04-06-2025 The Lord’s Supper
Text: Luke 22:14-20
It’s another first Sunday of the month where we’ll be celebrating our communion service, also called the Lord’s Supper. In a couple of weeks, we’ll also be celebrating the death and resurrection of our Savior. So, I thought it would be a good time to look at the connection between the Jewish Passover Feast and the Lord’s Supper. The Passover Feast is what Jews were commanded to celebrate annually in order to remember how they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Exodus 11 teaches how God told Moses that He would kill all the first born children of the Egyptians leading to Pharaoh’s release of the Israelites. But, in chapter 12 we learn how the firstborn of the Israelites would be spared by taking a firstborn male lamb without blemish, kill it, and put its blood on the upper and side door posts of their houses. This would identify the places where firstborn Israelites lived so that death would not come to them. They were to eat the roasted meat that night in its entirety with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. In Exodus12:14 they were instructed that this day would be a memorial, and they were to keep it as a feast to the Lord for all generations to come. Later when the Israelites were in the desert heading to the promised land, God added a requirement to the Passover celebration that required them to continue to eat unleavened bread for seven days after to remind them of how they had to leave Egypt quickly with no time to make bread with yeast.
Fast forward about 1,673 years to the point where Jesus gathered with His Disciples to celebrate the Passover. Our text is from Luke 22:7-20 where Luke writes: “ (7)Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. (8)And He sent Peter and John, saying: Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. (9)And they said unto Him, Where will you that we prepare? (10)And He said unto them, Behold when you are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters in. (11)And you shall say unto the good man of the house, ‘The master says unto you, ‘Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with My Disciples?’ (12)And he shall show you a large upper room furnished, there make ready. (13)And they went and found as He had said unto them; and they made ready the Passover. (14)And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve Apostles with Him. (15)And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: (16)For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. (17)And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves. (18)For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God shall come. (19) And He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My Body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. (20) Likewise, also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” We know He would be arrested later that night and crucified. He was eager to share the meal because He had to explain to them about the meaning of His upcoming death causing this meal to sometimes be called the Last Supper.
In the traditional Passover meal, wine is served four times, symbolizing God’s four part promise of redemption found in Exodus 6:6-7: (1) God would free His people from their oppression; (2) He would rescue them from their slavery to Egypt; (3) He would redeem them by His power and justice, and (4) He would claim the Israelites as His own people. It’s possible Jesus spoke about remembering His body and blood when He offered His disciples the third cup, the cup of redemption. But regardless of what point during the meal Jesus spoke of His body and blood, the point is that His blood replaced the blood of the lamb as the path to redemption: the New Covenant.
Why was it done in conjunction with the Passover? Because the first Passover was a foreshadowing of the death of Jesus Christ for the sins of mankind. At the first Passover meal, the people were facing judgment, a lamb was selected, and its blood was used to deliver the people of Israel from the death of their first born. They were enslaved by Egypt and need emancipation. The firstborn of Egypt would die but God, in His grace and mercy, provided a way for the people to be passed over for judgment by using a lamb without spot or blemish. Jesus Christ, arrested after His last Passover meal, is God’s pure and perfect Lamb, who committed no sin and never lied as we are told in I Peter 2:22, and was chosen before the foundation of the world to die on the Cross in order save mankind from their sins.
When the Israelites chose the lamb to be slain at the first Passover, it would have lived in their household for four days. In that sense, it was identified with the family. But the lamb was condemned because it was to die so that it’s blood could be put on the door posts of the house. At the Last Supper with His Disciples, Jesus observed the Passover memorial for the final time. He broke the bread and shared the wine before His arrest and crucifixion, instructing that the elements represented His body and blood as a sacrifice for them. They were instructed to do the same in remembrance of Him. Jesus died and the sacrifice was done.
The lamb of the first Passover had to be confessed, meaning it had to be publicly revealed. This was done by applying the blood to the door posts. This showed that they believed, or confessed, that God would save them if they carried out His instructions. Today, we must believe in the blood of Christ, receive Him as our Savior and live our lives so that other will see Jesus through us. Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:32-33 if we acknowledge Him before men, He will acknowledge us before His Father in Heaven. But whoever denies Him, He will deny them before His Father in Heaven.
The lamb was celebrated at the first Passover as the people feasted on the roasted meat at the meal. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper—our communion service, not only do we confess the lamb because of His sacrifice for us, as we take the elements of the ceremony, we are spiritually taking Him into our lives.
The Lord’s Supper is designed so that believers will remember the death of Jesus until the time that He returns.. He said we are to do this in remembrance of Him. The Passover feast is an example of a reminder. The story connected with it is the passing over of the death angel. That celebration was a declaration. When Christians take the bread and cup, Christians remember the manner of Jesus’ death: it was excruciatingly painful and bloody. It was a sacrifice for human sin making possible the salvation of all who will accept Him as Savior.
The Passover foreshadowed the death of Jesus. The Lord’s Supper, like Passover, is both a feast and a fellowship. In celebrating the Lord’s Supper, we celebrate and rededicate ourselves to serving Jesus until He returns. We share both His love and His life. In Revelation 5:11 John tells us how he looked around the throne and heard the living creatures, the elders, and the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb.” There is going to come a day when the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ will be celebrated by everyone throughout all eternity. We can never forget what Christ has done for us. The Lamb was chosen, condemned, confessed, and is now celebrated because Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, reigns for ever and ever.
Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.