Understanding the Lord's Supper: Fulfillment of the Passover

 

Summary

The heart of early Christian worship was the celebration of the Lord's Supper, a practice deeply rooted in the traditions of the early church and known by various names such as the Agape Feast, the Eucharist, and Holy Communion. Each of these names highlights different aspects of this sacred observance. The Agape Feast emphasizes the love shared among believers, while the Eucharist, derived from the Greek word for thanksgiving, underscores the gratitude expressed for Christ's sacrifice. Holy Communion signifies the mystical union with Christ and fellow believers.

The Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus during the Last Supper, is not an isolated event but is deeply connected to the Old Testament Passover. Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, linking His impending sacrifice to the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. This connection is further emphasized by the Apostle Paul, who refers to Christ as our Passover lamb, sacrificed for us.

The Passover's origins lie in the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt, where God, through Moses, delivered them from Pharaoh's oppression. The final plague, the death of the firstborn, was a pivotal moment where God instructed the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, signifying their protection from divine judgment. This act of marking their homes was a sign of deliverance and redemption, sparing them from God's wrath.

In the New Testament, Jesus redefines the Passover elements during the Last Supper. He presents the bread as His body and the wine as His blood, establishing a new covenant. This new covenant fulfills the old, with Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb, whose sacrifice delivers believers from the ultimate calamity—exposure to God's wrath. The Lord's Supper, therefore, is a profound reminder of salvation, a celebration of deliverance from sin, and a call to remember the sacrifice that made it possible.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Lord's Supper as a Continuation of Passover: The Lord's Supper is deeply rooted in the Jewish Passover, symbolizing deliverance and redemption. Jesus, as the ultimate Passover lamb, fulfills the old covenant, offering His body and blood as the new covenant for the remission of sins. [22:52]

2. The Significance of Sacraments: Sacraments serve as signs and seals of divine truths, pointing beyond themselves to the redemption story. The Passover lamb's blood marked the Israelites' homes, sparing them from God's wrath, just as Christ's blood marks believers, ensuring their salvation. [15:29]

3. Salvation from God's Wrath: Salvation is not just about being saved by God but also from God. The ultimate calamity is exposure to God's wrath, and through Christ's sacrifice, believers are spared from this judgment, highlighting the profound nature of salvation. [18:57]

4. The Role of Gratitude in Worship: The Eucharist, meaning thanksgiving, emphasizes the importance of gratitude in worship. Believers gather to express their thankfulness for Christ's sacrifice, recognizing the immense love and grace bestowed upon them. [01:59]

5. The Continuity of God's Redemptive Plan: The new covenant established by Jesus is not disconnected from the old but fulfills it. The Lord's Supper is a continuation and fulfillment of the Passover, demonstrating the continuity and depth of God's redemptive plan throughout history. [23:06]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:16] - Early Christian Worship
- [00:42] - Names of the Lord's Supper
- [01:28] - The Eucharist and Thanksgiving
- [02:15] - Old Testament Roots
- [03:35] - Jesus and the Passover
- [04:28] - Passover and Redemption
- [05:14] - Israel's Enslavement in Egypt
- [06:16] - God's Call to Moses
- [08:06] - The Contest with Pharaoh
- [10:36] - The Tenth Plague
- [12:50] - Institution of the Passover
- [15:16] - The Significance of the Blood
- [18:10] - Understanding Salvation
- [21:07] - Jesus Redefines Passover
- [22:52] - The New Covenant Fulfilled

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Exodus 12:1-14 - The Institution of the Passover
2. 1 Corinthians 5:7 - "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."
3. Luke 22:14-20 - The Last Supper

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Observation Questions:

1. What are the different names used for the Lord's Supper, and what do they signify about the practice? [00:16]

2. How does the Passover in the Old Testament connect to the Lord's Supper in the New Testament? [03:35]

3. What instructions did God give to the Israelites regarding the Passover lamb, and what was the significance of these instructions? [13:34]

4. How did Jesus redefine the elements of the Passover during the Last Supper? [21:22]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of Jesus as the ultimate Passover lamb deepen the understanding of the Lord's Supper for believers today? [22:03]

2. In what ways do the sacraments serve as signs and seals of divine truths, and how does this understanding impact the practice of Holy Communion? [15:29]

3. What does it mean to be saved from God's wrath, and how does this concept challenge or affirm your understanding of salvation? [18:57]

4. How does the continuity between the Old and New Covenants reflect the depth of God's redemptive plan throughout history? [23:06]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the significance of gratitude in your worship. How can you incorporate more thanksgiving into your daily spiritual practices? [01:59]

2. The Lord's Supper is a reminder of salvation and deliverance from sin. How can you keep this perspective at the forefront of your mind during communion? [22:36]

3. Consider the role of the Passover lamb's blood as a sign of deliverance. What are some modern "signs" in your life that remind you of God's protection and salvation? [15:16]

4. How can understanding the Lord's Supper as a continuation of the Passover enhance your appreciation for the sacrament? [22:52]

5. In what ways can you actively participate in God's redemptive plan, both in your personal life and within your community? [23:06]

6. How does the idea of being saved from God's wrath influence your view of God's character and your relationship with Him? [18:57]

7. Identify one aspect of the Lord's Supper that you find most meaningful. How can you share this insight with others to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the sacrament? [21:22]

Devotional

Day 1: The Lord's Supper as a Bridge Between Covenants
The Lord's Supper is a profound continuation of the Jewish Passover, symbolizing deliverance and redemption. Jesus, as the ultimate Passover lamb, fulfills the old covenant by offering His body and blood as the new covenant for the remission of sins. This sacred observance is not merely a ritual but a deep connection to the historical and spiritual roots of the faith. By participating in the Lord's Supper, believers are reminded of the deliverance from sin and the new life offered through Christ's sacrifice. This act of remembrance is a bridge between the old and new covenants, highlighting the continuity of God's redemptive plan. [22:52]

"For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Corinthians 5:7-8, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the Lord's Supper as a continuation of Passover deepen your appreciation for this sacrament? How can you prepare your heart to participate in it more meaningfully?


Day 2: Sacraments as Signs of Redemption
Sacraments serve as tangible signs and seals of divine truths, pointing beyond themselves to the grand narrative of redemption. The blood of the Passover lamb marked the Israelites' homes, sparing them from God's wrath, just as Christ's blood marks believers, ensuring their salvation. This symbolism is a powerful reminder of the protection and deliverance offered through faith. By engaging with the sacraments, believers are invited to reflect on the profound nature of salvation and the assurance of God's promises. [15:29]

"And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning." (Exodus 12:22, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways do you see the sacraments as a sign of God's promises in your life? How can you live out the truths they represent daily?


Day 3: Salvation from Divine Judgment
Salvation is not only about being saved by God but also from God. The ultimate calamity is exposure to God's wrath, and through Christ's sacrifice, believers are spared from this judgment. This understanding highlights the profound nature of salvation, emphasizing the gravity of sin and the magnitude of grace. By recognizing the seriousness of divine judgment, believers are called to a deeper appreciation of the salvation offered through Christ and a more earnest commitment to living in accordance with His will. [18:57]

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him." (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: How does the concept of being saved from God's wrath impact your understanding of salvation? What changes might this bring to your daily walk with Christ?


Day 4: Gratitude as the Heart of Worship
The Eucharist, meaning thanksgiving, emphasizes the importance of gratitude in worship. Believers gather to express their thankfulness for Christ's sacrifice, recognizing the immense love and grace bestowed upon them. This act of thanksgiving is central to the Christian faith, fostering a spirit of humility and reverence. By cultivating gratitude, believers are drawn closer to God and to one another, creating a community rooted in love and grace. [01:59]

"Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95:2, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate gratitude into your daily worship? What specific things can you thank God for today, and how might this practice transform your relationship with Him?


Day 5: The Continuity of God's Redemptive Plan
The new covenant established by Jesus is not disconnected from the old but fulfills it. The Lord's Supper is a continuation and fulfillment of the Passover, demonstrating the continuity and depth of God's redemptive plan throughout history. This understanding invites believers to see the Bible as a unified story of redemption, with Christ at its center. By recognizing this continuity, believers are encouraged to trust in God's faithfulness and to live in anticipation of His promises. [23:06]

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 31:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the continuity of God's redemptive plan affect your view of the Bible and your faith journey? In what ways can you live out this understanding in your daily life?

Quotes

The heart of early Christian communion was the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and in the early days of church history and then of course later throughout church history, the celebration of Holy Communion was known by different names. On the one hand, the early church used to come together and celebrate what they called an Agape Feast or a Love Feast in which they celebrated the love of God and the love that they enjoyed with one another in this holy supper. [00:07:55]

The sacrament was called, as it is today, the Lord's Supper because it made reference to the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples in the upper room on the night before his death. And we'll look at the significance of that along the way as we examine the meaning of the Lord's Supper. And as I've already indicated, it was also called and is to this day called the sacrament of Holy Communion. [00:50:23]

The Lord's Supper was called the Eucharist, taking its definition from the Greek verb eucharistiin, which is the Greek verb that means to thank. And so one of the aspects of the celebration of the Lord's Supper historically has been the gathering of the people of God to express their gratitude for what Christ accomplished in their behalf in his death. [01:41:04]

Even though Christ instituted the sacrament of the Lord's Supper at the very end of his life, that was not the absolute beginning of this event because the Lord's Supper is a drama that has its roots not only in that upper room experience that Jesus shared with his disciples, but the roots that reach backwards into the Old Testament in the link with the Old Testament act of the celebration of Passover. [02:36:32]

The immediate context in which Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper was in the celebration of the Passover feast with his disciples, and that link to Passover is seen not only by his words there to the disciples but also when the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and he was instructing the early Christian community there about various things. He makes reference to the statement that Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. [03:42:00]

The people of Israel in Egypt under the domination of a ruthless and insensitive Pharaoh who increased the burdens of the slavery that he imposed upon these Jewish people who served Egypt and the Pharaoh basically as a free labor force. And these men were making the bricks that would be used to erect the storehouses that would store up grain and provisions against the threat of famine and light and so on. [04:56:00]

God appeared in the Midianite wilderness to the aged Moses who was living in exile as a fugitive from the forces of Pharaoh, and that when Moses appeared or when God appeared to Moses and spoke to him out of the bush that was burning but was not consumed, he called to him saying, Moses, Moses take off thy shoes from off thy feet for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground. [06:16:00]

God empowered Moses with the ability to perform miracles in order to authenticate the origin of this message. And so we know that Moses responded to the command of God and went first to Pharaoh and to the people of Israel and told Pharaoh to let the people go. And we know that what went on from there was a contest of will and a contest of power. [07:44:00]

The word he wouldn't give them straw for their bricks and we recall that the people suffered greatly and in their suffering they moaned and they groaned but their groanings were heard in heaven. And we understand that it was at that time and on that occasion that God appeared in the Midianite wilderness to the aged Moses who was living in exile as a fugitive from the forces of Pharaoh. [06:01:12]

The lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight and then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the little of the houses where they eat it. [14:01:36]

The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. Now this is critical because we understand that the sacraments of the New Testament are understood in the life of the church both as signs and as seals of something extremely important. That's what a sacrament does, is that it gives a dramatic sign or indicator pointing beyond itself to some truth of redemption that is crucial to the life of the people of God. [15:19:36]

The sign character of this ritual was really a sign of deliverance. It was a sign of redemption because what it meant was these people will escape the wrath of God. A few years ago I gave a lecture to a large assembly of Christian leaders, and I risk the insulting their intelligence by speaking on something so basic as the question what is salvation. [17:07:28]

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Transcript
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