The Passover Transformed.

To understand the Passover transformed by Jesus, we need to understand who Jesus is. Brian reminds us that the life of Christ is central to the Passover.

The Passover Transformed by Jesus

Mark 14:22-26 “And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’ 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.’”

Jesus is transforming the Passover feast to a meal with a new meaning. I think bread points us to the life of Christ. He was born in Bethlehem, “The City of Bread”.  There Christ, the bread of life, took on a human body and showed that he was God in the flesh by living a sinless life in that body.  He bore our sins on the cross in that human body. He triumphed over the grave by bringing that body back to life. Now he lives in that glorified body at the right hand of the Father where he prays for us.

The Fellowship of Christians

The bread also means that we are a part of each other’s lives. Paul says in 1st Corinthians 10:17,

“Because there is one bread [Christ], we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”

1st Corinthians 10:17

The Lords Supper promotes the fellowship of Christians, the belonging-together of all believers. Celebrating this, one Christian used to say as he greeted his friends after the communion service, “Good morning, brother [or sister], I have already met you in the bread.”

The cup of wine is his blood.  “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”  

In the words of Isaiah,

“He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many.”

Isaiah 53:12

Life Without Jesus

Doctor Charles Malik, one time secretary general of the United Nations, proclaimed from the steps of the Billy Graham Center:

“I can live without food, without drink, without sleep, without air, but I cannot live without Jesus.”

Through the parable of the Lord’s Supper, we are proclaiming something about our need for Jesus. About our sin – That apart from the blood of Christ we are eternally separated from God and lost.  About our faith – That we believe in the death, resurrection, and bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ. About our dependence – That without him we cannot live and don’t dare to die. About our hope – That Jesus’ words in verse 25 are true: “Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the Vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”  

We look forward to the best banquet ever when the fellowship with all his children will be celebrated in the Kingdom of God.

Our Troubled World

How does all that good stuff compare to all the trouble our world is in? So much of what I learn from my parents, at school and from the internet seems to say that our world has as much suffering as ever. Is God still in control? He is. He is on the throne. He can still bless us with peace in any storm. He can still keep us by His grace. He can still honor the promise of eternal freedom from all evil in the next life.

Be Thankful

And right now, even now, there is still so much to be thankful for. Life. Breath. Eternal life. The church. Forgiveness of sins. Mercies new every morning. The Holy Spirit in us. The everlasting arms under us. Fellowship. Homes. Food. Clothing. Showers of blessing? No weather report ever forecast this much rain. Where does it all come from? When Jesus gave thanks for the bread and wine, he was giving thanks for his own death, by which we can enjoy every blessing you can name, in this life and the next one.

The Jewish feast of the Passover was transformed by Jesus. How has this changed your life?  Contact us at HopeStreamRadio,  or comment below.