The Passover is Past, and Over/The Lord’s Supper is New Covenant/Observance
The Passover observance for Ancient Israel has come and gone with the Old Covenant. Jesus came and upgraded ceremonial rituals to a Spiritual Level. The symbolic attributes of a Lamb without blemish and its blood on the door posts of your house has been up graded to Bread and Wine. Baptism represents the death spiritually. The Bread and Wine represents accepting Christ into your daily living.
Why mix Old Covenant with New Covenant since Christ came, died, rose, and sent the Holy Spirit to live in us as our guide to a life in Christ?
This is not judging anyone’s religious traditions; it is clarification on what is commanded relevant to what Christ ordained with the New Covenant. Church traditions could be unnecessary for worship.
Matthew 26:26-29
(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.
Mark 14:22-25
(22) And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
(23) And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
(24) And he said unto them, this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
(25) Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Luke 22:14-20
(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 brake 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 testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Apostle Paul’s commentary on the Lord’s Supper
1 Corinthians 11:20-29
(20) When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
(21) For in eating everyone taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
(22) What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
(23) For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
(24) And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
(25) After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
(26) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
(27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
(28) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
(29) For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
Verse 24: “do this in remembrance of Me” ; Nothing mentioned about washing feet.
Verse 26: “as often as you do this”; Frequency of the application of these sacraments is up to the leadership of the church. No specific number of times per year is specified. The Lord’s Supper ceremony has nothing to do with the ancient Passover lamb or must be observed on the very memorial of that event; although there is nothing wrong with observing it then. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that “shadow” The ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God was on the evening of the 15th of the month. It is no more death passing over it is accepting the death of Christ as atonement for our sins.
Verse 29: Paul is finishing up his issue with the Corinthian Church about having a party during the Lord’s supper.
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The word, “unworthy” is translated, irreverent. Total disregard for the meaning of eating the bread and drinking the wine.
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Preceding verse; “Examine yourself” Self-disclosure of your need for a consistent commitment with Christ in you.
Washing feet is not a sacrament of the Lord’s Supper/ It is a Tradition in Some Churches
The washing of feet was a physical act as a spiritual lesson for the disciples. Jesus used the ancient custom of the servant washing the dust off the feet of the household or visitors to drive home the “spiritual” lesson of humility among themselves and their brethren. Peter obviously didn’t get the lesson at first. Jesus was setting the premise for how people should treat each other, whether master or servant.
Verse 16: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” This is why Jesus washed the disciples’ feet that night in 30 A.D.
John 13:4-17
(4) He rises from supper and laid aside his garments; and took a towel and girded himself.
(5) After that he pours water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
(6) Then comes he to Simon Peter: and Peter says unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
(7) Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou know not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
(8) Peter says unto him, thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
(9) Simon Peter says unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
(10) Jesus says to him, He that is washed need not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
(11) For he knew who should betray him; therefore, said he, Ye are not all clean.
(12) So, after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know you what I have done to you?
(13) Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
(14) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
(15) For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
(16) Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
(17) If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Ye also ought to wash ... - Some have understood this literally as instituting a religious rite which we ought to observe; but this was evidently not the design; because:
1. There is no evidence that Jesus intended it as a religious observance, like the Lord’s Supper or the ordinance of baptism. It is not in the institution of the bread and wine sacraments.
2. It was not observed by the apostles or the primitive Christians as a religious rite.
3. It was a rite of hospitality among the Jews, a common, well-known thing, and performed by servants.
4. It is the manifest design of Jesus here to inculcate a lesson of humility; to teach them by His example that they ought to condescend to the humblest offices for the benefit of others. They ought not to be proud, and vain, and unwilling to occupy a low place, but to regard themselves as the servants of each other, and as willing to befriend each other in every way. And especially as they were to be founders of the church, and to be greatly honored, he took this occasion of warning them against the dangers of ambition, and of teaching them, by an example that they could not forget, the duty of humility.
5. It is a traditional thing among many churches. A physical ceremony to manifest humility. Not a “do this in remembrance of Me” command.
Jesus explains what He means by: “eat my flesh and drink my blood”
One needs to read the whole context of the subject to understand. The issue was connected to the fact that Jesus calls Himself the “Bread of life”. He compared it to what the Jews understood about Moses and Manna.
John 6:28-68
(28) Then said they unto him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
(29) Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
(30) They said therefore unto him, what sign show thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
(31) Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
(32) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.
(33) For the bread of God is he which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world.
(34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst.
(36) But I said unto you, that ye also have seen me, and believe not.
(37) All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.
(38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
(39) And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day.
(40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
(42) And they said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he says, I came down from heaven?
(43) Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
(44) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(45) It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, comes unto me.
(46) Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
(47) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me hath everlasting life.
(48) I am that bread of life.
(49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead.
(50) This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
(51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eats of this bread he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
(52) The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, how could this man give us his flesh to eat?
(53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
(54) Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
(55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
(56) He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.
(57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so, he that eats me, even he shall live by me.
(58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever.
(59) These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
(60) Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is an hard saying; who can hear it?
(61) When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
(62) What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascended up where he was before?
(63) It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(64) But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
(65) And he said, therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
(66) From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
(67) Then said Jesus unto the twelve, will ye also go away?
(68) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Except ye eat the flesh ... - He did not mean that this should be understood literally, for it was never done, and it is absurd to suppose that it was intended to be so understood. IT is like washing feet, a physical ac act or analogy illustrating a spiritual truth. Nothing can possibly be more absurd than to suppose that when Jesus instituted the Supper, and gave the bread and wine to His disciples, they literally ate His flesh and drank His blood. Who can believe this? There He stood, a living man - His body yet alive, His blood flowing in His veins; and how can it be believed that this body was eaten and this blood drunk? Yet this absurdity must be held by those who hold that the bread and wine at the communion are “changed into the body, blood, and divinity of our Lord.” So it is taught in the decrees of the Council of Trent; and to such absurdities are men driven when they depart from the simple meaning of the Scriptures and from common sense.
The Lord Jesus would institute it just as He meant it should be observed, and there is nothing now in that ordinance which there was not when the Savior first appointed it. His body was offered, on the cross, and was raised up from the dead and received into heaven. The plain meaning of the passage is, that by His bloody death - His body and His blood offered in sacrifice for sin - He would procure pardon and life for man; that they who partook of that, or had an interest in that, should obtain eternal life. He uses the figure of eating and drinking because that was the subject of discourse; because the Jews prided themselves much on the fact that their fathers had eaten manna; and because, Jesus said that He is the bread of life, it was natural and easy, especially in the language which He uses, to carry out the figure, and say that bread must be eaten in order to be of any avail in supporting and saving men.
1 Corinthians 10:1-5
(1) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
(2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
(3) And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
(4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
(5) But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
For they drank of that spiritual Rock - Of the waters which flowed from that Rock. The Rock here is called “spiritual,” not from anything special in the nature of the rock, but because it was the source to them of supernatural mercies and became thus the emblem and demonstration of the divine favor, and of spiritual mercies conferred upon them by God. It was symbolic in nature.
Verse: 4: Paul is comparing the miracle of life saving physical water provided in the desert to the Israelite's to Christ’s “living water”; not that Christ was there in the desert with them. John 4:14 But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
I REPORT: YOU DECIDE