You know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
know.
Mark 14:1,2 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…
Luke 22:1,2,15 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover…
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
the feast.
Exodus 12:11-14 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover…
Exodus 34:25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
John 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
betrayed.
Matthew 26:24,25 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born…
Matthew 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Matthew 20:18,19 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, …
and the Son of Man
The title "Son of Man" is a messianic term rooted in Daniel 7:13-14, where it describes a figure with authority and dominion. Jesus frequently uses this title to refer to Himself, emphasizing both His humanity and His divine mission. It reflects His role as the representative of humanity and the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. This title also connects to the suffering servant motif in Isaiah 53, where the Messiah is depicted as one who suffers for the sins of others.
will be handed over
This phrase indicates the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, which fulfills the prophecies of the suffering servant (Isaiah 53:7-9) and the righteous one being delivered into the hands of sinners (Psalm 41:9). The passive construction "will be handed over" suggests divine sovereignty in the unfolding events, as Jesus willingly submits to the Father's plan (John 10:18). It also foreshadows Judas Iscariot's betrayal, a pivotal moment in the Passion narrative.
to be crucified
Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution reserved for the most serious offenders, symbolizing shame and suffering. For the Jewish audience, being "hung on a tree" was seen as being cursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Jesus' crucifixion fulfills numerous Old Testament prophecies, including Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, which describe the suffering and rejection of the Messiah. This act of crucifixion is central to Christian theology, as it represents the atonement for sin and the ultimate expression of God's love and justice (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 2:24).
- Jesus speaks to the Twelve as friends whose hearts He has already prepared. He has foretold His death more than once (Matthew 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19), so by now they “know” even if they struggle to accept it.
- The statement is a gentle reminder: “I have told you; hold on to it.” Just as He says in John 13:19, “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He.”
- He anchors their faith in His word, underscoring that every detail is unfolding by divine design, not by chance.
- Passover commemorates Israel’s deliverance through the blood of the lamb (Exodus 12:11–14). By tying His death to this feast, Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
- The timing is precise: “two days away.” God’s plan has a calendar; Jesus’ life moves on a prophetic timetable (John 7:30; 13:1).
- Later, on the day the lambs are slain, He will be lifted up (John 19:14). The shadows of the Exodus find their substance in Him.
- “Son of Man” is Jesus’ favorite self-title, drawn from Daniel 7:13–14 where the Messiah receives everlasting dominion.
- By using it here, He blends majesty with humility: the glorious ruler will suffer. Compare Matthew 20:28—“the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- The title reassures the disciples that His impending death is not weakness but mission.
- Betrayal and arrest are certain: Judas will “hand Him over” (Matthew 26:14–16, 47–49). Yet Acts 2:23 clarifies that Jesus is “delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge.”
- Human treachery serves God’s redemption. Like Joseph told his brothers, “You intended evil against me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
- The passive “will be handed over” highlights submission; Jesus yields His life (John 10:18).
- Crucifixion is Rome’s cruelest punishment, prophesied centuries earlier: “They pierce My hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16).
- Isaiah 53:5 foretells, “He was pierced for our transgressions.” Jesus willingly embraces that curse to redeem us from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13).
- John 3:14–15 links the lifted bronze serpent to Christ: “so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”
Jesus calmly tells His disciples what they already know but still need to hear: in two days, at the very feast that celebrates deliverance by a lamb’s blood, the divine Son of Man will be betrayed into human hands and crucified. Every element—the timing, the title, the transfer, and the torture—fits God’s sovereign script. The literal fulfillment of these words assures us that our salvation rests on promises God keeps down to the very day.
(2) After two days is the feast of the passover.--Assuming (as the facts of the case lead us to assume, but see Notes on John 13:1) the Last Supper to have coincided with the actual Paschal Feast, the point of time at which the words were spoken would either be some time on what we should call the Tuesday evening of the Passion week, or, following the Jewish mode of speech which found three days in the interval between our Lord's entombment and resurrection, on the morning or afternoon of Wednesday.Verse 2. - Ye know. He speaks of a fact well known to his hearers - the day of the Passover Feast. And they had been forewarned of his death (see Matthew 20:17-19). After two days; μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας: post biduum. These words are ambiguous, as it is not certain how the time is reckoned - whether the current day is included or not. If, as is most probable, they were spoken on Wednesday, the phrase means the next day but one, which commenced on the afternoon of Friday. Jesus appears to have passed this day in peaceful seclusion, either in Bethany or its neighbourhood. Is the Feast of the Passover; τὸ Πάσχα γίνεται: the Passover cometh; Pascha fiet. The lambs were slain during the first evening of the 14th of Nisan, and were eaten within twelve hours. The word Pascha is the Greek form of the Hebrew Pasach, denoting "the passing over" of the destroying angel, when he destroyed the Egyptians, but left untouched the houses of the Israelites, on whose door posts was sprinkled the blood of the lamb (Exodus 12.). Etymologically, it has nothing to do with πόσχω, and the Latin patior, passio, etc, though pious writers have seen a providential arrangement in the apparent similarity of the words (see the possible paronomasia in Luke 22:15). Pascha (Pasach) is used in three senses:(1) the transit of the angel;
(2) the Paschal lamb;
(3) the Feast of the Passover. . . .
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