The room had been prepared, all leaven removed, all elements of the Passover meal obtained – the roasted lamb, the bitter herbs, the charoset, the salt water, each with deep meaning to the men who reclined at that table.

Jesus’ closest friends gathered with Him to celebrate the high, holy day as they had in years past. This one seemed different. Everything seemed to have a deeper meaning than before.

When Jesus lifted the bread — special bread made for hundreds of years the same way, bruised, striped, and pierced — at that expected time in the  Seder, he called out the age old blessing so many rabbis still sing. He broke that bread and said it was His body.

He also said as often as we do this to do it in remembrance of Him.

My question is: Do what?

Every time we Christians take communion of cracker and wine/juice?

I really don’t think that’s it.

I think Jesus was saying that from then on, whenever His followers celebrated the Passover, they were to change their focus from the old understanding of rescue from Egypt to the new understanding of our rescue from sin through Jesus.

Somewhere down through history, our “Christian” fathers decided to separate themselves completely from the Jews and thus, few of us have ever learned about this version of the Lord’s supper.

Personally, I believe we simply cannot separate Jesus from His Jewishness – especially in this remembrance. Every moment of the Seder, ordered by God Himself after He brought Israel out from Egypt, points to Jesus as Messiah. Every element, every scripture, every cup of wine, and especially the bread.

Today, let’s do as our Jewish friends and neighbors. Let’s look hard for the leaven. They will be looking throughout their homes for every possible source and internally so as to be cleaned of any sin.
We may not clear our homes of the physical leaven, but we can look at the leaven in US, the sin that rises up and explodes into behaviors that shame our Savior.

Let’s agree with Him that it is indeed sin. (Confession)
Once we find it, let’s get it and all traces of it out! (Repentance)

And let’s remember that Jesus gave Himself as the sacrificial lamb, taking God’s wrath for our sins so we don’t have to. Let’s turn to Him in awe and wonder and bless His name.

Let’s make this year different as we walk into the celebration of the Messiah/Savior.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.