Passover-The Source of The Lord's Supper
Scripture references: Exodus 12:1-20, Mark 14:22-25
This is the week of Passover; the annual event during which the Jews remember and commemorate the night God performed the final miracle in Egypt which finally caused Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. It was his final Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples in an upper room the night he was betrayed by Judas. It is this meal from which we Christians get our ordinance we call Communion or The Lord's Supper.
The important element of the Passover meal, the one which is the symbol of the Christ, the Savior, is the first born lamb without blemish of any kind. It is to be sacrificed and consumed, while wearing traveling clothes. That last part is something that is never mentioned in Communion services, but it is very important; it is of great symbolic significance for the Christian. It is something Paul understood quite clearly.
First, we are not to nibble at the teachings of Christ, like a little child playing with his meal. Nor are we to treat the message of Jesus as a buffet or cafeteria line from which we can select what pleases us and ignore the rest. The instructions God gave to Moses concerning the Passover lamb was that it was to be consumed completely. They were to eat the whole thing in one meal. Likewise, we are expected to consume the message, the gospel of Jesus Christ completely. We are to make every part of it a part of us. This was the message Jesus game us himself in the symbolism of declaring the bread his body and the wine his blood. He said it was giving for us, and we were to eat and drink all of it; for it was giving for our salvation, just as the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb was for the salvation of the Israelites.
An important instruction from God to Moses concerning the eating of the Passover lamb which is often completely overlooked by pastors during the Communion service is that the meal was to be eaten while wearing traveling clothes. That is because the Israelites were to be prepared to travel as soon as the night was over. As soon as the Passover was concluded, they were to pack up their stuff and be ready to take off for the Promised Land immediately. Likewise, as soon as we have accepted the Lamb of God into our lives, and have consumed his teachings and made all of him a total part of our lives, we are to set out into the world to spread his word to all creation. We are not supposed to partake of the sacrifice just for ourselves, and then sit back and relax. We are to remember that the final instructions from Jesus were to go into all the world baptizing and teaching everything that he taught to all the the world. Remember that he will be with us alway.
So, this week of Passover, let us put on our traveling clothes, have a meal together, and then go forth to spread the Good News. The Lamb of God has been sacrifice for the propitiation of sins, and has been risen from the dead as God's sign that the sacrifice has been accepted by Him, and our sins are forgiven. And, as Jesus promised, all who give up their old lives and ask him to give them a new life, will receive life; a real life of abundance that will last forever. For now we will have the presence of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to send to us as a guarantee of our resurrection, as our comforter and guide while we are still in this world. And then, we shall live with our savior in his father's kingdom forever. Praise God.
May God's Holy Spirit be with you and strengthen you now and always. Amen.
This is the week of Passover; the annual event during which the Jews remember and commemorate the night God performed the final miracle in Egypt which finally caused Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. It was his final Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples in an upper room the night he was betrayed by Judas. It is this meal from which we Christians get our ordinance we call Communion or The Lord's Supper.
The important element of the Passover meal, the one which is the symbol of the Christ, the Savior, is the first born lamb without blemish of any kind. It is to be sacrificed and consumed, while wearing traveling clothes. That last part is something that is never mentioned in Communion services, but it is very important; it is of great symbolic significance for the Christian. It is something Paul understood quite clearly.
First, we are not to nibble at the teachings of Christ, like a little child playing with his meal. Nor are we to treat the message of Jesus as a buffet or cafeteria line from which we can select what pleases us and ignore the rest. The instructions God gave to Moses concerning the Passover lamb was that it was to be consumed completely. They were to eat the whole thing in one meal. Likewise, we are expected to consume the message, the gospel of Jesus Christ completely. We are to make every part of it a part of us. This was the message Jesus game us himself in the symbolism of declaring the bread his body and the wine his blood. He said it was giving for us, and we were to eat and drink all of it; for it was giving for our salvation, just as the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb was for the salvation of the Israelites.
An important instruction from God to Moses concerning the eating of the Passover lamb which is often completely overlooked by pastors during the Communion service is that the meal was to be eaten while wearing traveling clothes. That is because the Israelites were to be prepared to travel as soon as the night was over. As soon as the Passover was concluded, they were to pack up their stuff and be ready to take off for the Promised Land immediately. Likewise, as soon as we have accepted the Lamb of God into our lives, and have consumed his teachings and made all of him a total part of our lives, we are to set out into the world to spread his word to all creation. We are not supposed to partake of the sacrifice just for ourselves, and then sit back and relax. We are to remember that the final instructions from Jesus were to go into all the world baptizing and teaching everything that he taught to all the the world. Remember that he will be with us alway.
So, this week of Passover, let us put on our traveling clothes, have a meal together, and then go forth to spread the Good News. The Lamb of God has been sacrifice for the propitiation of sins, and has been risen from the dead as God's sign that the sacrifice has been accepted by Him, and our sins are forgiven. And, as Jesus promised, all who give up their old lives and ask him to give them a new life, will receive life; a real life of abundance that will last forever. For now we will have the presence of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to send to us as a guarantee of our resurrection, as our comforter and guide while we are still in this world. And then, we shall live with our savior in his father's kingdom forever. Praise God.
May God's Holy Spirit be with you and strengthen you now and always. Amen.
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