In a few days Passover will begin at sundown. I’ve been looking into Passover to gain a greater understanding of whom Jesus is and what he accomplished for us as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As we discover the depths of the Passover it should also deepen our understanding of the Lord’s Supper and ultimately that is what I am in search of.
Paul tells us that Jesus is our Passover lamb (see 1 Cor. 5:7). As you go through the prayers and declarations of a Jewish Passover Seder the operative word is “remember.” As we partake of communion the operative word is also “remember.” But in the Jewish culture remembrance is not just a rehearsal of a few historical facts but it carries with it the idea of a deep meditation and even the thought of re-experiencing an event. For example, the Feast of Booths is a remembrance of the years Israel spent in the wilderness sleeping in the open so observant Jews will sleep outside during the festival to re-experience what their ancestors endured in the desert thousands of years ago.
In the Passover Seder there are many symbols but they are symbols to be experienced as well as symbols that point to historical events. Bitter herbs are to be eaten to remind a Jewish family of the bitterness of their ancestor’s bondage in Egypt. Today, horseradish is usually the bitter herb that brings tears to the eyes as well as heat to the tongue. Unleavened bread is central and reminds the family partaking of the meal that their ancestors left Egypt in haste but also reminds them of God’s faithful provision through manna, the bread of heaven and food of angels (see Ps.78:24-25), that sustained them for forty years. It reminds them to live righteously as children of God since leaven typically symbolizes sin in the Bible so that unleavened bread is bread or life without sin. For the faithful Jew, these things and more also pointed ahead to the age of Messiah when God would provide peace through “a prophet like Moses” and manna again. Of course, the lamb was central as Israel killed a lamb for each household during Passover and ate it without breaking any bones as a reminder of the night God’s judgment passed over them because by faith they had placed the blood of the lamb over their doors. As the Jewish family retells the story of the Exodus the story is anchored to not only the biblical accounts, the songs, and the prayers of Passover but to textures, tastes, smells, and sips of wine related to the promises and deeds of God. It is then followed by feasting and celebration as a people chosen by God.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, in the midst of his Passover Seder, Jesus took wine and bread and said this is my body broken for you and this is my blood, shed for you. In that Seder so may things point to the reality of Jesus who was and is the fulfillment of Passover not just for the Jews but also for all of us. There was the lamb of God without spot or blemish whose blood applied by faith enables the judgment of God to pass over every believer. There was the unleavened bread that pointed to the body of Christ unspoiled by sin that was not only broken but would be consumed by those who believe on him. Throughout the meal wine marked the passages of one part of the story to another as the Holy Spirits tells the story to us and refreshes us as wine refreshed those who partook at the Seder. And for us there is deliverance from bitter bondage in our lives to life in the Son. For us the central focus is not only the lamb but also the bread of heaven that came down to sustain us. For us the blood is not just a marker on a doorpost but the seal of a covenant between man and God.
As I reflect on these things and much more, Jesus becomes multidimensional as my Savior and my Daily Bread – my manna, my food from heaven, and my covenant sacrifice. Manna was so significant that a jar of it was placed in the Ark of the Covenant along with the commandments and Aaron’s priestly rod. Manna was concrete evidence of God’s love and provision for his people. As long as the manna fell each morning, it was clear evidence of the presence of God with his people. It was also evidence that they were not yet at their final destination because once they entered the Promised Land the manna ceased to fall. As long as we take communion, it reminds us that this is not yet our final destination but that greater promises still lie ahead.
I’m also reminded by the richness of the Jewish Seder how sterile we can make the Lord’s Supper with a quick scripture, a quick bite of a flat cracker and some grape juice. By Hebrew standards that is not much of a remembrance. In that broken bread and in that cup of wine is every promise related to our salvation – forgiveness, freedom from condemnation, his Spirit within us, healing, provision, and more than anything else the presence of God. In fact, when we take communion we should experience his presence more than at any other moment as, in a sense, the communion bread is our Bread of the Presence.
I know there is so much more that I have yet to grasp. I want the Spirit to peel off the layers and trust he will do so in the days ahead. My encouragement to you is to begin your own search to plumb the depths of the Lord’s Supper. The first century church didn’t come together primarily for great worship or a moving sermon but came together to “remember” the Lord’s death until his return. Perhaps, we should make it more central and a much deeper experience than we normally do. Just some food for thought this Passover and this Easter season. Be blessed!
