Passion Week ~ Tuesday Afternoon
In our last post, we continued to examine the final days of Yeshua’s life and ministry. In this post, we explore some more of Yeshua’s parables mid-day with His talmidim. Yes, we are still on Tuesday, BUT it is now AFTERNOON.
Introduction
As the long day of confrontation and teaching ends, Yeshua tells His talmidim that His death is only two days away. Already the Cohen HaGadol and elders are conspiring against Him.
Yeshua Foresees His Crucifixion
1 When Yeshua had finished speaking, He said to His talmidim, 2 “As you know, Pesach is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to the execution stake.”
Pesach (Passover) is the festival established in Exodus 12:1–13:16 to commemorate the freeing of the Jews from Egyptian slavery and their establishment as a nation and as the people of God. The main event of the original Pesach was the slaughter by each Jewish family of a lamb “without blemish or spot,” after which God spared the firstborn sons of the Israelites but slew those of the Egyptians. When Yochanan the Immerser speaks of Yeshua as the “lamb of God” (Yochanan 1:29), he is invoking both Temple and Pesach imagery).
The Last Supper (vv. 17–30 of this chapter) is understood by most scholars as a Pesach meal or Seder. Many Pesach themes are deepened, reinforced, and given new levels of meaning by the events in the life of Yeshua HaMashiach and by His words on this night.
Priests and Elders Conspire
3 Then the head cohanim and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of Kayafa the Cohen HaGadol.
Kayafa (Caiaphas) served as a high priest from A.D. 18 to 36 after he replaced his father-in-law, Annas.
4 They made plans to arrest Yeshua surreptitiously and have him put to death; 5 but they said, “Not during the festival, or the people will riot.” [1]
The fear of rioting during Pesach was well-founded since riots had previously occurred. A riot would cause the Romans to strengthen their grip on Yerushalayim and the Jewish leadership.
Y’hudah Bargains to Betray Yeshua
14 Then one of the Twelve, the one called Y’hudah (Judas) from K’riot, went to the head cohanim 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I turn Yeshua over to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to Y’hudah. 16 From then on, he looked for a good opportunity to betray Him. [2]
Y’hudah seeks out the chief priests involved in the Jewish religious government to betray Yeshua. In Yochanan’s Gospel, Y’hudah seems motivated (at least in part) by his objection to the extravagant anointing in the previous scene (Yochanan 12:4–6).
In our next, we continue to follow Yeshua into Yerushalayim for His Crucifixion by the end of the week and finally get to Wednesday.
My Heart is for Israel 