The Preparation Day, as seen in the instruction concerning the manna in Exodus 16, is the sixth day of the week when we are to gather twice as much bread from heaven to ensure enough for the Sabbath. This day serves as a prelude to God's holy time, a period when, despite still having to work, we are intended to gather our thoughts, turn our attention, and focus doubly on what life is truly about, rather than merely what it consists of. By doing so, when the sanctified time of the Sabbath arrives, we are not still mentally entangled in daily concerns or problems. The Preparation Day is thus a day of gathering what relates to eternity, enabling us to properly ingest the spiritual manna on the holy day without distraction. In the New Testament, the Preparation Day is referenced in all four gospel accounts in relation to Passover day, rather than the weekly sixth day, marking it as an annual preparation for the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual Sabbath. Even though Passover day remains a common work day, the gravity and significance of the preceding night and the upcoming Feast make it feel like a holy day, as our thoughts are gathered and focused on the spiritual dimension in anticipation of the holy days. This reorientation of the mind through the Passover ritual ensures we are mentally present when the holy time arrives. While the weekly Preparation Day may not carry the same intensity due to its frequency, understanding Passover as the epitome of Preparation Days can guide us to use the weekly day to mentally and spiritually reorient ourselves, preventing the Sabbath from arriving abruptly. Just as the Days of Unleavened Bread are an annual memorial of God's deliverance, preceded by the essential Preparation Day of Passover, the weekly Sabbath also commemorates God's deliverance from physical and spiritual Egypt. The lesson of the Sabbath is not fully learned without taking advantage of the weekly Preparation Day to begin turning our focus. This day helps us get ready and focused to participate in the spiritual creation, ensuring that we can ingest the true Bread from heaven on the Sabbath and develop His attributes without competing distractions.

In His perfect providence, God has provided the Preparation Day to set the stage for properly receiving the gift of the Sabbath. This day, first mentioned in Exodus 16, was given to the children of Israel with the command to gather their food for the Sabbath on the sixth day, minimizing distractions on the seventh day. The Preparation Day is thus designated for completing all cleaning, cooking, business transactions, and other mundane activities, ensuring that ordinary life does not detract from the holy time God has set apart. While God initially gave this principle to a carnal Israel with a focus on physical preparation, it also carries a spiritual dimension. Physically, this preparation helps in making proper use of the Sabbath, while spiritually, it involves gathering twice the effort on the sixth day to ensure sufficient spiritual nourishment for the holy day.

All four gospel writers mention that Jesus was tried, convicted, crucified, and buried on a preparation day. Without further clarification, one might assume this refers to the weekly preparation day before the Sabbath. However, other days can also be considered preparation days. God gave instructions about the use of the preparation day to the Israelites before they reached Mount Sinai. The Jews later deemed this so significant that they ensured each of the holy days, which are also Sabbaths, was preceded by a preparation day. Since holy days can fall on any day of the week, the preparation day can likewise fall on any day of the week. This is particularly relevant to the Passover. Not only is the Passover a festival in its own right, it also serves as the preparation day for a holy day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. According to the calculated Hebrew Calendar, Passover can occur on various days of the week. Clearly, our Savior was crucified on a Passover day. John writes that it was the Preparation Day of the Passover. At some time before Christ's day, the Jews had begun referring to the day of Passover and the following seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread by the single name Passover, which has caused confusion for non-Jews. John clarifies that it was the Preparation Day, and the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day. Thus, without a doubt, Jesus was crucified on a Passover day, Nisan 14, and the Sabbath that followed was the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual holy day, a high day.