The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 508

EXPOSITION. A.D. 30, the sixteenth year of the Emperor CHAPTER XXVL Tiberius. In this year, astronomers tell us, Ch. :nvi.-:nviii 20,-THUS JESUS ENTERS the 14th of Nisan (equivalent to April T) t!PON ms KINGDOM, fell on a Friday; and as for typical reasons Before attempting to expound this most at least we should expect that Christ would momentous section cf the gospel history, die at the hour when the Paschal lamb was we must make up· our minds concerning slain, we at once see the fitness of this date the solution of the difficulties which are and day, if they can be safely maintained. involved in some details in the account of It is incredible that the events immediately the last Supper. The supposed discrepancy preceding and accompanying the execution between the narrative of the synoptists and of Christ should have occurred on the that of St. John has exercised the minds of actual feast-day; it is also incredible that, commentators from the earliest times unto as some critics suppose, the Pharisees altered the present, and enormous ingenuity bas the legal day in order that they might been expended in endeavouring to har- be free to -accomplish their wicked design. monize what are regarded as conflicting These considerations lead ns unhesitatingly statements. to adopt the account given by St. John The two ohief di ffieulties are these : (himself an eye-witness, and certain to have According to the synoptists, as generally noted and remembered the exact date of understood, our Lord and his apostles ate this stupendous event), and to assume that the Pussover, i.e. the Pasohal lamb, when Christ was crucuied on the 14th of Nisan, he instituted the Holy Communion; accord- dying at the hour when the lambs were ing to St. John, the death of Obrist took legally slain. The notes of time afforded by place before the Passover was celebrated. St. John are found in John xiii. I, 29; xviii. Hence orise the questions-Was the last 28; xix. 14, 31. Attention to these passages Supper the regular Paschal meal? Was will show thl\t, according to the Fourth Christ orucj.Jled on the 14th of Niso.n Gospel, the Passover had not been eaten or on the 15th ? In the time of our Lord, when our Lord was crucified, and thl\t in the festival commenced on the evening thut year the Pailsover coincided with the of the 14th of. Nisan, originally the day sabbath. To meet the difficulty of the of preparation, but now considered pe.rt synoptists' assertion, the.t J esns ate the of the feast. "Between the evenings" of Passover e.t the lo.at Supper, two suggestions this day-i.e. from the time of the sun's are put forth. It is said that he e.ntioipnteJ decline to its setting-the lambs were killed the legul time by some few hours, being in thetempleoourts. The 15th, oommencing greater than the Law, as he harl oft.c,u shown on the evening of the 14th, and lasting till himself greater· tho.n the sabbath. If this the evening of the 15th, was the great day were so, how was the lamb procured? The of the feast. All the accounts agree in Puschal victims were not legally slain till stating the.t our Lord was oruoified on the afternoon of the next ,lay, the 14th: Friday, the day before the sabbath, but the how could the twelve have obtained one de.y of the month is not so olearly defined. of these on the 13th? This question is mtii The year seems to be settled as A.u.o. 783, by the assertion thnt the lambs (estimo.le,l llilATTHEW-II. 2 L  514 TUE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTllEW. ~ea, :xxvx. 1-75.