The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (June 6, 2021) Mar 14:12-26

The Passover with the Disciples

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”

6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

Rashi

And you shall keep it—This expresses the idea of examining, that it requires examination against any blemish during the four days before the four days before slaughter (Pesachim 96a). And why did he did not command in respect to the Passover sacrifice of later generations? Rabbi Mathia the son of Charash, said, in answer: Behold, it (Scripture) says (Eze 16:8), “When I passed by you . . . and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love”—there had arrived the time to fulfil the oath which I had sworn to Abraham to redeem his children. They, however, possessed no divine commands in which to engage in order that they be redeemed—as it is said (Eze 16:7) “yet you were naked and bare.” He therefore gave them two commands, the blood of the Passover and the blood of the circumcision—for that night they circumcised themselves, as it is said (Eze 16:6) “wallowing in your blood (בְּדָמָיִ‏),” with the two kinds of blood. Further it states (Zec 9:11) “As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Moreover, they were sunk in idolatry. He said to them (v. 21), “Withdraw”—withdraw from idolatry; “and take for yourselves” lambs to fulfil a divine command (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:2:1).

The whole assembly of the congregation of Israel—This means the assembly, the congregation, and Israel. From here, they (the Rabbis) said: the communal Passover sacrifices are to be slaughtered in three groups, one after the other—the first group entered and the doors of the court were closed, etc. as is to be found in Pesachim 64a.

Shall kill their lambs etc.—But did they all slaughter it? But we derive from this statement that a man’s agent is as himself (Kiddushin 41b; Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:6:2).

At twilight—From six hours after sunrise and forward is called בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:6:5), because the sun then inclines in the direction of the place of its setting to become darkened. The darkening of the day is at the beginning of the seventh hour, when the shadows of evening decline; and the darkening of the night at the commencement of the night. עֶרֶב is an expression for gloom and darkness, like “all joy has grown dark” (Isa 24:11).

8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Rashi

The flesh—But not the sinews and bones (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:8:1).

With unleavened bread and bitter herbs—Every bitter herb is called מָרוֹר. He commanded them to eat something bitter as a reminder of (Exo 1:14): “And made their lives bitter” (Pesachim 116b).

18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. EXO 12:6, 8, 18

13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him,

John Gill

And he sent two of his disciples—Peter and John, as appears from Luk 22:8;

And said to them, “Go into the city”—The city of Jerusalem; for there only the Passover might be eaten (Deu 26:2);

And a man carrying a jar of water will meet you—A servant of the master of the house that was sent for water, to mix with the wine, at the Passover:

Follow him—Into the house to which he goes.

14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

John Gill

And wherever he enters—Into wherever house he shall enter, go in after him:

And say to the master of the house—The owner, and master of it, who might be Nicodemus, or Joseph of Arimathea, or some man of note and wealth in Jerusalem, that might have some knowledge of Christ, and faith in him, though he did not openly profess him; since by only saying what follows, he would at once, as he did, direct them to a suitable and convenient room;

The Teacher says—The Syriac and Persic versions read, our Teacher says: he that is yours, and ours, our Teacher Jesus; though that is not expressed, yet it was understood by the master of the family; which confirms the above conjecture, that he was a secret disciple of Christ.

Where is my guest room—The room provided for guests that might be expected at the Passover:

Where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? Where it might be done conveniently, and in a proper and comfortable manner (See Gill on Mat 26:18).

15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”

John Gill

And he will show you a large upper room—A room in the highest part of the house, large enough for such a company, for thirteen persons, which was the number of Christ and his disciples:

Furnished and ready—With a table, and a sufficient number of couches to sit, or lie upon, and with all proper vessels necessary on such an occasion:

There prepare for us—The Passover.

16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve.

18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

14 But it is you, a man, my equal,

my companion, my familiar friend.

Rashi

A man, my equal—A man as important as I.

My familiar friend—Like my companion, an expression of Exo 33:17: “and I recognized you,” which is translated “and I made you great.” Menachem (p. 94), however, explained that “For no enemy would revile me that I should bear” is connected to (verse 7): “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” If I could raise my wings, I would fly away and wander on account of the distress of the wicked inflicted upon me, for when I would leave the midst of the assembly of the profligate to lodge in the desert forever, then no enemy would revile me; I would not have to bear my disgrace and my shame, and I would not hide from him as I hid from them when I was among them. However, this interpretation is impossible, because of the verses following it, namely: But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend (verse 14); we used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng (verse 15). Therefore, Dunash (p. 94) interprets it in another manner, and this is its interpretation: For it is not an enemy who reviles me—then I could bear my abuse, and it is not an adversary who opens his mouth wide against me, but my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. This thing is known, that the abuse of a friend is harder for a person to bear than the abuse of an enemy. Moreover, one can hide from his enemy, but one cannot hide from his friend when he tells him all that is in his heart. The context corroborates this interpretation.

15 We used to take sweet counsel together;

within God’s house we walked in the throng. PSA 55:14-15

Rashi

Together we used to take sweet counsel in the law and within God’s house we walked בְרָגֶשּׁ, in the throng.

Within God’s house—In the study-halls.

19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”

20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.

John Gill

He said to them—In order to relieve their minds, and point out the particular person:

It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me—Just at that very instant (see Gill on Mat 26:23).

21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”

In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. EXO 12:11

Rashi

Your belt fastened—Ready for the way i.e., for travel (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 12:11).

In haste—This is an expression denoting hurry and haste, similar to (1Sa 23:26), “and David was hurrying” (2Ki 7:15) “that the Syrians had thrown away in their haste.”

It is the Lord’s Passover—The offering is called פֶּסַח in allusion to the springing and passing over—because the Holy One, blessed be he, passed over the houses of the Israelites in between the houses of the Egyptians and sprang from Egyptian to Egyptian, whilst the Israelite who was between them escaped. “The Lord’s” thus implies you, therefore, do every act of sacrificial service connected with it in honour of heaven by way of springing and leaping over (i.e., in haste), as a reminder of its name, which is called, Passover, and also in old French pasche, pasque, pasca, an expression of stepping over.

23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

and wine to gladden the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine

and bread to strengthen man’s heart. PSA 104:15

Berakhot 57a:21

The tanna who recited mishnayot before Rabbi Yohanan taught: One who sees any kind of drink in a dream it is a good omen, except for wine, as there is one who drinks it in adream and it is a good omen for him, and there is one who drinks it in a dream and it is a bad omen for him. The Gemara elaborates: There is one who drinks wine and it is a good omen for him, as it is stated: “And wine that makes glad the heart of man” (Psa 104:15), and there is one who drinks it in a dream and it is a bad omen for him, as it is stated: “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress” (Pro 31:6).

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

John Gill

And when they had sung a hymn—The hymn, used at the Passover:

They went out to the Mount of Olives—Christ, and eleven of his disciples; for Judas now separated from them, and went to the chief priests to acquaint them how things were, where Jesus was going, and where they might apprehend him (see Gill on Mat 26:30).