The Passover and the Eucharist

[livingproofGM]

Have you ever attended a Seder?

No, but I think we had something similiar to that at one of my old schools, just to bring the kids together.

 

[livingproofGM]

Yes, but the Passover was not for the Holy of Holies. At the original Passover the lamb's blood was put on the door posts and the lamb was eaten.

The High Priest brought the blood into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur not on Passover.

Just a thought,
Kenith

I geuss, this isn't a comparison of holidays, though. I'm simply trying to compare the Old Testament Passover (very literal, not figurative) to the New Testament Passover, the Last Supper, which everyone thinks to be figurative.

 

[A. believer]

I just finished an awsome book entitled "A Father Who Keeps His Promises," by Scott Hahn. This is about about a page of one of the last chapters that discusses Christ's "once for all" sacrifice on Calvary. I know I always talk about this, but my other thread was left up in the air, so I thought I'd try once more. Someone promised me they'd talk further about it, anyway.

1. The Synoptic Gospels clearly depict Jesus instituting the Euchatist within the context of the Jewish Passover.
2. The Jewish Passover was the covenant sacrifice that Jesus meant to fufill by His own self offering.
3. The Passover sacrifice should not be seperated from Jesus' sacrificial death on the Cross; Jesus didn't finish the Passover until Calvary, where he fulfilled it (It is finished Jn 19:30).
4. The Eucharist is also inseperabely united to Christ's death; for Calvary began with the Eucharist, while the Eucharist ended with Calvary. They are one in the same sacrifice.

The "it" that was finished in John 19:30 was the Passover that Jesus had begun-but interupted-in the Upper Room. His completion was marked by the sign of drinking the sour wine, the fourth cup of the ancient Jewish Passover. What was finished was finished was Jesus' fulfillment of the Passover of the Old Covenant, through His transformation of it into the New Covenant Passover. He is the first born son who was slain, the Lamb without blemish or broken bones (Jn 19:36), the one who is slaughtered-and whose body must therefore be eaten (John 6:53-56). We, too, must eat the Lamb. That is why Christ instituted the Eucharist.

Jesus is no longer bleeding, suffering, or dying (Heb 9:25-26). But if Jesus' offering has ceased, then there would be no basis for His ongoing priesthood, and we read in Scripture that His priesthood is permanent, and will "continue forever" (Heb 7:24). In the heavenly court Jesus appears as "a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered" (Rev. 5:6; cf. 13:8).

The "once for all" character of Jesus' sacrifice points to the perfection and perpetuity of His self offering. It can be represented upon our altars, in the Eucharist, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that "through Him, [we] continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God" (Heb 13:15).

I'm not sure what kind of discussion you're trying to generate from this, but perhaps this article might be a good one for you to read and consider.

 

[Ainesis]

The "it" that was finished in John 19:30 was the Passover that Jesus had begun-but interupted-in the Upper Room.

Actually, I think the "it" has many meanings there. But, applying it to the passover, it "it" is finished, then why would he re-enact the passover by sacrificing himself continuously?

 

[livingproofGM]

Actually, I think the "it" has many meanings there. But, applying it to the passover, it "it" is finished, then why would he re-enact the passover by sacrificing himself continuously?

Christ does not re-sacrifice himself continuily. We see in Rev (I gave the verse in the OP) that Christ still portrays a slain Lamb. The sacrifice is made present at the Mass, not done over and over again.

 

[A. believer]

Christ does not re-sacrifice himself continuily. We see in Rev (I gave the verse in the OP) that Christ still portrays a slain Lamb. The sacrifice is made present at the Mass, not done over and over again.

The situation in Revelation is a vision that John has and relays in the context of the martyrdom of the saints. Christ was slain, and so will many of them be slain, but they can take heart, knowing that Christ is the victor and so will they, if they are faithful in the face of their persecution, be victorious through Christ.

 

[livingproofGM]

The situation in Revelation is a vision that John has and relays in the context of the martyrdom of the saints. Christ was slain, and so will many of them be slain, but they can take heart, knowing that Christ is the victor and so will they, if they are faithful in the face of their persecution, be victorious through Christ.

That's true, but this does not mean that the sacrifice and the Eucharist are two different things. In fact, they are the same.

 

[Ainesis]

Christ does not re-sacrifice himself continuily. We see in Rev (I gave the verse in the OP) that Christ still portrays a slain Lamb. The sacrifice is made present at the Mass, not done over and over again.

What do you mean by "made present"? BTW, I am not being terse, just asking questions. Thanks

 

[livingproofGM]

What do you mean by "made present"? BTW, I am not being terse, just asking questions. Thanks

The Mass repeats what happens at the Last Supper, where He turned bread into His body and wine into His blood, saying that these would be sacrificed for us. Clearly, at the Last Supper, Jesus made His future sacrifice at Clavary present. He then commanded His disciples to repeat this mystery. In 1 Cor 11:26, St. Paul tells us that in the celebration of the Eucharist we "proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes." Thus, the Last Supper, which made the sacrifice of Calvary present, will continue to be repeated in Mass until the end of time. In this way, Christ's once-for-all sacrifice will be made present to the faithful until the end of time. Thank you for being nice, a lot of people go about asking questions harshly and with much anger.

 

[IgnatiusOfAntioch]

Actually the blood of the lamb had to be put on the doorposts and lintel in order for the death angel to pass over that house and not kill anyone.

Wow!!! I just realized something. Now the Blood of the Lamb of God was spilled on the lintel of the Cross so that death would pass over and so that we can have life everlasting.

 

[livingproofGM]

Wow!!! I just realized something. Now the Blood of the Lamb of God was spilled on the lintel of the Cross so that death would pass over and so that we can have life everlasting.

OMGOODNESS!! hahaha...That is so neat! I never realized that either!!

 

[livingproofGM]

OMGOODNESS!! hahaha...That is so neat! I never realized that either!!

I'm still goin crazy over that!

 

[IgnatiusOfAntioch]

I'm still goin crazy over that!

I am Godsmacked by the very thought!

 

[Joykins]

Very cool insight, IgnatiusOfAntioch!

My father was raised Jewish and some years growing up, we had a Seder. A Seder is a very, very different experience than Holy Communion, but the layered overtones of the one on the other are intriguing.

 

[sempervirens]

... The "it" that was finished in John 19:30 was the Passover that Jesus had begun-but interupted-in the Upper Room. His completion was marked by the sign of drinking the sour wine, the fourth cup of the ancient Jewish Passover. What was finished was finished was Jesus' fulfillment of the Passover of the Old Covenant, through His transformation of it into the New Covenant Passover. He is the first born son who was slain, the Lamb without blemish or broken bones (Jn 19:36), the one who is slaughtered-and whose body must therefore be eaten (John 6:53-56). We, too, must eat the Lamb. That is why Christ instituted the Eucharist.

Coincidence that the sour wine was offered with a branch of hyssop? I don't think so... the Israelites used a hyssop branch to put the lamb's blood on the lintel.

 

[IgnatiusOfAntioch]

Very cool insight, IgnatiusOfAntioch!

My father was raised Jewish and some years growing up, we had a Seder. A Seder is a very, very different experience than Holy Communion, but the layered overtones of the one on the other are intriguing.

Yes, more and more I'm discovering how so many of the powerful events in the New Testament were prefigured in the Old Testament. It just floors me sometimes.