Jesus said to them, “Go into the city to a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
In this saying Jesus knows beforehand and directs the place of the Passover meal, showing his all-knowing wisdom and that the coming events are not a coincidence, but the fulfillment of God’s plan. The phrase “My time is near” carries deep meaning: Jesus is speaking about the hour of his suffering and saving work. It is the same hour about which he had said many times, “the hour has not yet come,” but now it is no longer far off. The Passover, which symbolized Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, as we will see next, will take on a new meaning: the deliverance of humanity from slavery to sin. The words “I will keep the Passover at your place” show Christ’s humility: he does not choose a glorious place, but a simple home, where the table becomes the foundation of the eternal covenant. This message teaches that God’s works are accomplished not through greatness, but through obedience, and Christ’s presence can make every home a holy temple where he is received.