Old Testament Passover And New Testament Sacrament
Faith Development
Saving Grace
Another Look At The Word And The Sacraments
Baptism is the first sacrament. A sacrament is a sacred act of God for forgiveness of sins as instituted by Jesus Christ.
The second sacrament is called the Lord's Supper or the Last Supper because it was the last meal of our Lord on earth. It is also called Holy Communion because in it God gives us union with him and with one another. In addition, it is called the Sacrament because in, through, and under the bread and wine, God is acting to give us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alternatively, the Lord's Supper is called the Eucharist. Eucharist means thanksgiving. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are giving thanks for the precious gift of Jesus Christ himself.
Before we look further at the implications of these various titles, let's examine the Old Testament Passover. Jesus was celebrating the Jewish Passover when he said, "Take, eat, this is my body ... This cup is the new testament in my blood."
The Passover
Moses had been called by God to free the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. He told Pharaoh the LORD said, "Let my people go." Pharaoh refused to heed the command to set the enslaved Hebrews free. Plagues were sent upon Egypt to show God's wrath and judgment on Pharaoh for his stubbornness. The last plague was the slaying of the firstborn sons of Egypt.
Moses told the Hebrews to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of death would pass over the Hebrew houses. The firstborn sons of Egypt, including Pharaoh's firstborn son, were the casualties. Pharaoh agreed to let the Hebrew people go. Thereafter, to this day, the Jews celebrate the Passover meal in remembrance of freedom from bondage. It is a long celebration meal of several hours. It involves children who ask questions to help them learn the history and tradition of their people. It is a highly symbolic meal, repeated year after year, binding the Jews to one another and to God.
At Passover, the Jews eat lamb to remember the blood of the lambs on the doorposts which had saved their ancestors from death. They eat bitter herbs to remember the bitterness of slavery. They eat something sweet to remember the promise of the land to which Moses led them. Passover is the celebration of deliverance from bondage in Egypt and freedom in the Promised Land.
Wine and unleavened bread are two of the most important elements of the Passover meal. The grape vine is the symbol of Israel. Wine, the drink of the Passover, reminds the Jews of their national heritage and spiritual prosperity under God. They drink wine several times during the Passover liturgy as an important reminder of who they are. Many stories are told to enforce the heritage of the people of God.
Unleavened bread is used for Passover because the Jews had to leave Egypt in a hurry. They didn't have time to let the bread dough rise, so they packed loaves of unleavened bread for the long trip. Thereafter, year after year unleavened bread was used in the Passover meal to remind the Jews of their hurried departure from the land of bondage. At Passover, someone (usually a child) asks, "Why do we eat unleavened bread tonight?" The story of the last meal in Egypt is told with great delight and emphasis on how God led his people out of slavery across the desert to the Promised Land.
When the Jews ran out of food on the long journey, God sent them bread from heaven. This bread from heaven is called manna. Literally, manna means "What is it?" which is what the people said when they discovered this bread on the ground and were told that they must gather it fresh each morning.
Jesus, a Jew, celebrated Passover with his disciples in the upper room of John Mark's house. He did this the night before he was crucified.
The Kingdom Eucharist
At the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, Jesus used the traditional elements of the Passover meal, including unleavened bread and wine. "Remember your heritage of freedom from bondage," he was saying to his followers. Then he added a sacramental emphasis for the future. "Take and eat; this is my body," he said. "... This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
This is the Lord's Supper because Jesus initiated it. This is the Last Supper because it was Jesus' last meal on earth. This is Holy Communion because through the elements we are joined to the Lord and one another. This is the Sacrament because it is a sacred act of God for forgiveness. This is the kingdom Eucharist because it points beyond itself to the end of the world when the fullness of the kingdom will come. We are called to rejoice in this promise.
Christians, like the Jews before them, see this holy meal as a reminder of their heritage and an invitation to take heart for the future. Christians, like the Jews before them, remember the blood of the lamb on the doorpost, but for Christians it is the blood of the Lamb of God on the cross which is recalled when they eat and drink the elements of this new covenant (testament) meal. Like the Jews before them, Christians use unleavened bread and wine. (See Digging Deeper for exceptions to wine.)
In contradiction to God's intended unity, in some ways Christians have been divided in their interpretations of the meaning of this sacred meal. The good news is that some of the distinctions historically made by different groups are breaking down, in a new convergence of understanding, but the fact remains that different Christians have different understandings of the Eucharist. Below find a chart of the main historical interpretations of Holy Communion as practiced by three different groups of Christians: Roman Catholics, Reformed Protestants, and Lutherans.
Group
What they teach
1.ÊRoman Catholics
We receive only the body and blood
ÊÊÊTransubstantiation
of Christ, not bread and wine. The elements are once and forever transformed into the body and blood of Christ.
Only a priest can consecrate the elements.
Only a priest may take both elements (Unevenly practiced today. Some churches serve both elements to all the people.)
The elements remain the body and blood of Christ after the Mass.
The Lord's Supper is a sacrament.
2.ÊReformed Protestants
We receive only bread and wine, not
ÊÊÊSymbolism
the body and blood of Christ.
What is received is just a symbol or remembrance of what happened at the Last Supper.
Generally grape juice is used instead of wine.
3.ÊLutherans
We receive the body and blood of
ÊÊÊReal Presence
Christ in, through, and under the elements of bread and wine.
The Lord's Supper is a sacrament.
We don't know how but we believe that we receive Christ in the Lord's Supper.
Lutherans teach that the Roman Catholics are right in what they affirm about Christ's presence, but wrong in what they deny. In the Lord's Supper, Lutherans believe we receive the body and blood of the Lord, and bread and wine. Lutherans teach that the Reformed Protestants are right in what they affirm about remembering, but wrong in what they deny about the real presence. In the Lord's Supper, Lutherans believe we receive bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ. It is a remembrance, but it is more.
When asked why Lutherans place such a strong emphasis on the Lord's Supper, the answer is we believe Jesus put that strong emphasis on it. When asked why Lutherans believe that Jesus is really present in the Lord's Supper, the best reply is, "Jesus said so. We don't attempt to explain how it is possible, but we believe we receive what Jesus said we would receive."
What difference does it make that Christians receive the Lord's Supper often? Since we receive forgiveness through the Sacrament, it is important to receive it often. Since Jesus promised to be present, we should be present. Since Jesus mentions the Lord's Supper and the coming kingdom, we believe receiving him through the elements of bread and wine gives us a foretaste of the Great Banquet at the end of time.
In addition, consider the mystical communion of all the saints of God, both in the Church militant (on earth) and the Church triumphant (in heaven). In the Lord's Supper we commune with God. We also commune with other Christians of all denominations in all places on the earth. In Holy Communion we even commune with those Christians who have died and are now in the Church Triumphant.
Holy Communion is truly a celebration of the kingdom Eucharist. The kingdom of God is God's rule over us. As we come under the lordship of God, our lives make sense and we are renewed by God's forgiveness. In Holy Communion we all come as sinners, kneeling before God, with no one better than anyone else. Baptized believers are given a preview of coming attractions. They get a preview of God who rules over all for our own good. We give thanks for what God will do, but we also give thanks for what God has done and is doing. The past, present, and future are all wrapped up in one when the pastor says, "The body and blood of Christ, given and shed for you."
"Wow," Grace said to her friend Mary. "That was quite a Pastor's class session. Pastor Jeff really laid it out there today. I told you I didn't want to come, but I'm glad you persisted. As I told you, I had decided I wouldn't ever be coming back to church. I felt I couldn't handle all the things taught here, but a little light is beginning to get through. It's all gift, isn't it? God does for us what we can't do for ourselves."
"God is working in your life, Grace. It's called 'the awakening.' "
"I don't know about that. Jake told me I'm a damned fool for going back to church, but I listened again to that tape you gave me. That helped. Sarah's funeral helped, too. She was such a fine Christian lady. I wish my family had been more like her."
"Grace, you said your father is sick and you are concerned about him. Do you want to ask the pastor to make a visit on him? Maybe he could even bring Holy Communion to him."
"I'll have to ask Dad if that's okay." Dear God, give me the right words.
Questions For Personal Consideration
And/Or Group Discussion
1.
Is the chart on the distinctions between the three different churches on the Lord's Supper helpful or does it draw too much attention to the differences and not show enough of what we have in common as Christians?
2.
What are some of the churches that are generally listed under the Reformed Protestant label?
3.
Episcopalians and Lutherans generally agree on the meaning of the Lord's Supper as being both the body and blood of Christ and the bread and wine. What differences remain between these two groups?
4.
Can (should) a Lutheran receive Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic church? Why or why not?
5.
Can (should) a Lutheran receive Holy Communion in another Protestant church? Why or why not?
6.
Under what circumstances can a non-Lutheran receive the Lord's Supper in a Lutheran church?
7.
The question about the appropriate age at which children should receive Communion has been hotly debated in recent years. At what age or under what conditions do children receive Communion in your congregation?
8.
What should an unbaptized person like Grace Livingstone do when Communion is celebrated and she is present?
Digging Deeper
1.
Different denominations and different pastors of the same denomination have different opinions about the appropriate age for Communion. Some churches today even commune baptized infants. On the other hand, some churches offer Communion only to those who have completed confirmation. While this may cause confusion for some people, the positive side of the situation today is that people have many choices regarding which church they will join. One of the factors in this decision is the practice of Holy Communion.
2.
The term "Holy Eucharist" is generally used by Catholics, Episcopalians, and Lutherans. By tying the Eucharist to the kingdom of God, we connect this sacrament to the Great Banquet to which Jesus often pointed.
3.
In the Apostles' Creed, we speak of the Church as "the communion of the saints." Both the living and the dead saints (forgiven sinners) are in communion with God and one another. Communion between the living and the dead saints can be helpful to those who have un-reconciled differences with loved ones who have died before forgiveness can be offered or accepted.
4.
Jesus used wine in the institution of the Lord's Supper. After all, it was a Passover celebration. Jews use wine, not grape juice, for Passover. In addition, there was no refrigeration in Jesus' day, so the fruit of the vine, put into wineskins would turn into wine in a short time in the hot Palestinian sun. In many churches today, grape juice is offered as an option for alcoholics, pregnant women, people on certain medications, and others who prefer grape juice for personal reasons.
5.
Can we take Communion in an unworthy way? 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 says: "... Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself."
Biblical scholar William Barclay says, "The unworthiness consisted in the fact that the man who did so did 'not discern the Lord's body.' " That phrase can equally well mean two things; and each is so real and so important that it is quite likely that both are intended.
a.
It may mean that the man who eats and drinks unworthily does not realize what the sacred symbols mean. It may mean that he eats and drinks with no reverence and no sense of the love that these symbols stand for or the obligation that is laid upon him.
b.
It may also mean this. The phrase the body of Christ again and again stands for the Church ... It may mean that unworthiness comes from hatred, bitterness, contempt against his brother man, as he comes to the Table of our Lord.21
Consider this possibility. The point of the Eucharist is celebration of the forgiveness of sins. We are called to repent and thus receive the forgiveness of sins. Therefore it is important as we approach Communion to repent for our sins. Persons who are unworthy of receiving Communion are those who think they are worthy and need no repentance. Those who are worthy are those who know they are unworthy sinners and thus repent.
The second sacrament is called the Lord's Supper or the Last Supper because it was the last meal of our Lord on earth. It is also called Holy Communion because in it God gives us union with him and with one another. In addition, it is called the Sacrament because in, through, and under the bread and wine, God is acting to give us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alternatively, the Lord's Supper is called the Eucharist. Eucharist means thanksgiving. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we are giving thanks for the precious gift of Jesus Christ himself.
Before we look further at the implications of these various titles, let's examine the Old Testament Passover. Jesus was celebrating the Jewish Passover when he said, "Take, eat, this is my body ... This cup is the new testament in my blood."
The Passover
Moses had been called by God to free the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. He told Pharaoh the LORD said, "Let my people go." Pharaoh refused to heed the command to set the enslaved Hebrews free. Plagues were sent upon Egypt to show God's wrath and judgment on Pharaoh for his stubbornness. The last plague was the slaying of the firstborn sons of Egypt.
Moses told the Hebrews to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of death would pass over the Hebrew houses. The firstborn sons of Egypt, including Pharaoh's firstborn son, were the casualties. Pharaoh agreed to let the Hebrew people go. Thereafter, to this day, the Jews celebrate the Passover meal in remembrance of freedom from bondage. It is a long celebration meal of several hours. It involves children who ask questions to help them learn the history and tradition of their people. It is a highly symbolic meal, repeated year after year, binding the Jews to one another and to God.
At Passover, the Jews eat lamb to remember the blood of the lambs on the doorposts which had saved their ancestors from death. They eat bitter herbs to remember the bitterness of slavery. They eat something sweet to remember the promise of the land to which Moses led them. Passover is the celebration of deliverance from bondage in Egypt and freedom in the Promised Land.
Wine and unleavened bread are two of the most important elements of the Passover meal. The grape vine is the symbol of Israel. Wine, the drink of the Passover, reminds the Jews of their national heritage and spiritual prosperity under God. They drink wine several times during the Passover liturgy as an important reminder of who they are. Many stories are told to enforce the heritage of the people of God.
Unleavened bread is used for Passover because the Jews had to leave Egypt in a hurry. They didn't have time to let the bread dough rise, so they packed loaves of unleavened bread for the long trip. Thereafter, year after year unleavened bread was used in the Passover meal to remind the Jews of their hurried departure from the land of bondage. At Passover, someone (usually a child) asks, "Why do we eat unleavened bread tonight?" The story of the last meal in Egypt is told with great delight and emphasis on how God led his people out of slavery across the desert to the Promised Land.
When the Jews ran out of food on the long journey, God sent them bread from heaven. This bread from heaven is called manna. Literally, manna means "What is it?" which is what the people said when they discovered this bread on the ground and were told that they must gather it fresh each morning.
Jesus, a Jew, celebrated Passover with his disciples in the upper room of John Mark's house. He did this the night before he was crucified.
The Kingdom Eucharist
At the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, Jesus used the traditional elements of the Passover meal, including unleavened bread and wine. "Remember your heritage of freedom from bondage," he was saying to his followers. Then he added a sacramental emphasis for the future. "Take and eat; this is my body," he said. "... This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
This is the Lord's Supper because Jesus initiated it. This is the Last Supper because it was Jesus' last meal on earth. This is Holy Communion because through the elements we are joined to the Lord and one another. This is the Sacrament because it is a sacred act of God for forgiveness. This is the kingdom Eucharist because it points beyond itself to the end of the world when the fullness of the kingdom will come. We are called to rejoice in this promise.
Christians, like the Jews before them, see this holy meal as a reminder of their heritage and an invitation to take heart for the future. Christians, like the Jews before them, remember the blood of the lamb on the doorpost, but for Christians it is the blood of the Lamb of God on the cross which is recalled when they eat and drink the elements of this new covenant (testament) meal. Like the Jews before them, Christians use unleavened bread and wine. (See Digging Deeper for exceptions to wine.)
In contradiction to God's intended unity, in some ways Christians have been divided in their interpretations of the meaning of this sacred meal. The good news is that some of the distinctions historically made by different groups are breaking down, in a new convergence of understanding, but the fact remains that different Christians have different understandings of the Eucharist. Below find a chart of the main historical interpretations of Holy Communion as practiced by three different groups of Christians: Roman Catholics, Reformed Protestants, and Lutherans.
Group
What they teach
1.ÊRoman Catholics
We receive only the body and blood
ÊÊÊTransubstantiation
of Christ, not bread and wine. The elements are once and forever transformed into the body and blood of Christ.
Only a priest can consecrate the elements.
Only a priest may take both elements (Unevenly practiced today. Some churches serve both elements to all the people.)
The elements remain the body and blood of Christ after the Mass.
The Lord's Supper is a sacrament.
2.ÊReformed Protestants
We receive only bread and wine, not
ÊÊÊSymbolism
the body and blood of Christ.
What is received is just a symbol or remembrance of what happened at the Last Supper.
Generally grape juice is used instead of wine.
3.ÊLutherans
We receive the body and blood of
ÊÊÊReal Presence
Christ in, through, and under the elements of bread and wine.
The Lord's Supper is a sacrament.
We don't know how but we believe that we receive Christ in the Lord's Supper.
Lutherans teach that the Roman Catholics are right in what they affirm about Christ's presence, but wrong in what they deny. In the Lord's Supper, Lutherans believe we receive the body and blood of the Lord, and bread and wine. Lutherans teach that the Reformed Protestants are right in what they affirm about remembering, but wrong in what they deny about the real presence. In the Lord's Supper, Lutherans believe we receive bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ. It is a remembrance, but it is more.
When asked why Lutherans place such a strong emphasis on the Lord's Supper, the answer is we believe Jesus put that strong emphasis on it. When asked why Lutherans believe that Jesus is really present in the Lord's Supper, the best reply is, "Jesus said so. We don't attempt to explain how it is possible, but we believe we receive what Jesus said we would receive."
What difference does it make that Christians receive the Lord's Supper often? Since we receive forgiveness through the Sacrament, it is important to receive it often. Since Jesus promised to be present, we should be present. Since Jesus mentions the Lord's Supper and the coming kingdom, we believe receiving him through the elements of bread and wine gives us a foretaste of the Great Banquet at the end of time.
In addition, consider the mystical communion of all the saints of God, both in the Church militant (on earth) and the Church triumphant (in heaven). In the Lord's Supper we commune with God. We also commune with other Christians of all denominations in all places on the earth. In Holy Communion we even commune with those Christians who have died and are now in the Church Triumphant.
Holy Communion is truly a celebration of the kingdom Eucharist. The kingdom of God is God's rule over us. As we come under the lordship of God, our lives make sense and we are renewed by God's forgiveness. In Holy Communion we all come as sinners, kneeling before God, with no one better than anyone else. Baptized believers are given a preview of coming attractions. They get a preview of God who rules over all for our own good. We give thanks for what God will do, but we also give thanks for what God has done and is doing. The past, present, and future are all wrapped up in one when the pastor says, "The body and blood of Christ, given and shed for you."
"Wow," Grace said to her friend Mary. "That was quite a Pastor's class session. Pastor Jeff really laid it out there today. I told you I didn't want to come, but I'm glad you persisted. As I told you, I had decided I wouldn't ever be coming back to church. I felt I couldn't handle all the things taught here, but a little light is beginning to get through. It's all gift, isn't it? God does for us what we can't do for ourselves."
"God is working in your life, Grace. It's called 'the awakening.' "
"I don't know about that. Jake told me I'm a damned fool for going back to church, but I listened again to that tape you gave me. That helped. Sarah's funeral helped, too. She was such a fine Christian lady. I wish my family had been more like her."
"Grace, you said your father is sick and you are concerned about him. Do you want to ask the pastor to make a visit on him? Maybe he could even bring Holy Communion to him."
"I'll have to ask Dad if that's okay." Dear God, give me the right words.
Questions For Personal Consideration
And/Or Group Discussion
1.
Is the chart on the distinctions between the three different churches on the Lord's Supper helpful or does it draw too much attention to the differences and not show enough of what we have in common as Christians?
2.
What are some of the churches that are generally listed under the Reformed Protestant label?
3.
Episcopalians and Lutherans generally agree on the meaning of the Lord's Supper as being both the body and blood of Christ and the bread and wine. What differences remain between these two groups?
4.
Can (should) a Lutheran receive Holy Communion in a Roman Catholic church? Why or why not?
5.
Can (should) a Lutheran receive Holy Communion in another Protestant church? Why or why not?
6.
Under what circumstances can a non-Lutheran receive the Lord's Supper in a Lutheran church?
7.
The question about the appropriate age at which children should receive Communion has been hotly debated in recent years. At what age or under what conditions do children receive Communion in your congregation?
8.
What should an unbaptized person like Grace Livingstone do when Communion is celebrated and she is present?
Digging Deeper
1.
Different denominations and different pastors of the same denomination have different opinions about the appropriate age for Communion. Some churches today even commune baptized infants. On the other hand, some churches offer Communion only to those who have completed confirmation. While this may cause confusion for some people, the positive side of the situation today is that people have many choices regarding which church they will join. One of the factors in this decision is the practice of Holy Communion.
2.
The term "Holy Eucharist" is generally used by Catholics, Episcopalians, and Lutherans. By tying the Eucharist to the kingdom of God, we connect this sacrament to the Great Banquet to which Jesus often pointed.
3.
In the Apostles' Creed, we speak of the Church as "the communion of the saints." Both the living and the dead saints (forgiven sinners) are in communion with God and one another. Communion between the living and the dead saints can be helpful to those who have un-reconciled differences with loved ones who have died before forgiveness can be offered or accepted.
4.
Jesus used wine in the institution of the Lord's Supper. After all, it was a Passover celebration. Jews use wine, not grape juice, for Passover. In addition, there was no refrigeration in Jesus' day, so the fruit of the vine, put into wineskins would turn into wine in a short time in the hot Palestinian sun. In many churches today, grape juice is offered as an option for alcoholics, pregnant women, people on certain medications, and others who prefer grape juice for personal reasons.
5.
Can we take Communion in an unworthy way? 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 says: "... Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself."
Biblical scholar William Barclay says, "The unworthiness consisted in the fact that the man who did so did 'not discern the Lord's body.' " That phrase can equally well mean two things; and each is so real and so important that it is quite likely that both are intended.
a.
It may mean that the man who eats and drinks unworthily does not realize what the sacred symbols mean. It may mean that he eats and drinks with no reverence and no sense of the love that these symbols stand for or the obligation that is laid upon him.
b.
It may also mean this. The phrase the body of Christ again and again stands for the Church ... It may mean that unworthiness comes from hatred, bitterness, contempt against his brother man, as he comes to the Table of our Lord.21
Consider this possibility. The point of the Eucharist is celebration of the forgiveness of sins. We are called to repent and thus receive the forgiveness of sins. Therefore it is important as we approach Communion to repent for our sins. Persons who are unworthy of receiving Communion are those who think they are worthy and need no repentance. Those who are worthy are those who know they are unworthy sinners and thus repent.
