LORD’S SUPPER & PASSOVER
Theme of Matthew: “Behold your King
is coming to you” (Zech.9:9; Mt.21:4-5) CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THIS STUDY Ø When was the Passover celebrated by
Jesus and the disciples? Ø Passover and the Lord’s Supper Ø Debate over what we are eating in
the Lord’s Supper, “this is My body…this is My blood.” JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES MAKE
PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER (Matthew 26:17-19//Mark
14:12-17//Luke 22:7-14)
WHEN
WAS THE PASSOVER CELEBRATED BY JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES?
A. John may place the Last Supper on
the evening of Nisan 14 and the death of Jesus on Nisan 14 (reckoning a day
from sunset to sunset) (see John 13:1;
18:28,39; 19:14,31). According to
the Law, here are the dates of the Festival: 1. 10th Nisan Mar/Apr purchase
of Passover lamb Exodus 12.3-6 2. 14th Nisan Mar/Apr
Passover Feast Exodus 12.6f. 3. 15th-21st
Nisan Mar/Apr Feast of Unleavened Bread Exodus 12.18 f; 13.3f. The Passover
was eaten on the 15th of Nisan. 4. A Sunday, Nisan Mar/Apr
Firstfruits Leviticus 23.9-14 http://www.leaderu.com/theology/passover.html B. The synoptic Gospels depict
Jesus’ Last Supper as a Passover meal and His crucifixion on Nisan 15
(Matthew 26:18-20//Mark 14:16//Luke 22:15).
C. John seems to place the death of
Jesus on the afternoon just before the Jews ate the Passover meal. John describes a “Last Supper” but he does
not refer to it as a Passover meal.
The Synoptics describe the Last Supper as taking context in Jesus’
celebration of the Passover meal. D. Can the Synoptics and John be harmonized? 1. Some have come to the conclusion
that they can’t be harmonized. 2. Some favor John’s chronology and
argue that the Last Supper was not a Passover meal. 3. Some favor the Synoptic chronology and argue that the
Johannine Last Supper was a Passover meal (B.D. Smith, “The Chronology of the
Last Supper,” WTJ53 (1991):
29-45). Smith does this on the basis
that “Passover” could denote “the Passover sacrifice or meal, the period of
Nisan 14/15, the festival offering, the period of Nisan 15–21, or even the
period of Nisan 14–21” p.45). 4. Some argue that different
calendars were used in the 1st century (just as different
calendars are used by Eastern and Western churches for celebrating Christmas
and Easter). E. Typically, attempts to harmonize
John with the Synoptics focus upon differences. But there are striking similarities: 1. One of the central aspects of the
Passover meal was the slaughtered lamb.
Neither John nor the Synoptics make any mention of the disciples
eating lamb! a. The Synoptics emphasize that the
lamb the disciples ate was Jesus, “Take, eat; this is My body” (26:26). b. John’s meal emphasizes that Jesus
is the slave Who came to redeem His people from sin and death. John’s “Passover Lamb” was crucified (John
19:36//Ex.12:46 and Num.9:12; 1 Cor.5:7). 2. A central aspect of the Passover
meal was blood. Both John and the
Synoptics emphasize the importance of Christ’s blood but the Synoptics do so
at the Last Supper while John does so at the cross. a. The Synoptics emphasize blood at
the Eucharist with Jesus’ statement, “this is My blood of the covenant which
is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). b. “But one of the soldiers pierced
His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John
19:34-37). This is interesting because
none of the Synoptics mention blood at the cross. 3. The Synoptics focus upon
parallels between the Passover and the Lord’s Supper. The Synoptics place an emphasis upon Table Fellowship
and John does not. a. “Jesus was reclining at the table
in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining
with Jesus and His disciples. When the
Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is Your Teacher eating
with the tax collectors and sinners” (Matt.9:10-11//Mark 2:16//Luke 5:30;
15:2). b. “The Son of Man came eating and
drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of
tax collectors and sinners!’…” (Matt.11:19//Luke 7:34). c. John’s Gospel begins with a focus
upon Jesus being “the lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John
1:29,36; cf. Rev.5:6,9,12; 12:11).
None of the Synoptics contain this statement of John the Baptizer! d. These differences may help us to
understand why John focuses the Passover on the cross while the Synoptics
focus the Passover upon the Lord’s Table. 4. John mentions details of the
cross, not found in the Synoptics, that parallel the Passover. a. John 19:29 saysthe wine vinegar
that was offered to Jesus was put on a stalk of the hyssop plant. None of the other Gospels mention this
seemingly insignificant fact. But
John, does not miss the fact that the blood that was collected from the
Passover lamb was applied to the doors of the houses with hyssop. b. Only John’s Gospel says that not
one of Jesus’ bones was broken (John 19:32-36 with Ex.12:46; Num.9:12;
Ps.22:14; 34:20; 51:8). 5. Another interesting observation
is that John’s Gospel emphasizes signs and the Synoptics do not. But there is a reversal when we get to the
Lord’s Supper. At the Lord’s Supper
the Synoptics emphasize the sign and John does not. John instead focuses upon the reality of
the Passover sign at the cross. CONCLUSION: Ø John’s Passover happened at the
cross. Ø The Synoptics’ Passover was the
Lord’s Supper. Ø All are agreed that Jesus is the
Passover Lamb. F. Against this background we are
now better able to consider the question of harmonizing the chronology of John with the Synoptics. 1. Did John reinterpret the
chronology theologically? 2. There is evidence that there were
two calendars in Jerusalem allowing for John to make parallels between the
death of Jesus and the other Passover lambs in Jerusalem. CHRISTIANITY TEACHES THAT THE LORD’S
SUPPER “FULFILLS” THE PASSOVER
1. Jesus is the first-born male
without defect (Exodus 12:5; cf. John 18:38; 19:4,6) 2. Jesus was slaughtered at twilight
(Exodus 12:6) 3. Jesus’ blood was spilled so that
we would not die. (cf. Ex.12:7,22; cf.
Lev.14:4,6,49,51-52; Num.19:6,18; Heb.9:19; Psalm 51:7) 4. Jesus bones were not broken
(Exodus 12:46; Num.9:12; Psalm 22:14; 34:20; 51:8) 5. The elders of Israel selected and
slaughtered the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:21) Why is this important
for us? ü The later church has tended to focus
upon the bread being the body of Jesus and the wine being His blood. The debate has been about how much of Jesus
is present in the elements of bread and wine. ü But the emphasis of the church in
the time of the Apostles was that the Lord’s Supper is the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7). PASSOVER
AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
1. When Jews observed the Old
Covenant Passover they explained the meaning of what they were doing (Exodus
12:25-27; 13:6-9,11-16; Deut.16:3). 2. When we remember that the Lord’s
Supper took place in the context of the Passover – we’ll immediately notice
that Jesus is catechizing His disciples! And most significantly, He is now
saying that the meaning of the meal centers upon Himself! 3. The Passover was a remembrance,
so too the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance (Exodus 12:14; 13:3; Deut.16:3;
Luke 22:19; 1 Cor.11:24-25). Chapter 29 of the Westminster Confession of Faith: 1. Our Lord Jesus,
in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body
and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the
end of the world, for the perpetual
remembrance of
the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto
true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further
engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and, to be a bond
and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of
His mystical body. (1 Cor. 11:23–26, 1 Cor. 10:16–17,21, 1 Cor. 12:13) 4. Great events were memorialized by
the Jews (Joshua 4:1-7,21-24; Purim). 5. The Scriptures repeatedly
emphasize the importance of remembering, considering (Psalm 8:3), meditating
(Josh.1:8; Psalm 143:5), studying (Psalm 111:2) and musing (Psalm 77:12;
143:5) upon Gods word and works. NEXT
WEEK: A look at the
various explanations of the Lord’s Supper.
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