The roots of Communion/the Lord’s Supper/the Eucharist and Easter – the death, burial and resurrection of the Lamb of God are in the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Point to First Fruits
(Please put all three of these points on one slide and show them one at a time as I mention them.)
1) Israel was commanded to celebrate 7 feasts in Scripture.
2) One is called “Passover” or “Pesach”
3) Communion’s “roots” are from Passover
-it is helpful, and, I think, important that as we approach the Table of the Lord or the Communion Table that we at least have a basic knowledge of some of the basic parts and meanings of a Passover celebration.
- We need to be able to view the taking of Communion from the context of Passover.
-This will give us greater understanding and application of why and how we celebrate communion and what it means for us.
- Passover is a 3500 year old festival.
- Israel was in bondage and slavery to Egypt.
- God sent Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan.
- Pharoah would not let the people go, despite he and his nation being afflicted with plagues of judgment.
- God was going to send 1 last plague – promising the death of all firstborn for all whose houses were not covered by the blood of a lamb or goat without defect, and with the blood of that sacrifice placed on the sides and top of the doors of their dwellings.
- The Lord told Moses and Aaron to tell the people that on the 10th day of the month, they were to set aside an unblemished lamb or goat. They were to roast the lamb, eat it all or burn the leftovers, eat it ready to leave, with sandals on their feet, with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. (unleavened bread)
- They were to commemorate this night of deliverance and judgment throughout their generations.
Exodus 12:1 (NIV)
¶ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,
2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbour, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.
5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.
6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door-frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.
8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.
9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire—head, legs and inner parts.
10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.
11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.
12 "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.
13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.
The Lord also told them to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread for 7 days.
Then came the feast of First Fruits – waving a sheaf of barley before the Lord as a sign of rejoicing in the promised coming harvest and of the new life of resurrection.
Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey on the 10th of the month.
Jesus celebrated Passover (the Last Supper) and instituted Communion with His disciples before He was crucified.
Jesus was crucified on the cross on the 14th day.
Jesus is the Passover Lamb sacrificed for us:
John 1:29 ¶ The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
1 Corinthians 5:7 ¶ Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. :8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
What does the blood of Christ, our Passover Lamb accomplish for us?
The Blood of Christ:
- takes away our sin:
Ro 3:25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement (propitiation), through faith in his blood. (completely satisfying God’s righteous demands for payment for our sins)
- redeems us and rescues us from a sinful way of life::
1Pe 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
(The blood purchases us out of the slave market of sin)
- cleanses our consciences:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
- gives us bold access to God in worship and prayer:
Heb 10:19 ¶ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus
- progressively cleanses us from sin:
1 Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Rev. 1:5 …..Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood
- gives us the ground to conquer the accuser of the brothers:
Re 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Re 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
WE CANNOT TAKE THE TIME TONIGHT TO GO THROUGH AND EXPLAIN THE ENTIRE PASSOVER CELEBRATION AND IT’S RICH MEANINGS.
WE DO KNOW FROM THE SCRIPTURES AND FROM THE MISHNEH (JEWISH WRITINGS OF ORAL TEACHING – THE MAJORITY OF ASPECTS OF HOW JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES CELEBRATED PASSOVER
The Mishneh was systematically compiled by numerous scholars (called Tannaim) over a period of about two centuries, and WRITTEN DOWN and codified CIRCA A.D. 200 BY RABBI JUDAH HA-NASSI, WHO RECEIVED THE ORAL TRADITION DATING BACK TO RABBI HILLEL WHO LIVED BEFORE CHRIST, DYING ABOUT 10CE.
IN FACT, PAUL THE APOSTLE’S USAGE OF THE TERM “CUP OF BLESSING” IN 1 CORINTHIANS IN REFERENCE TO COMMUNION IS REFERRED TO AS THE THIRD CUP IN in the Talmud, e.g. at Pesachim 119a.
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
At a Passover Seder, the cup of blessing is drunk by everyone present, and functions as the Third Cup.
The 4 Cups:
There are 4 special cups of wine during the Passover Supper:
Each cup corresponds to a passage in Exodus that describes the 4 promises made by God for the children of Israel:
Exodus 6:6-7
Ex 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: Ex 6:7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
The 4 Cups are:
1) The Cup of Sanctification – “I will take you out from Egypt.”
2) The Cup of Deliverance – “I will deliver or rid you from Egyptian bondage.”
3) The Cup of Redemption – “I will redeem you with my power.”
4) The Cup of Restoration – “I will acquire you as My people.”
IN A PASSOVER SEDER, AFTER THE 1ST CUP OF WINE, HANDWASHING, DIPPING OF VEGETABLES IN SALT WATER, THEN THE BREAKING OF THE MATZA AND THE HIDING OF THE AFIKOMEN OCCURS.
AFTER THE FIRST TWO CUPS WERE DRUNK, THEN A MEAL WOULD BE EATEN.
AFTER THE MEAL, THE 3RD CUP IS POURED.
AT THIS POINT IN MANY PASSOVER SERVICES, THE MIDDLE BROKEN PIECE OF MATZO THAT WAS HIDDEN AWAY (BURIED) IN A LINEN NAPKIN IS FOUND BY THE CHILDREN AND BROUGHT TO THE FATHER, WHO WILL OFTEN GIVE THEM GIFTS.
IF YOU COME TO THE FATHER LIKE A LITTLE CHILD, AND BELIEVE, YOU WILL RECEIVE GIFTS FROM HIM BECAUSE YOU HAVE FOUND THE HIDDEN MANNA, CHRIST JESUS.
The Matzo is BLESSED, BROKEN AND GIVEN.
IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT JESUS BROKE THE BREAD, BLESSED IT AND GAVE IT TO HIS DISCIPLES, SAYING, ALL OF YOU EAT FROM THIS, IT IS MY BODY BROKEN FOR YOU.
THE LAST OF THE UNLEAVENED BREAD IS BLESSED, BROKEN AND GIVEN.
WHY MATZO?
- Unleavened – no yeast – no sin - pure – like Christ
- Pierced – “they pierced my hands and my feet.”
- Striped – “by His stripes we are healed.”
- Broken – as the sacrifice for our sin
THEN THE 3RD CUP OF REDEMPTION IS PRAYED OVER AND DRUNK.
IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT JESUS, “AFTER THE MEAL” TOOK THE CUP IN HIS HAND AND SAID, THIS CUP IS THE NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD
Luke 22:
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
THE CUP AFTER SUPPER IS THE 3RD CUP OR CUP OF REDEMPTION.
OUR COMMUNION SERVICE COMES FROM PASSOVER:
THE MIDDLE PIECE OF (FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT) OF UNLEAVED BREAD (MATZO) IS HIDDEN AWAY – “BURIED” – UNTIL THE THIRD CUP OF WINE, CALLED THE CUP OF REDEMPTION, IS BROUGHT FORTH. THAT IS OUR HOLY COMMUNION!
Matthew 26:26 ¶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom."
