The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread - Mark 14:1

Mark wrote how Jesus told His disciples, “Watch you therefore: for you know not when the master of the house comes, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch”, and in chapter fourteen and verse one of his book, Mark shared “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread”, where we read:

After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

The verse reads, “After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread:” Mark began with the words, “After two days” or “two sunrises to sunsets later” “was the feast” which means “occurred the banquet and spread” “of the passover” or “pertaining to the paschal sacrifice which included the paschal lamb the Israelites were accustomed to slay and eat on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan (the first month of their year) in memory of the day on which their fathers, preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and to sprinkle their door posts with its blood so the destroying angel, seeing the blood, might pass over their dwellings; Christ crucified is likened to the slain paschal lamb”, “and of unleavened bread” which means “and pertaining to the bread which is unfermented and free from leaven and yeast”. Mark shared how “two days” after Jesus told His disciples to “watch”, the “passover meal” which included “unleavened bread” took place.

The verse continues, “and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.” Mark added the words, “and the chief priests” which means “and the high priests” “and the scribes” or “and the men who were learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings and were interpreters and teachers” “sought how they might take him” which means “looked for, were seeking and craving a way to have power over, be master of, get possession of and seize Jesus” “by craft” or “through means of deceit and guile”, “and put him to death” which means “to kill destroy, extinguish, abolish and inflict mortal death Jesus in whatever way they could ”. Mark shared how the “religious leaders known as the chief priests and scribes” were seeking to “seize” Jesus and “kill Him” by any means possible.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we notice although the “feast of passover and unleavened bread” were occurring, the “religious leaders” were motivated to “catch” and “kill” Jesus. The “timing” for these things are not coincidental as Jesus is the true “passover lamb” who was to be offered as a sacrifice for the “sins” of the world. God designed all these events to correspond to that which He planned years in advance, and now the time of Jesus being offered was at hand. Though these “religious leaders” thought themselves to be ridding themselves of Jesus, they were only complying with the plan of God. God desires for every person to believe and trust in His Son Jesus, and when they do, they receive the only One who is able to give them entrance into God's everlasting Kingdom.

Next time we see Mark share how the chief priest and scribes, “said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".