Chapter 6.

Holy Tuesday Afternoon

 

 

Jesus Was Anointed

During Lunch

At Simon’s House.

 

Simon, a former leper who had been cured by Jesus, invited Jesus and His men to lunch.  Much was on Jesus’ mind.  He knew He would be arrested in about 13 hours, nailed to His Cross in about 21 hours, and buried in about 32 hours. 

 

Led by the Holy Spirit, an unnamed woman slipped into the dining room and anointed Jesus with a precious ointment.  She was the first person to begin preparing Jesus’ body for burial.

... being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.  (MArk 14:3-9)

Matthew declares ...

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.  (Matthew 26:6-13)

 

 

 

Judas Conspired To Betray Jesus.

 

Luke reveals ...

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude. 

(Luke 22:3-6)

Mark says ...

... Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.  (Mark 14:10-11)

And, Matthew states ...

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.  (Matthew 26:14-16)

 

 

 

Jesus Arranged the “Last Supper”.

 

As shown in the chapter entitled “Good Wednesday”, Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, April 3, A.D. 30.  Thus, the “Last Supper” was held Tuesday evening of Holy Week.  It was a Passover Meal, but it transpired 1 day earlier then usual.  In A.D. 30, the week-long “Feast of Unleavened Bread” began at sundown on Wednesday.  But, as mentioned earlier, the “first day of unleavened bread” preceded the start of the festival.  To be certain that no leavened bread contaminated the unleavened bread to be used for the Passover Meal and during the following days of the festival week, bakeries and households removed all leavening agents from their premises and began producing unleavened  bread on Tuesday.

 

In the 3 Scripture passages quoted below, the phrases related to when the “Last Supper” occurred are confusing.  This may be due to errors introduced, over many centuries, by copyists and translators. 

 

Mark says that the Apostles prepared the “Last Supper” on “the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover”.  He cannot be referring to the first day of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” for that day was a Sabbath.  No observant Jew would have prepared a meal on a Sabbath day.  So, this phrase must mean, “The ‘Last Supper’ was prepared on the first day that unleavened bread was baked in anticipation of the Passover Meal, for which lambs were slain.”  

 

Matthew states that the “Last Supper” was prepared on “the first day of the feast of unleavened bread”.  Again, remember the first day of the official feast week, Nisan 15, was a “high”, “holy”, Sabbath day.  No one prepared meals on that day.  So, in some colloquial way, Matthew was referring to the unofficial start of the feast, the first day that unleavened bread appeared in the bakeries and kitchens of Israel, Tuesday.

 

And, Luke declares, “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.”  Again, in some informal way, Luke is including Tuesday, the first day unleavened bread was baked, and Wednesday, the day the Passover lambs were killed, in the whole of the celebration of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread”, even though the feast officially began at sundown on Wednesday.

 

Mark says ...

... the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.  (Mark 14:12-16)

Matthew remarks ...

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.  (Matthew 26:17-19)

And, Luke relates ...

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.  (LUKe 22:7-13)