The Feast of the Passover is a pivotal event in the biblical narrative, marking the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. It is during this significant feast that Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper, a sacrament that holds profound theological and spiritual significance for Christians.

Historical and Biblical Context

The Passover, as described in the Old Testament, commemorates the night when the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, sparing them from the final plague that struck down the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:12-13). The Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and mark their doorposts with its blood, signifying their obedience and faith in God's promise of deliverance.

Centuries later, during the time of Jesus, the Passover continued to be observed as a major Jewish festival. It was during this feast that Jesus gathered with His disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover meal, an event recorded in the Synoptic Gospels.

Institution of the Lord's Supper

The institution of the Lord's Supper is a moment of profound significance, as it marks the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is written: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'" (Matthew 26:26-28).

Similarly, the Gospel of Luke records: "And He took bread, gave thanks, 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 supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you'" (Luke 22:19-20).

Theological Significance

The Lord's Supper, also known as Communion or the Eucharist, is a sacrament that embodies the essence of the Christian faith. It serves as a memorial of Christ's sacrificial death and a proclamation of His atoning work on the cross. The bread symbolizes His body, broken for the redemption of humanity, while the wine represents His blood, shed for the forgiveness of sins.

The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, emphasizes the importance of this observance: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). This underscores the eschatological hope inherent in the Lord's Supper, as believers anticipate the return of Christ.

Covenantal Implications

The institution of the Lord's Supper during the Passover feast highlights the continuity and fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. The Passover lamb, a symbol of deliverance in the Old Testament, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant, offering eternal life to all who believe.

In partaking of the Lord's Supper, Christians are reminded of their unity with Christ and with one another as members of His body. It is a time of reflection, thanksgiving, and renewal of the covenant relationship with God, grounded in the grace and mercy extended through Jesus Christ.Matthew 26:26-28
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Lord's Supper
... and reveals His vision of the future feast in the ... Our Lord evidently ate of the Passover;
for we ... duly attended to, and that the Lord's Supper was instituted in ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the lords supper.htm

When Christ Ate the Passover.
... As far as John gives an indication of the time, the supper was just before, or at
the passover, and from this feast the Lord retired to the garden of ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/when christ ate the passover.htm

The Last Supper.
... before, just as Christ was about to sit down with his disciples to the paschal feast. ...
The scenes of this hour, the passover, the Lord's Supper, the washing ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the last supper.htm

The Lord's Supper.
... As the Passover kept in lively remembrance the ... come hungering and thirsting to the
heavenly feast. ... 683] to prepare themselves for the Lord's Supper by self ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 55 the lords supper.htm

Christ Our Passover
... Jesus Christ said that the Lord's Supper was to be observed 'in ... of the laws of the
feast, the feast's own Founder. ... In the Passover men fed on the Sacrifice. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/christ our passover.htm

John Shows a Logical Order
... In the evening of the next day, the Sabbath, the feast was made at the house of
Simon the leper ... The Savior eats the passover; the Lord's Supper instituted. ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/john shows a logical order.htm

The Lord's Supper
... A sacrament is a love-feast. ... The Israelites did eat the Passover with bitter herbs;
so must we eat the sacrament with bitter herbs ... What is the Lord's supper? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/4 5 the lords supper.htm

Of the Lord's Supper, and the Benefits Conferred by It.
... who sit down at that spiritual feast, although it ... whole Christ is offered to us in
the Supper. ... a "covenant""that the lamb is the Lord's "passover""that the ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 17 of the lords.htm

The Paschal Supper - the Institution of the Lord's Supper.
... this His last Pascha is connected with that other Feast in which ... Only one Sacrifice
did the Lord offer ... and deliverance in Israel with the Night of the Passover. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x the paschal supper.htm

The Four-Fold Gospel
... Mustard Seed and Leaven. LXXXVIII. Feast of the Dedication. ... Preparation for Passover.
Disciples Contend for Precedence. ... The Lord's Supper Instituted. CXXI. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/

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