12 Days until Easter

12 Days until Easter

“Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will You have us prepare for You to eat the Passover?”  He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, my time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.’ And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.  When it was evening, He reclined at the table with the twelve.” -Matthew 26:17-20

In my last reflection, I looked at the Passover meal, known as the Seder.  To be honest, it was only about five years ago that I really took the time to study the Jewish holiday and the rich history of the Seder meal and service.  My whole life, I pictured Leonardo Da Vinci's painting in my head as I read through scripture.  Although it is a beautiful piece of art, it certainly isn’t historically correct nor does it properly reflect the scene of the Passover meal Jesus had with His disciples.  What I didn’t realize all these years was that the Passover meal was so much more than a meal.  It was a service and an experience, with order and meaning and with interactive questions and discussions.  They didn’t just pull out Grandma’s cookbook and pick out their favorite childhood recipes.  This was a meal that had been commemorated by God Himself the night of the tenth plague and the night He would free the Israelites from slavery.  The food chosen for this special meal had symbolic meaning that put focus on the suffering in slavery and the freedom in God’s divine deliverance.  The meal is planned out and prepared for in advance.

At the time of the Last Supper, Jesus was wanted, with a price on His head.  His disciple, Judas had already approached the chief priests offering to turn Jesus over for a price.  So knowing that this last Passover meal had to be done secretly and kept very low key, Jesus had already made advanced preparations with the anonymous man mentioned in scripture.  It was dangerous for this man to host Jesus and the disciples for the Passover meal and I do wonder if Matthew kept the man anonymous even after the death of Jesus, when writing his account of the gospel, because it was still a danger for the man to be identified.  I can’t help but think how brave the man was still, to work so willingly with such great risks.  The night was important. The meal was important.  It was one final night to pass on the meaning of His death, which will bring a new meaning to the supper.

“And when the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.  And He said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat the Passover with you before I suffer.  For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.  And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.  For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” -Luke 22:14-18

The first cup had been blessed, like since the time of the Exodus.  The focus on the Passover had always been about the liberation from Egypt.  It was a time to reflect on the past, yet Jesus was telling them something different.  He is changing the meaning.  He tells them that His death and suffering will bring new meaning to the meal.  The meal will be about more than the past redemption of the Israelites from slavery, it will be about God’s kingdom coming.

“And He took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying, “This is My body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.” -Luke 22:19

The matzah (unleavened bread) had been a symbol of life and freedom.  Eating the matzah during the Seder had been an expression of leaving slavery in Egypt.  But Jesus gave the bread new meaning.  His death would bring life.  And just like the matzah was bread without yeast, Jesus was a man without sin.  The the bread would be more than a symbol of freedom from Egypt, it would be a symbol of His perfect body being broken on the cross for our redemption.

“And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it.  And He said to them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” - Mark 14:23-24

The cups of wine had always been about God saving the Israelites.  But this new chapter brought a new covenant, with a much bigger meaning.  Jesus is the Passover Lamb, perfect and without sin.  His blood poured out for all.  His death brought freedom and life.  The Passover meal was once a celebration of God  delivering the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh through the sacrifice of a lamb.  But now, we celebrate God delivering the world from slavery under sin and death through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

He laid down at the table for His last Passover meal only hours before He’d voluntarily lay down His life for all of humanity.  The wages of sin is death because it separates us from God.  The Old Covenant was established by God with His people, required complete obedience to the Law.  Jesus came to fulfil the Law and establish the New Covenant between us and God.  The Law was written on tablets of stone for the Israelites, but the New Covenant is written on our hearts and encompasses all who believe and put their faith in Him.   

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” -Romans 6:23

“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.  So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.  -Galatians 3:24-26

So now, when we take of the bread and drink from the cup, we celebrate and remember and experience the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His body broken and blood poured out, for us.  For me.  Death passes over my soul because the blood He shed is marked on the door of my heart.