And the Jews' passover was near at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
1. Yesterday's lesson in the holy Gospel, on which we spoke as the Lord enabled us, is followed by today's, on which we purpose to speak in the same spirit of dependence. Some passages in the Scriptures are so clear as to require a hearer rather than an expounder: over such we need not tarry, that we may have sufficient time for those which necessarily demand a fuller consideration.
2. And the Jews' passover was near at hand. The Jews wished to have that feast-day crimsoned with the blood of the Lord. On it that Lamb was slain, who has consecrated it as a feast-day for us by His own blood. There was a plot among the Jews about slaying Jesus: and He, who had come from heaven to suffer, wished to draw near to the place of His suffering, because the hour of His passion was at hand. Therefore many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to sanctify themselves. The Jews did so in accordance with the command of the Lord delivered by holy Moses in the law, that on the ...
And the Jews" Passover was nigh at hand: viz, the last Passover to Christ, at which He Himself, as the Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed for the salvation of the world; and therefore He eagerly waited for it. The Syrians for Pascha say Pezcho, which is interpreted gladness; because this feast was more joyful than the others, even as to Christians it is so in the highest degree, because of our redemption made upon the Cross, and because of the resurrection.
And many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves; i.e, to cleanse themselves by sacrifices and ceremonies from all actual uncleanness, and to prepare themselves by prayers and sacrifices to celebrate and eat the Passover rightly, as says S. Thomas and Jansen.
Passing over everything else, the Evangelist goes on to the time of the passion. And he calls it the passover of the Jews typically; for [he refers to] the true Passover, not of the Jews, but of Christians, who eat the Flesh of Christ the true Lamb. And, according to the ancient custom, those who had sinned whether wilfully or through inadvertence purified themselves before the feast; and the typical passover was not shared in by any gentile, or un-circumcised person, or stranger, or hired servant, or unclean person; all which types are spiritually fulfilled in the case of Christians.
This was the last Pasch that our Saviour kept upon earth, and the one on which he suffered death for our salvation. (Calmet)
It is well called the Pasch of the Jews, and not of the Lord, since on it they were laying snares to apprehend their Saviour. (Origen)
Thus making this day of festivity a day of murder. (St. Chrysostom, hom. lxv. in Joan.)
They went up so early to purify themselves by the sacrifices ordered by the law. (Bible de Vence)
