Lakeside Church of Christ Web Site

Passover and the Lord's Supper

presented by David C. Swanson

Contents:

Introduction

Elements of Passover

Four Facets of Significance to the Passover

The Passover and the Lord's Supper

Four Facets of Significance to the Lord's Supper

Conclusion

More on the Passover

Printable version: Adobe PDF

Introduction

The Christian community has become increasingly interested in the Passover.

Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper at a Passover meal.
Denominationalists who observe Passover say it gives them opportunity to connect with their religious roots.

While the Passover is not part of the New Testament, our authority for faith and practice, the new covenant in Jesus' blood and the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper can be better appreciated with an understanding of its background in the exodus and Passover traditions.

Elements of Passover

First Passover recorded in Exodus 11-12

The tenth plague: because Pharaoh had hardened his heart, God would send the final, most devastating plague upon Egypt.
All of the firstborn of humans and beasts would be killed, except for those who had the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintel.
Ch. 12 -- Israel commanded to kill one unblemished lamb per household, smear the blood around the door, and roast the lamb without breaking its legs.
They were to eat in a hurry with their sandals on and staff in hand.
God commanded unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Unleavened bread symbolized their haste. Later the leaven hametz came to be understood to be symbolic of sin.
The reason for the bitter herbs is not given, but an ancient tradition recognizes the herbs to represent the bitterness of Egyptian bondage.

The Passover has also always been associated with the Feast of Unleavened Bread which was observed during the seven days after Passover during which they ate unleavened bread and no leaven was to be found in their houses.

The celebration over time became more complex and incorporated many traditions.

Modern Jews acknowledge three different Passovers: the one-time Egyptian Passover, the Passover observed sporadically during the monarchy, and the Passover of the Generations celebrated in the first century and today.
In the first century, the Jews reclined at table in the style of the Romans and ate lettuce or parsley dipped in salt water as a pre-dining hors d'ouevre.
Drinking several small cups of wine became the custom.

Three in the first century and later 4
Cup represented the blood of the lamb or the three promises that God had made: "I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, "I will deliver you from bondage...," "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through mighty acts of judgement."

Afikomen (probably from the Greek word for dessert) become one of the three unleavened cakes--this is withheld until the end of the meal.
Karpas--today lettuce dipped in salt. Pre-meal.
Matzoh--three flat, unleavened cakes eaten in stages. Represent the exodus. (Bread in slavery, unleavened bread at Passover, Manna in the wilderness (?))
Harosheth--made of applesauce, cinnamon sticks, and raisins.
Maror--bitter herbs today include horseradish paste, parsley, radishes, or endive and are eaten with the matzoh as a kind of sandwich.
Lamb -- not eaten in many modern Seders. Rather a shank bone is placed symbolically on the plate. This is because there is no temple in which to offer proper sacrifice. Orthodox also eat nothing during Passover and Unleavened Bread Feasts that is flame roasted.

Hagiga -- hard-boiled or roasted egg. This represents temple sacrifice. Symbolic of hope and new beginning. This is also known as the Pasache or Passover Egg. Some say our idea of Easter eggs comes from this tradition.
Modern Jews still recline at table or sit relaxed on cushions as freemen. When drinking the third cup, in some traditions (sephardic) participants lean to the left.
Hallel -- Psalms 113-118

Four Facets of Significance to the Passover.

Memorial -- the Israelites were to remember the events which the Passover commemorated:

Ex 13:3 -- Remember this day
Ex 12:14 -- not just a bringing to mind, but rather observance--attention to worship and ethical consequences.
How? By observing the memorial, keeping the feast, removing the leaven and not eating it for the feast.

Identification -- no Israelite was to think of the Passover as an event that had happened to his ancestors, but rather to him personally.

Anthropologists tell us that ritual brings the past up close, allows us to re-enact the events and to identify with those events.
Deuteronomy 6:20, 21--Notice We and us. Notice as well the emphasis on passing of tradition to the children.
Deuteronomy 5:2, 3 -- notice all the qualifiers: us, all of us, alive, here, today
Each Israelite must include himself in the company of those who were in and left Egypt as if he were in fact present. The Passover is personal to each generation of Jews as the covenant and ritual are forever renewed.

Instruction -- Torah. Passover is one of the most significant of Israel's festivals.

It celebrated the greatest act of redemption in the Old Testament.
It is taught to each generation as it is repeated through the haggadah, the recitation of the story of the Passover, songs, prayers, and the consumption of the ritual foods.
The youngest child present is to ask the four questions about why the Passover night is special.
In this way the faith of those who were in Egypt is passed to each new generation.

Eschatological feast -- looks not only to the past, but to the future in hope.

Ex 12:42 -- keeping watch
In modern celebrations a place is set for Elijah.
"Next year in Jerusalem!"

The Passover and the Lord's Supper.

Several elements of the Seder are mentioned in the gospel accounts of the Last Supper and the institution of the Lord's Supper.

The bread which Jesus broke was, of course, the matzoh

The sop in which He dipped was probably the salt water dipped into with the karpas.
The cup which He blessed was probably the third cup, at the end of the meal, the cup of redemption.
It is interesting that the washing of hands is not mentioned, while the washing of the disciples' feet is.
The hymns that were mentioned as sung probably refer to the Hallel (Psalms 113-118).

But there are some important differences.

Some have contended that Jesus was not reinterpreting the Passover elements at all, but rather the Hebrew blessing at the end of the meal.
It seems clear though that Jesus took elements of the Passover and reinterpreted them in light of His own great act of redemption.

What Jesus did with the Passover elements.

He took the unleavened bread and broke it. He redefined its meaning: "this is my body, given for you." The bread represented Israel's haste of leaving Egypt and the exodus itself. With His sacrifice, He became the new way out, the exodus from spiritual slavery. Allusion is made of this in Luke 9:31, which speaks of Jesus' exodus (decease, KJV; departure, NASB) that He would accomplish in Jerusalem.
The cup likewise he blessed and commanded them to drink it saying, "this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. There are two possibilities for this association of Jesus' blood.

The cup was understood to symbolize joy and salvation, and the third cup was called the "cup of redemption."
Some traditions also associate the cup with the blood of the Passover Lamb.
But He quoted a passage in Exodus not connected with the Passover, but with the establishment covenant at Sinai (Ex 24:8), a covenant also ratified with a sacrifice.

In short, He took symbols of the old exodus and the old covenant and related them to the new exodus (the new way out of bondage) and the new covenant (inaugurated in His blood).

Four Facets of Significance to the Lord's Supper. Because Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7, 8), the Lord's Supper in analogy is a kind of Passover meal.

A memorial -- Luke 22:9 "Do this in remembrance of Me." 1 Cor. 11 shows that the memorial includes self-examination and has ethical consequences.
An identification -- 1 Cor. 10:16 "a participation" (sharing, NASB; communion, KJV) in the blood and body of Christ.

We were there! Our sins were carried in His body to the cross (1 Pet. 2:24).
We also identify ourselves as one body of believers--the body of Christ.

Instruction -- 1 Corinthians 11:23. Like the Passover, the Lord's Supper is intended to be passed on. It is a teaching moment, and one of the most significant ways we connect with the events of the gospel and with believers in the past.
Eschatological feast -- 1 Cor. 11:26 We "proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." For us, too, the meal is one of expectation and waiting. We proclaim the events of the past because they have implications in our future.

Conclusion:

God provided a way out of bondage and a covenant for Israel. He brought them powerfully out of Egypt and with power gave his Law.
God has provided a new way out of the bondage of sin and a new covenant for His people. He conquered death with the power of Christ's resurrection and has given His new law with power. The gospel is the power of God to save.