Matthew 26:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Or, by the first day, he means the day before the days of unleavened bread. For the Jews always reckoned their day from the evening; and this day of which he speaks was that on the evening of which they were to kill the Passover, namely, the fifth day of the weekb.

When the Lord refers to "such and such a one," He does not mention a specific name but rather alludes to one of the saints. This expression applies to every saint, who initially welcomes the Lord's disciples, evangelists, and apostles, thereby transforming their spirit. In this manner, Christ Himself arrives, unbidden yet independently, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, to inhabit the individual who has received the holy baptism. This is symbolized by the person bearing the pitcher of water, as noted in Mark 14:13 and Luke 22:10.

Go into the city to such a man, Him whom Mark and Luke call the good-man of the house, or the master of the house. And when Matthew says, to such a man, he is to be understood to say this as from himself for brevity’s sake; for every one knows that no man speaks thus, Go ye to such a man. And Matthew adds these words, to such a man, not that the Lord used the very expression, but to convey to us that the disciples were not sent to any one in the city, but to some certain person.

The first day of unleavened bread is the fourteenth day of the first month, when the lamb is killed, the moon is at full, and leaven is put away.

What was essential for the Passover celebration has already been mentioned. Thus, it is clear that Jesus Christ partook of the proper Passover meal; otherwise, all the preparations would have been pointless.

Some one may argue, (e. g. The Ebionites) that because Jesus kept the Passover with Jewish observances, we ought to do the same as followers of Christ, not remembering that Jesus was made under the Law, though not that He should leave under the Law (Gal. 4:4.) those who were under it, but should lead them out of it; how much less fitting then is it, that those who before were without the Law, should afterwards enter in? We celebrate spiritually the things which were carnally celebrated in the Law, keeping the Passover in the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, (1 Cor. 5:8. John 6:53.) according to the will of the Lamb, who said, Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, ye shall not have life in you.

Or, Matthew does not name the man in whose house Christ would celebrate the Passover, because the Christian name was not yet held in honour by the believers.

In the end, the Lord appointed Peter and John to arrange the Passover. This symbolizes the reality that when the soul recognizes its lack of worldly possessions, it readies itself for eternal life by uniting its thoughts and senses, nurturing them through communion with the Lord.

Or, he omits the name, that all who would fain celebrate the true Passover, and receive Christ within the dwelling place of their own minds, should understand that the opportunity is afforded them.

And observe that with the Jews, the Passover is celebrated on the first day, and the following seven are called the days of unleavened bread; but here the first day of unleavened bread means the day of the Passover.

They went and discovered everything as He had instructed them, and made arrangements for the Passover (Luke 22:13). All transpired precisely as the Lord had spoken: the man they encountered at the city entrance was just as the Lord had described, and the homeowner graciously complied with the Master's requirements; the room was exactly as the Lord had foretold. How could the disciples not recognize in their hearts that their Master was indeed a great prophet! They went on to prepare the Passover, which included purchasing and preparing the Passover lamb in accordance with the law, along with all the necessary items for the celebration.

The apostles Peter and John followed the instructions given by Jesus and made arrangements for the Passover celebration. They traveled to Jerusalem, where events unfolded precisely as the Lord had foretold: “at the Water Gate, through which those coming from Olion entered the city,” as Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, describes, “they encountered a man carrying a water jug. They followed him to a house and informed the owner about the words of their Teacher. He promptly directed them to a large room that was prepared for their use, and they set to work organizing the Passover. This involved procuring a paschal lamb within the temple grounds, presenting it to the priest for slaughter, or, with his blessing, performing the ritual themselves in a designated area of the temple.

Although the other followers were unaware of these events, the Lord was fully aware and patiently awaited His appointed time. He anticipated departing from His disciples before the upcoming feast, wishing to imbue His final meal with them with special meaning, aligning it with the Jewish Passover meal, or more fittingly, with the Christian Communion that supersedes the Old Covenant feast. On the thirteenth of Nisan, He likely found Himself in Bethany, dedicating His final moments to His disciples. However, on that morning, He sent Peter and John to Jerusalem to inform the owner of the location where He intended to hold this Last Supper, instructing him to prepare for the Passover observance.

Peter and John traveled to Jerusalem where they encountered a man carrying a jug at the gate. They shared with him the instructions that Jesus had given them, ensuring that they organized everything necessary in accordance with the Law of Moses. After fulfilling their task, they likely journeyed to Bethany to report back to Jesus.

They discovered everything as Jesus Christ had foretold, "and apparently on the same day they prepared the Passover." When Christ and the remaining disciples arrived at the designated house, the meal was ready, the table was set, and the traditional triclinium for reclining was arranged. The practice of eating the Passover while standing had long been set aside. Reclining was viewed as the most fitting and comfortable position, especially since it symbolized the status of free individuals. Each guest reclined fully, resting on their left arm, allowing their right arm to remain free. Positioned on Jesus' right was the beloved disciple, whose head could easily rest against the breast of his Master and Lord.

They arranged the Passover, fulfilling all that was mandated by tradition and scripture for the observance of this sacred event. They prepared the lamb in a customary way, along with unleavened bread, bitter herbs, wine, and other elements associated with the celebration.

Peter and John made their way to Jerusalem, discovering everything as it had been shared with them, and they made arrangements for the Passover. As evening fell, at the appointed time established by the law (Deuteronomy 16:6) for the celebration of the Passover, Jesus Christ arrived in the city, accompanied by His disciples. Amidst the bustling festivities and throngs of worshipers, the sacred group approached the home where a beautifully adorned room awaited them. Once the hour for the meal arrived, the Lord reclined at the table, joined by the twelve apostles.