A New Passover Meal
Note: This is a brief sermon in preparation for a special communion service.
Introduction: The ancient Jewish people made a big deal about remembering important things God had done in their lives. Instead of cameras or Creative Memory parties to help them remember, their tradition was to tell stories. They would tell, retell and tell again the same story so that the important events would be passed down from generation to generation.
One of the most important stories in the history of Israel was the story of the Exodus, God’s great act of delivering the descendants of Jacob from the bondage of slavery under the Egyptian Pharaoh. This event was so important that God instituted the Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to help them recall it. Celebrated once a year, the Passover meal was an elaborate ritual with ceremonial foods that helped the meal’s host retell the story of God’s grace and faithfulness in redemption.
The youngest person at the meal would ask, “Why does this night differ from all other nights?” To which the meal’s host would reply by using the ceremonial foods to retell the story: “Once we were slaves to Pharaoh. And it was bitter. But God remembered his promise to Abraham. He heard our cries for freedom, and He cared about us. God’s wrath came against Pharaoh, but we were spared. Out of obedience we spread the blood of the sacrificed lamb over our doorposts. God’s wrath did not visit us. Once we were set free, we joyfully worshiped our God in the desert.”
The Passover meal is the background that helps us understand the communion table because it informs us about the meaning of this passage. Let’s begin in verse 7:
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’ ‘Where do you want us to prepare for it?’ they asked.
He replied, ‘As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks: ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.’ They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover” (Luke 22:7-13).
Jesus had made prior arrangements in Jerusalem because he was going to be the host of the Passover Meal. As host, he has four important responsibilities.
Jesus makes up the guest list.
He invites a motley crew of people to join him in the meal. It includes a betrayer, a denier and ten other men who will fall asleep during Jesus’ moment of greatest human need. But they are his community.
The communion table is still the Lord’s Table. Jesus is still the host. He still invites a very motley crew to join Him at the table–people with sin, people with baggage, people with victories and people with future defeats. But we are His community, His Body, called to share the meal together in community with Him and with one another. It is to be shared by all people who by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection have experienced forgiveness and new life. It matters not if you are a Lutheran, a Baptist, a Pentecostal or a Catholic. Being a redeemed follower of Jesus will be sufficient here this morning.
Jesus interprets the symbols.
As host, Jesus also has the responsibility to tell the story of God’s great redemption and interpret the symbols of the Passover meal. Here is where Jesus makes some incredible changes. Look at Luke chapter 22 beginning in verse 14:
“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’
“After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’
“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’
“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:14-20).
Jesus holds up the ceremonial foods to tell the story, the high point of the meal. He will tell the redemption story with these symbols. But Jesus interprets the symbols differently. The unleavened bread was called the bread of affliction, symbolically reminding the Jewish people that their affliction was so great that their ancestors had to leave Egypt before their bread finished rising.
Jesus offers them the bread and says it now symbolizes his body. His body will be afflicted and broken and given sacrificially to them so that they can be reconciled to a God they have sinned against. Paul writes:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:21-22)
The wine was called the cup of redemption and symbolized God’s promise of liberation from slavery. Jesus offers the cup and says now it symbolizes a new promise of redemption for people held as captives by sin. Liberation from sin. Liberation purchased with his blood that will be poured out in a few hours on the cross. Peter writes,
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Jesus changes the focus of the supper.
No longer is Jesus focused on the story of God redeeming Israel from Pharaoh. The focus is now on a greater redemption story of how God’s amazing act of grace will deliver both Jew and Gentile from their sin through His work on the cross. Behold the sacrificial Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Like the bread, Jesus’ body was taken, broken and given to you. Like the wine, Jesus’ blood was taken, and poured out for you.
As he changes the focus and reinterprets the symbols,
Jesus looks forward to a future banquet.
Jesus makes two interesting statements. The first is found in verse 16, “For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” And then again in verse 18, “For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Jesus is saying that this meal anticipates a bigger meal that is still ahead. That meal will be a banquet that Jesus will not host until the fulfillment of God’s kingdom comes. It is an event that coincides with Jesus’ second coming. Paul picks up this idea and summarizes the Lord’s table this way, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) As we celebrate at the table, we celebrate as a waiting people. “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:28)
Conclusion: What is different about this meal from all other meals?
Once we were slaves to sin and it was bitter. But God remembered his promise to Abraham to raise up a descendant of his who will bless all the nations. He heard our cries for freedom and he loved us. God’s wrath came upon Jesus so that we could be spared. Jesus is our Passover Lamb. His body was given for us and his blood was poured out for us so that our sins might be forgiven, and so that God’s wrath can pass over us. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) We have been set free, so that we can joyfully worship our God until Jesus returns for us in his glory.
Prayer
Father, we honor you as the one true God who in all things is holy, holy, holy. In your holiness, you could have left us in sin, but in your mercy and Pagrace, you sent your son Jesus to purchase us out of slavery into fellowship with You. As we share your son’s table, we invite your Spirit to reconcile us to each other as he has already reconciled us to you. For the glory of Jesus. Amen.
Tags:
Passover
Communion