Matthew 26:1-30 is very important. It begins with the plot against Jesus, continuing with his anointing at Bethany, then Judas agreeing to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, continuing with the Lord’s supper being initiated, and Jesus predicting who is going to betray him.
Deuteronomy 25 tells of the marriage duty of a surviving brother, how to weigh with honest measures, and, totally unrelated, do not forget to destroy the Amalekites.
Deuteronomy 26 shows the regulations for offerings of firstfruits and tithes. Follow the LORD’s commands, you are a special people of God.
Deuteronomy 27 specifies that the Law should be inscribed on large stones on Mount Ebal. There six tribes shall declare curses, and on Mount Gerizim six tribes shall pronounce blessings.
John 12:1-19, Jesus anointed at Bethany, the triumphal entry.
We are now at A.D. 30.
Spikenard is still available ( and still expensive)
The most important week in history is about to begin.
This raises one question:
Passover A.D. 30 was the most important in world history, so let us find out the exact date. To find out we must know about
The Jewish calendar is luni-solar. Leap months occur in year 3,6,8,11,14,17 and 19 to make Passover occur early spring. The keys on a piano can help memorize which year has a leap month. (The Muslim calendar on the other hand is strictly lunar, so the month of Ramadan occur 11 days earlier every year, making 103 Muslim years every century).
We must synchronize time with a total solar eclipse, which gives the perfect time for starting a Jewish new month. There was a perfect Solar eclipse in 2006.
There is a second source for solar eclipse calculations
The eclipse had its maximum 11 37 A.M. Nov 24 A.D. 29 over Jerusalem (solar time)
But there is one more twist in the calculations:
Now back to the biblical narrative:
Prophecy from Psalm 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord, and from Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
The sign was not that he rode on a donkey. Lots of people rode on donkeys. No the sign was that the donkey colt was unbroken, and that was the sign.
Today’s reading in the gospel of Matthew deals with the events the two days before Jesus was crucified. In addition we read the last chapter of Leviticus.
Matthew 26 is enormous. It begins with the plot against Jesus, continuing with his anointing at Bethany, then Judas agreeing to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, continuing with the Lord’s supper being initiated, Jesus predicting who is going to betray him, moving on to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed “Not my will, but yours be done,”after which he predicted Peter’s denial. Jesus prayed three times and then came the betrayal and arrest of Jesus and he wss taken to the Sanhedrin to be interrogated. The chapter ends with Peter’s denial.
Leviticus 27 deals with redeeming people and property and what is to be dedicated to God.
