The Lord's Supper is an important part of worship in the Christian church and it is referred to by a number of different titles. It is called the Eucharist, the breaking of bread, the last supper, and its more commonly known reference, is that of Communion. The denomination one belongs to determines when the Lord's Supper is observed. The times range from once a month, to once every week In examining the scriptures, one will find that the event Christians observe which they call communion is actuality the Passover, and it should be observed once a year.
A FEAST OF THE LORD The following verses show that Jesus and His disciples, by observing the Passover, were directly obeying a commandment of God.
In (Leviticus 23:1) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts (4) These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. (5) In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
One should take note of the fact that verse (2) and (4) point out that these feasts are feasts of the Lord. Contrary to popular belief, the Passover does not belong to any particular group of people. As indicated by scripture, the Passover belongs to the Lord for it is the Lord's Passover. Jesus required of His disciples to go and prepare a place for the Passover. Luke (22:8) And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.
This verse makes it clear, that Jesus is instructing His disciples, to go and acquire a place, so they could observe the Passover and partake in the Passover meal. (9) And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? (10) And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. (11) And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the quest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples Jesus informed His disciples, as to where they would find the place, where the Passover would be held. Note in verse (11), again mention is made of the fact that they will be partaking in the Passover meal.
The following verses confirm that the disciples did acquire the place where the Passover would be held and that they were sitting down to eat the Passover meal.
Luke (22:13) And they went, and found as he 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.
Verse (15) again, here Jesus is saying they are going to eat the Passover meal. The next day He was crucified, however that does not warrant the changing of the name, of the event. The fact remains that it was the Passover meal, regardless if one calls it the last supper or the Lord's supper or any other name they may chose to refer to it as.
WHAT THE PASSOVER REPRESENTS The Passover commemorates the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt by the hand of the Lord. Israel had been in captivity in Egypt for over 400 years. Because of Pharaoh's refusal to release the children of Israel from bondage, God afflicted Egypt with plagues. The last plague issued was the killing of all the Egyptians first born. A death angel was to pass through the land, and to ensure that their first born would be spared, the Israelites were instructed by God, to mark their door posts with the blood of a lamb. The death angel would see the marking and thus pass over the house that had blood.
CHANGE IN THE PASSOVER While Jesus and His disciples were commemorating the Passover, Jesus gives His disciples a set of instructions. (Matthew 26:26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (29) But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
Jesus told His disciples to eat of the bread, for that represented His body, and He told them to drink of the cup, for that represented His blood. Jesus tells them, His blood is of the new testament, and it is shed for the remission of sins. Jesus is speaking of the fact, that He will be crucified for the sins of man and we know that, it is only through the shedding of Jesus’s blood, that men can receive forgiveness for their sins. Hence Jesus became our sacrificial lamb. You
will find in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus told them to partake in this meal in remembrance of Him. In (Luke 22:19) And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Now Jesus said to do this in remembrance of Him, the above shows that He is speaking in reference to observing the Passover. Again the Passover has a set time when it is to be observed , the 14th day of the month of Abib. This is the time that God appointed, for its observance. It should not be celebrated at the discretion of man.
JESUS BECAME OUR PASSOVER The following will show that Jesus became our Passover, and that is why we should commemorate the Passover, in remembrance of Jesus, shedding His blood for us. In addition we will find that Jesus not only became our Passover, He actually died on the Passover day.
Peter in the following verses reaffirms that man was redeemed by the blood of Christ and nothing else. He refers to Jesus as a lamb without spot, because Jesus who as our sacrifice, was without sin, that is why He was acceptable as a sacrifice presented to God.
(I Peter 1:18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Paul states in the following verses that Jesus is our Passover. But even more interesting is the fact that Paul is instructing those at Corinth to keep the Passover feast. We will find later that Paul is the one most quoted when people support the changing of the Passover into the various titles you have today, The Last Meal, Communion, etc. Now one needs to admit themselves that something is not quite right when the individual (Paul) whom they quote in changing God's feast day, namely the Passover is here telling the people at Corinth to keep the Passover.
(I Corinthians 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
A FEAST OF THE LORD The following verses show that Jesus and His disciples, by observing the Passover, were directly obeying a commandment of God.
In (Leviticus 23:1) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts (4) These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. (5) In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
One should take note of the fact that verse (2) and (4) point out that these feasts are feasts of the Lord. Contrary to popular belief, the Passover does not belong to any particular group of people. As indicated by scripture, the Passover belongs to the Lord for it is the Lord's Passover. Jesus required of His disciples to go and prepare a place for the Passover. Luke (22:8) And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.
This verse makes it clear, that Jesus is instructing His disciples, to go and acquire a place, so they could observe the Passover and partake in the Passover meal. (9) And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? (10) And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. (11) And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the quest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples Jesus informed His disciples, as to where they would find the place, where the Passover would be held. Note in verse (11), again mention is made of the fact that they will be partaking in the Passover meal.
The following verses confirm that the disciples did acquire the place where the Passover would be held and that they were sitting down to eat the Passover meal.
Luke (22:13) And they went, and found as he 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.
Verse (15) again, here Jesus is saying they are going to eat the Passover meal. The next day He was crucified, however that does not warrant the changing of the name, of the event. The fact remains that it was the Passover meal, regardless if one calls it the last supper or the Lord's supper or any other name they may chose to refer to it as.
WHAT THE PASSOVER REPRESENTS The Passover commemorates the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt by the hand of the Lord. Israel had been in captivity in Egypt for over 400 years. Because of Pharaoh's refusal to release the children of Israel from bondage, God afflicted Egypt with plagues. The last plague issued was the killing of all the Egyptians first born. A death angel was to pass through the land, and to ensure that their first born would be spared, the Israelites were instructed by God, to mark their door posts with the blood of a lamb. The death angel would see the marking and thus pass over the house that had blood.
CHANGE IN THE PASSOVER While Jesus and His disciples were commemorating the Passover, Jesus gives His disciples a set of instructions. (Matthew 26:26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (27) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (29) But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
Jesus told His disciples to eat of the bread, for that represented His body, and He told them to drink of the cup, for that represented His blood. Jesus tells them, His blood is of the new testament, and it is shed for the remission of sins. Jesus is speaking of the fact, that He will be crucified for the sins of man and we know that, it is only through the shedding of Jesus’s blood, that men can receive forgiveness for their sins. Hence Jesus became our sacrificial lamb. You
will find in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus told them to partake in this meal in remembrance of Him. In (Luke 22:19) And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Now Jesus said to do this in remembrance of Him, the above shows that He is speaking in reference to observing the Passover. Again the Passover has a set time when it is to be observed , the 14th day of the month of Abib. This is the time that God appointed, for its observance. It should not be celebrated at the discretion of man.
JESUS BECAME OUR PASSOVER The following will show that Jesus became our Passover, and that is why we should commemorate the Passover, in remembrance of Jesus, shedding His blood for us. In addition we will find that Jesus not only became our Passover, He actually died on the Passover day.
Peter in the following verses reaffirms that man was redeemed by the blood of Christ and nothing else. He refers to Jesus as a lamb without spot, because Jesus who as our sacrifice, was without sin, that is why He was acceptable as a sacrifice presented to God.
(I Peter 1:18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Paul states in the following verses that Jesus is our Passover. But even more interesting is the fact that Paul is instructing those at Corinth to keep the Passover feast. We will find later that Paul is the one most quoted when people support the changing of the Passover into the various titles you have today, The Last Meal, Communion, etc. Now one needs to admit themselves that something is not quite right when the individual (Paul) whom they quote in changing God's feast day, namely the Passover is here telling the people at Corinth to keep the Passover.
(I Corinthians 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.