What are your thoughts about the last Passover meal Jesus celebrated with his apostles?
Sometimes, we forget that Jesus, being Jewish kept the Law of Moses perfectly, including the celebration of the Passover. -Mark 14:12-16.
Why was the Passover Celebration so important to the Hebrew people?
No doubt, Jesus and his apostles, like all the people who observed the Law given to Moses
were thinking about how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
Their minds were focused on how Jehovah proved to be more powerful than all the gods of Egypt.
Each of the 10 plagues were a direct hit on a false god. When God was about to bring the final plague upon Egypt, He gave specific directions for his people to follow.
"... take a sound sheep, one year old, male. They were to take care of it from the beginning of the month until the 14th day, then the whole assembly of Israel were to slaughter the sheep at twilight. They must take some of the blood and splash it on the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway of the houses in which they eat it.
They must eat the meat on this night. They should roast it over the fire and eat it along with unleavened bread and bitter greens...you must not save any until morning, but any of it left over until morning you should burn with fire. And this is how you should eat it, with your belt fastened, sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you should eat it in a hurry. It is Jehovah's Passover. Jehovah will pass through the land of Egypt on this night and strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man to beast; and I will execute judgement on all the gods of Egypt. I am Jehovah. The blood will serve as your sign on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood and pass over you, and the plague will not come on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
This day will serve as a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to Jehovah throughout your generations. As a lasting statute, you should celebrate it."
-Exodus 12:5-14, 24-27, 31
Jesus and his apostles were reflecting on Jehovah's saving power. What Jesus does next is of great importance to us today. After, Judas Iscariot is dismissed, Jesus picks up one of the left over loaves of unleavened bread, prays over it, breaks it and passes it to his disciples saying:
"...This means my body, which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me. Also, he did the same with the cup after they had the evening meal, saying: "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood which is to be poured out in your behalf."
-Luke 22:19, 20
No longer would Jesus disciples celebrate the Passover. Jesus instituted the "Lord's Evening Meal". Once a year, Jesus disciples would gather for this "meal" of unleavened bread and red wine to remember that Jesus and his Father, Jehovah God freed us from slavery to sin and death.
(Matthew 5:17)
We can show our appreciation for this provision of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, by attending the Memorial of Jesus death. This year Jehovah's Witnesses will gather along with many others all around the world on Monday, April 14th, 2014, at sundown. This special meeting will have a brief talk explaining why Jesus death is so important. You are invited to attend this meeting in your area, to find the place and time please visit this website:
here
Additional scriptures for meditation on Jesus sacrificial death:
1 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6; and 1 Peter 1:18, 19.
