morning. Ex 12:22
11. God instructs us as to what we are to tell our children concerning the Passover noted above. That it was to keep the first born, of the people of God, from being killed when the Lord passed over. Ex 12:26-27
12. There are 7 days in which they were to eat unleavened bread and have no leavening in their houses. Ex 12:15
13. The first and the seventh days are to be Holy Days, convocations, no work is to be done except to prepare meals. Ex 12:15-16
14. The 15th day of the first month (1st Day of Unleavened Bread) was to be observed because the Lord had brought the people out from Egypt. Ex 12:17; Num 33:3
15. A night to be much observed for all the sons of Israel and for all their generations. Ex 12:42

From the New Testament
16. Disciples asked Christ where He wished to have the Passover prepared so that He (Jesus) could eat it. Mat 26:17; Mark 14:12
17. Christ sent Peter & John to prepare the Passover MEAL so that they and JESUS could eat it. Luke 22:8, 11, 15
18. Christ with His disciples ate the Old Testament Passover MEAL. Mat 26:20-21
19. Christ washed the disciples feet. John 13:5, 12
20. Christ told the disciples to recognize what He had done and told the disciples to wash each others' feet. John 13:14-15
21. Christ took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples telling them it was His Body. Mark 14:22
22. Christ took the cup, gave thanks and had all the disciples drink of it, stating it was His blood of the New Covenant. Mark 14:23-24
23. Christ told them to do these things in remembrance of Him and to proclaim His death until He comes. I Cor 11:23-26
24. Christ was crucified and then died about 3pm on the 14th. Luke 23:44-46
25. Christ was our Passover Lamb. I Cor 5:7
26. Days of Unleavened Bread are referred to at times as the "Passover" Luke 22:1
27. Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are both referred to, separately in the same verse. Mark 14:1

Examination of components of Passover
1. Exo 12:3, "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month, they shall each take for themselves an animal of the flock for a father's house, a flock animal for a house."

FACT - It is clear that they were to select a flock animal on the 10th day of the first month.

2. Exo 12:6, "And it shall be for you to keep until the fourteenth day of this month. And all the assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the evenings (6153)."

Num 33:3, "And they pulled up stakes from Rameses in the first month on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel went out with a high hand, before the eyes of all the Egyptians."

FACT - The lamb had to be kept until the 14th
QUESTION - Until when on the 14th?
STATED "between the evenings (6153)"

Strong's #6153, ereb from #6150, arab
SD - #6153 - dusk, evening, eventide, night
SD - #6150 - prime root - to grow dusky at sundown; be darkened, (toward) evening.
TWOT - #1689 same as Strong's 6150 - become evening, grow dark
TWOT - #1689a - same as Strong's 6153 - Evenings were quite important for sacrificial acts and ceremonial meals in ancient Israel. The Passover began on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month (see Ex12:6, 18). Sometimes, as in Ex 12:6 the Hebrew reads literally, "between the two evenings," likely "twilight," the time interval between sunset and darkness in which there is a state of illumination.
BDB - between the two evenings - between sunset and dark.
GES - evening; used as marking the space of time during which the paschal lamb was slain.
A note - The Pharisees and the Rabbinists considered the time when the sun began to descend to be called the first evening (little evening); when it begins to draw towards evening; and the second evening to be the real sunset.
YAC - evening

CONCLUSION - To summarize, we can say that the majority of Bible helps lean toward Strong's #6153 meaning sunset or after. But not proven 100% at this time.

SEE - NOTE OF INTEREST at the end of this document.

3. Exo 12:7, "And they shall take from the blood, and put it on the two side doorposts and on the upper doorpost, on the houses in which they eat it."

FACT - They were told to put the blood on the door posts and lintel.

4. Ex 12:8, "Exo 12:8, "And they shall eat the flesh in this night (3915), roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs."

Strong's #3915
SD - night TWOT - #1111 - night
BDB - night, opposite day
GES - night
YAC - night

FACT - They were to eat the lamb, roasted, in this NIGHT.

5. Ex 12:10, "Exo 12:10 And you shall not leave any of it until morning (1242). And you shall burn with fire that left from it until morning (1242).

FACT - They were to burn all the remains of the lamb by morning.
QUESTION - When does morning refer to?
Strong's #1242, boqer
SD - properly dawn (as the break of day);
TWOT - morning, dawn.
BDB - morning, end of night
GES - morning, day break, dawn
YAC - morning

CONCLUSION - In my opinion, in this instance, it means dawn or day break. BUT not proven 100% at this time.

6. Exo 12:11, "And you shall eat it this way: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste <2649>. It is the Passover to Jehovah."

BDB Definition: 1) hurriedly, in haste, trepidation, hurried flight

FACT - They were eat in haste, trepidation, clothed and staff in hand. What they ate was the PASSOVER meal to God.

7. Exo 12:12, "And I will pass through in the land of Egypt in this night. And I will strike every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man even to livestock. And I will execute judgments on all the gods of Egypt. I am Jehovah!"

FACT - The Lord will kill the first born of man and beast in this night, in the land of Egypt, for every household without lamb's blood on the door posts and lintel.

8. Exo 12:13, "And the blood shall be a sign to you, on the houses where you are. And I will see the blood, and I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be on you to destroy, when I strike in the land of Egypt."

FACT - Because of the lamb's blood they put on the door posts and lintel, their houses were passed over and their first born spared.

9. Exo 12:14, "And the day shall be a memorial for you. And you shall celebrate it as a feast to Jehovah, for your generations. You shall celebrate it as a law forever."

QUESTION - Does this verse belong to the previous verses or the following verses? I believe it pertains to the previous verses. The previous is talking about the Passover and the follwing verses, the DUB.

QUESTION - What does the memorial represent? The passing over (Passover), sparing the lives of the first born of those with the blood on their door posts, the PASSOVER, which are all one in the same.

10. Exo 12:22, "And take a bunch of hyssop and dip in the blood in the basin. And touch some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and on the two doorposts. And you shall not go out, anyone from the door of his house until morning (1242)."

FACT - You shall not go out of your house until morning.
QUESTION - Was the command, to remain in their houses till morning, only for the night the destroyer passed over or for following years also?
QUESTION - When the Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, did they have a right to leave their houses prior to the next morning? Did they leave their houses prior to morning? Exo 10:28-29, "And Pharaoh said to him, Go away from me. Be careful for yourself. Do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die. And Moses said, You have spoken rightly. I will not see your face again."
QUESTION - Did Christ, the night He introduced the New Testament Passover, do away with the part about staying in your house until the following morning?
QUESTION - When does morning refer to? (Same word as in #5 above)

11. Exo 12:26-27, "And it shall be, when your sons say to you, What is this service to you? Then you shall say, A sacrifice of a passover of Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck Egypt. And He delivered our houses. And the people bowed and worshiped."

FACT - We are to answer our children and tell them of the Passover of God, who spared the firstborn of His people, when He passed over Egypt.

12. Exo 12:15, "You shall eat unleavened bread seven days. Indeed, on the first day you shall cause leaven to cease from your houses. For anyone eating any leaven, that soul shall be cut off from Israel, from the first day until the seventh day."

FACT - We are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. We are not to have leaven in our houses. We are not to eat anything leavened in those seven days.

13. Exo 12:16, "And on the first day shall be a holy gathering, and in the seventh day a holy gathering shall be to you. Not any work may be done on them. Only what must be eaten by your soul, that alone may be done by you."

FACT - The first and the seventh days are to be Holy convocations and no work is to be done except to prepare meals.

14. Exo 12:17, "And you shall observe the unleavened bread for on this very day I brought out your armies from the land of Egypt. And you shall observe this day for your generations, a statute forever."

QUESTION - How do we know that it was the 15th day?
Num 33:3, "And they pulled up stakes from Rameses in the first month on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel went out with a high hand, before the eyes of all the Egyptians."

FACT - The days of unleavened bread are to be kept forever as a statute because God brought the people out of the land of Egypt. This is different than the passing over of the death angel.

FACT - God brought the people out of Egypt on the 15th day of the first month.

15. Ex 12:42, "It is a night of celebration (8107) to Jehovah, for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This night is a celebration (8107) for all the sons of Israel to their generations."

FACT - This was to be a night of watching, observance, celebration for all the sons of Israel, to God, to be kept for their generations. And God said to do this for bringing them out of the land of Egypt.
QUESTION - What is meant by celebration?

Strong's #8107, shimmur
SD - an observance
TWOT - night watch
BDB - watching, vigil
GES - observation, celebration, (of a feast)
YAC - of observances

COMMENT - My personal belief is that it was to be a celebration to God during the night of the 15th to commemorate God bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This begins the Days of Unleavened Bread. Also, I believe the meal, observed by WCG and many others, is a tradition. I do believe we are to celebrate and be thankful for God bringing His people out of Egypt.

16. Mat 26:17, "...the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, Where do You (Jesus) desire we should prepare for You (Jesus) to eat the Passover?"
Mark 14:12, "...His disciples said to Him, Where do You (Jesus) desire that going we may prepare that You (Jesus) may eat the Passover?"

FACT - The disciples asked Christ where to prepare the Passover so that He may eat it.
QUESTION - Were they asking about the Old Testament or New Testament Passover for Him to eat?
QUESTION - Would Christ be eating the New Testament Passover, His own Body and Blood?
COMMENT - I do not believe the disciples were referring to the New Testament Passover. They were not even aware of a New Testament Passover. I believe "foot washing" to be part of the ceremony and the disciples did not have prior knowledge of this. Otherwise Peter would not have questioned Christ. This would have to mean that they were referring to the Old Testament Passover.

I believe if Jesus never had any intention to eat the Passover with His disciples, He would have lied to them or at the very least been deceitful to them.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF -
a. Do you believe Jesus would have lied or been deceitful to the disciples?
b. Do you believe the disciples knew Christ was going to be crucified and, therefore, had to keep the Old Testament Passover a day early?
c. Do you believe the disciples would have questioned why they were not keeping the Old Testament Passover at the commanded time, if indeed Christ was keeping it at the wrong time?
d. Do you believe the disciples knew of the New Testament Passover that was going to be introduced?
e. Do you believe they would prepare the Old Testament Passover a day early?

17. Luke 22:8, "And He sent Peter and John, saying, Having gone, prepare for us the Passover, that we may eat."

FACT - Christ sent Peter and John to prepare the Passover MEAL so that HE and they could eat.

18. Mat 26:20-21, "And evening having come, He reclined with the Twelve. And as they were eating, He said, Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me."

With ITEM #s 16 & 17 above we can conclude:
FACT - Christ with the twelve, did eat the Passover MEAL.
QUESTION - When, or what hour, did this take place?
COMMENT - I do believe the night of the 14th.

19. John 13:5, 12, "Then He put water into the basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe off with the towel with which He was girded." 12) "Then when He had washed their feet and had taken His garments, reclining again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you?"

FACT - Christ washed the feet of the disciples.

20. John 13:14-15, "If then I washed your feet, the Lord and the Teacher, you also ought to wash the feet of one another. 15) For I gave you an example, that as I did to you, you also should do"

FACT - Christ told the disciples they should wash each others' feet as He had washed their feet.

21. Mark 14:22, "And as they were eating, Jesus taking a loaf (740), blessing, He broke and gave to them. And He said, Take, eat, this is My body."

FACT - Jesus blessed and broke bread, gave it to His disciples, and told them it was His body.
QUESTION - What kind of loaf or bread (leavened or unleavened)?
QUESTION - Would Christ use leavened bread to represent His Body?
COMMENT - Because it was not specified to be unleavened bread, does not mean it was not unleavened bread.

Strong's #740 - artos
SD - bread (as raised) or a loaf
TGEL - bread - food composed of flour mixed with water and baked; the Israelites made it in the form of an oblong or round cake, as thick as one's thumb, and as large as a plate or platter; hence it was not cut, but broken.

John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread<740> from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread <740> from heaven. 33) For the bread <740> of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread <740>. 35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread <740> of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.(KJV)

COMMENT - We have two different sources above describing the loaf. I ask you which would seem to be the appropriate one? Would you have a leavened loaf only as high or thick as your thumb? In the verses above and a total of at least 5 times in John, chapter 6, Christ refers to Himself as bread, Strong's #740.

CONCLUSION - I think we can conclude that Christ was referring to unleavened bread in Mark 14:22.

22. Mark 14:23-24, "And taking the cup, giving thanks, He gave to them. And they all drank out of it. 24) And He said to them, This is My blood, that of the New Covenant, which is poured out concerning many."

FACT - Christ blessed the cup and gave it to His disciples who all drank from it. He also told them it was His blood, that of the New Covenant.

23. I Cor 11:23-26, "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread (740); 24) and giving thanks, He broke and said, Take, eat; this is My body which is broken on behalf of you; this do in remembrance of Me. 25) In the same way the cup also, after supping, saying, This cup is the New Covenant in My blood; as often as you drink, do this in remembrance of Me. 26) For as often as you may eat this bread (740), and drink this cup, you solemnly proclaim the death of the Lord, until He shall come."

FACT - Christ told them to do these things in remembrance of Him and to proclaim His death until He comes, NOT to celebrate His death. Also the same word for bread as used in ITEM #21 is used here.

COMMENT - Do you believe Jesus' death was any more important than His "sin free" life? If He had not lived a "sin free" life His death would have meant absolutly nothing.

24. Luke 23:44-46, "And it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. 45) And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the Holy Place was torn in the middle. 46) And crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, "into Your hands I commit My spirit." And saying this, He breathed out the spirit."

FACT - Christ was crucified and died about 3pm on the 14th (assuming the ninth hour is 3pm).

25. I Cor 5:7, "...For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us."

FACT - Christ was our Passover Lamb, a Passover sacrifice for us.

26. Luke 22:1, "And the Feast of Unleavened Bread, being called Passover, drew near."

FACT - The days of Unleavened Bread can be referred to as Passover.

27. Mark 14:1, "And it was the Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread after two days...."

FACT - Both Passover and Unleavened Bread referred to in same verse denoting two separate events.

At this point we have determined a number of FACTs but there continues to be a number of UNKNOWNs. We will at this time clear up some of the UNKNOWNs.

A. First of all, what was commanded of the people as far as the commemoration of the Passover up to the time Jesus introduced the New Testament symbols (bread & wine)?

Item #9, there was to be a FEAST to God as a memorial for your generations. Ex 12:14
Item #4, there was to be a MEAL of roasted lamb and unleavened bread. Ex 12:8

B. Did Christ observe the Old Testament Passover?
If He did NOT, according to the law He would have SINNED.

C. Did Christ keep the Old Testament Passover at the commanded time?
If He did NOT, according to law He would have SINNED.

The exception to this would be if He changed the commanded time.

Again, this is if He did not change the commanded time.

D. There appears to be two different Passover nights, the Jews' Passover and the Lord's Passover. Actually there is only one Passover night, the Lord's Passover. The other night is the "night" portion of the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread. The Jews did observe these Holy Days and they were (all 7 days) referred to as passover. Item 26 above referring to Luke 22:1.

Item #18, Christ with His disciples, ate the Passover MEAL.

After the MEAL, Christ went out to the Mount of Olives and His disciples followed. After some time Judas came with a crowd and Christ was seized and led away. Luke 22:39-54

The Jews had not eaten their Passover - they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the praetorium but the Jews did not enter because they were afraid of being defiled which would prevent them from eating THEIR Passover. John 18:28

The Jews were before Pilate crying out for Christ to be crucified on the preparation of THEIR Passover. Which had to be the Jews' Passover preparation day because Christ had already partaken of the Old Testament Passover & introduced the New Testament Passover. John 19:13-15, 31

TCP, chapter 19, page 232, ". . . it is important to understand that John wrote his Gospel much later than Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote their Gospels. After the first three Gospels were written, false teachers rose up in an organized effort to stamp out the truth of God by subverting the early Christians. John was inspired to write his Gospel to preserve the true teachings of Jesus Christ and the true facts about His life and identity. Because of this, John recorded many facts and details that are not found in the other three Gospels. There is evidence in early historical works that at the time John was writing his Gospel, the 14th/15th Passover controversy was already a major problem. That would explain why John describes Jesus' last Passover and the subsequent events in greater detail than the other Gospel writers."

TCP, chapter 10, page 116, "The Jews admit that their practice of combining the Passover with the Feast of Unleavened Bread deviates from the original observance of the two feasts." The Jewish Encyclopedia states, "Comparison of the successive strata of the Pentateuchal laws bearing on the festival makes it plain that the institution, as developed, is really of composite character. TWO FESTIVALS ORIGINALLY DISTINCT HAVE BECOME MERGED..." (Vol. IX, "Passover," emphasis added)."
Jewish Encyclopedia, Judaica Press, Inc.: New York, 1905

AOTJ, Book 2, Chapter 15, 1st paragraph, "Whence it is that, in memory of the want we were then in, we keep a feast for eight days, which is called the feast of unleavened bread."

CONCLUSION - There were two different nights observed as the Passover. One by Christ and His disciples and one by the Jews.

E. We should first go to scriptures which are easy to understand. Then, with the understanding gained by the "easy to understand" scriptures, it will be easier to understand the "NOT so easy to understand" scriptures.

AN EXAMPLE - How many disciples did Christ ask to go and prepare the Passover?

Mat 26:19, "And the disciples did as Jesus ordered them, and prepared the Passover."

From the scripture in Matthew we would have to guess how many and who. There is no proof.

Mark 14:13, "And He sent two of His disciples, . . ."

From the scripture in Mark we can see that Christ sent two disciples but we still do not know who.

Luke 22:8, "And He sent Peter and John, saying, Having gone, prepare for us the Passover, that we may eat."

After reading Luke, we can know how many and who they are. Also, when we go back to Matthew and Mark, we know who Christ was referring to. Luke makes it EASY for us to understand who Matthew and Mark are referring to.

F. SOLVING UNKNOWN in ITEM #2 - When on the 14th were the lambs killed and when was the Passover eaten.

Three Options:
1. Killed at sunset, beginning of the 14th and Passover eaten, night of the 14th.
2. Killed afternoon, about 3pm daylight portion of the 14th and Passover eaten, prior to sunset, the 15th.
3. Killed afternoon, about 3pm daylight portion of the 14th and Passover eaten, night of the 15th.

CONCLUSION - by understanding the easier scriptures we are able to understand and prove this.

Option 2 CANNOT be, because the Passover MEAL had to be eaten at NIGHT. ITEM #4

Option 3 CANNOT be because we would have to say when Christ ate the Passover MEAL on the night of the 14th, not the 15th, it would have been at the wrong time and He would have sinned by not obeying the commanded observance at the commanded time. ITEM #C ABOVE
PLUS - Num 33:3, "And they pulled up stakes from Rameses in the first month on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel went out with a high hand, before the eyes of all the Egyptians."

Option 1 is the proper answer, killed at sunset, beginning of the 14th and Passover eaten, night of the 14th.
The lamb had to be killed prior to the MEAL (common sense) and had to be kept until the 14th. ITEM #2
 

MY FINAL CONCLUSION:

I believe Christ and the disciples were keeping the Old Testament Passover on the night portion of the 14th, which happened to be the commanded time according to the Old Testament. At this time, and what more appropriate time could there have been, Christ introduced the New Testament Passover.

Part of my conviction comes from the FACT, the disciples asked Christ where they should go to prepare the Passover that HE might eat. Then Christ sent Peter and John to prepare the Passover that "WE" (Christ and the disciples) might eat. This was clearly done a day prior to the Passover of the Jews. I do not believe the disciples would have went to prepare the New Testament Passover. I do not believe the disciples would have went to prepare the Old Testament Passover and then eat an ordinary meal that night keeping the prepared Passover for the following night.

Part of the confusion pertaining to the Passover is in trying to make all things fit where WE would have them fit. When God tells us to do "this", why do we try to make it "that"? Where does the Bible tell us to celebrate the death of Christ? We were told to do this (foot washing, eating the bread and drinking the wine) in remembrance of Him, not His death. And not to celebrate His death but to proclaim His death until He comes. But, no where can I see where it says to do it at the precise time Christ died, even though He was undoubtedly our Passover Lamb. We should partake of the New Testament Passover at the same time He introduced it unless we can see that He told us to do it at another time.
 

NOTE OF INTEREST:

This is a quote from "The Christian Passover" by Fred R. Coulter, 1993 pages 58 - 60.

As we have previously learned in our study of the Scriptures, the Passover lambs were to be slain at ben ha arbayim, or "between the two evenings." Using the Scriptural definition of ben ha arbayim that is revealed in Exodus 16, we know that the lambs were slain on the first portion of the fourteenth day of the first month as the day began, immediately after ba erev, or sunset, of the thirteenth day.

Let's go back to Exodus 12 and review God's commands: "...And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it AT DUSK [ben ha arbayim].

"And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night [Hebrew lailah], roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden [boiled] at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof [the edible internal organs]. And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning [Hebrew boqer]; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire" (Ex. 12:6-10, JPSA).

Few of us today have any real conception of the time and effort involved in fulfilling God's instructions. It is no small task to kill, bleed, skin, and gut a lamb or kid of the first year. It is important to keep this in mind so that we can have a realistic approach in understanding the events and the proper sequence and chronology of the original Passover. The following information has been provided by Carl Franklin, who has had considerable experience in raising kid goats for slaughter. The estimation of the time involved in killing and roasting, the animals and burning the remains is as realistic as possible.

Since the lambs or kids selected for the Passover were to be less than a year old, most were from that year's lambing, which would have taken place some 2-3 months before the Passover. The average lamb or kid of this age would weigh about 20 to 30 pounds after removing the skin and guts. (There would naturally be some variation in the size of the lambs, some being a little larger and some a little smaller.) To kill, bleed and hang the animals would require about 10-15 minutes. Immediately after killing the lambs, some of the blood had to be caught in a basin and then be sprinkled on the two side-posts and lintel.

To skin and gut the lambs would take another 10-15 minutes. The guts and skins had to be put into containers to be burned with the fat and bones and any other remains from the meal. The internal edible parts--the heart, liver, and kidneys--were then put back in the chest cavity of the animal, and the entire animal was put on a roasting skewer [a long pole of some kind]. Remember, God had instructed them not to break a single bone of the lamb. It was to be roasted whole with its head and legs still attached. This final preparation of the animal for roasting would take an additional 10-15 minutes. The total time needed to complete these tasks would be 30-45 minutes.

Then the lamb was roasted with bitter herbs. It was not roasted in a pan because the juices could boil some of the meat, and it was not boiled in water because God had forbidden any boiling of the meat. The fire had to be prepared in advance in order to be hot enough to roast the lamb, and additional wood had to be stockpiled to keep the fire burning sufficiently hot during the time needed to roast the meat. Moreover, sufficient fuel would have to be reserved to burn the entire remains of skin, guts, fat and bones, when the meal was completed.

To roast a whole lamb or kid weighing 20-30 pounds until the meat was thoroughly done would take approximately 4-5 hours.

The total time needed to have the meal ready is estimated to be from 4 and 1/2 hours at the earliest, to 5 and 3/4 hours at the latest, which includes 30 - 45 minutes to have the lamb ready and 4-5 hours to roast it.

Since the Passover came in the spring of the year, when the length of days and nights is almost equal, it is probable that sunset, or baerev, occurred at about 6 PM. That is when ben ha arbayim of the fourteenth day would have begun. Thus, if the time for killing the lambs was approximately 6 PM, then the lambs were ready to be eaten just before midnight. Since the people were to be fully prepared to leave and were to eat the Passover meal in haste, perhaps only half an hour was needed to eat the lambs with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. This time frame would place the Passover meal close to midnight. Midnight is the very time the Lord passed through the land of Egypt.

The final act they were commanded to do was to burn anything that was left over before morning. The instructions for burning the remains of the lambs are somewhat awkwardly expressed in the English translation.

"And you shall let nothing remain until morning; but that which remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire" (Ex. 12:10, JPSA).

This verse might appear to be a contradictory statement, but it is clear that nothing was to be left until the morning. That which would have remained until morning was to be completely burned by morning. To completely burn the skin, guts, fat and bones would take 2-3 hours, since bones in particular burn very slowly. Larger bones, such as the skull and the joints of the legs, require this length of time and a very hot fire to burn them to ashes. Remember, the entire remains of the Passover lambs were to be completely burned to ashes before the children of Israel left their houses.

To fulfill all the requirements for the Passover exactly as God had commanded would have taken the children of Israel from 6 PM until approximately 2-3 AM as we reckon time. In Biblical usage, 2-3 AM is still night. Since sunrise was at approximately 6 AM, the first light of dawn would have been about an hour earlier, or 5 AM by our reckoning.

When we understand God's commands for the Passover and the time frame required to fulfill them, we find that it is impossible to fit the events of the Passover into the same night as the Exodus.

The following summary of God's instructions shows the sequence of events on the night of the Passover: "And they shall eat the flesh in that night" (verse 8), which was the fourteenth, not the fifteenth. Anything which remained was to be burned by the morning (verse 10). They were to be fully ready to leave (verse 11). The killing of the firstborn of Egypt and the passing over of the houses of the children of Israel would take place about midnight that same night, which was the fourteenth (verses 12-13, 29). And "..none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning" (verse 22).

To kill, roast and eat the lambs, and to burn the bones and remains took from approximately 6 PM on the night of the fourteenth to just 2-3 hours before sunrise, a total of 8-10 hours.