The Last Supper and Christ our passover

[Joe Chandler]

Have you ever been confused by Christ's word to His disciples at the last supper? I wondered what he meant for a long time, until I realized who He was talking to and what meal they were eating. The disciples were Jewish and the meal was the Passover Feast. The Passover was the day Israel was freed from Egypt. It was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, unless someone was providentially hindered, then provision was made so that person could celebrate the Passover on the 14th day of the second month. It is the only holy convocation with such a provision. (Exodus 12 and Numbers) So Christ was celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples.

Matthew 26:17-18 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

Matthew 26:26-30 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. 30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

When Christ said, "Take, eat; this is my body." and "Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood ..." He was not advocating cannibalism, but pointing out to the disciples that He was the Passover lamb. Just as the original Passover freed Israel from Egypt, Christ frees us from the captivity of the world.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

[SureWord]

8 hours ago, Joe Chandler said:

Have you ever been confused by Christ's word to His disciples at the last supper? I wondered what he meant for a long time, until I realized who He was talking to and what meal they were eating. The disciples were Jewish and the meal was the Passover Feast. The Passover was the day Israel was freed from Egypt. It was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, unless someone was providentially hindered, then provision was made so that person could celebrate the Passover on the 14th day of the second month. It is the only holy convocation with such a provision. (Exodus 12 and Numbers) So Christ was celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples.

Matthew 26:17-18 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

Matthew 26:26-30 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. 30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

When Christ said, "Take, eat; this is my body." and "Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood ..." He was not advocating cannibalism, but pointing out to the disciples that He was the Passover lamb. Just as the original Passover freed Israel from Egypt, Christ frees us from the captivity of the world.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

[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?

John 6:66-67

There was a "falling away" of sorts from Jesus when he spoke about eaten his flesh and drinking his blood. Even many disciples (Hebrews 6:4-6) turned away.

I've never heard anyone among IFB really discuss this. If many disciples turned away how could these "disciples" be saved at the time? At the least, if they were born again, they would have understood Jesus was speaking allegorically and not literally. If they were not saved then why were they called "disciples"? 

I believe in eternal security but this whole passage is strange indeed.

Anyway, comparing scripture with scripture it seems to me that the coming "falling away" (II Thessalonian. 2:3) will have something to do with the body of Christ. I also find it interesting that the falling away occurs in John 6:66 of all verses.

Maybe a blasphemous form of the Lord's Supper will enter the Church that will make transubstantiation look like child's play. 

Right after Jesus spoke of his flesh and blood Satan himself entered Judas Iscariot (a disciple) to betray Jesus. Judas Iscariot is a type of the Antichrist in scripture.  

In I John 2:22 the apostle mentions about antichrists who deny the Son. In this context it was denying that Christ came in the flesh. They were Gnostics which has seen a great revival in this world. 

So, all these things seems to be related to the literal body of Christ.

If the days of the Son of Man are indeed as the days of Noah in the fullest sense than it could involve cannibalism. I say this because it appears from the wording of Genesis 9:3-6 that cannibalism on a grand scale was occuring before the flood. In the context of eating animals God prohibits the shedding of man's blood and a death penalty falls upon man and animal for this. 

Notice the strange passage in Isaiah:

[8] Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
[9] And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
[10] Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
[11] Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
[12] And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
[13] But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

The land is made "desolate" after there is a "great forsaking" and "the holy seed" shall be "eaten".

The "abomination of desolation" shows up. If you look at the word "abomination" in scripture many times it's used in the context of something that is sacrificed then eaten.

 

 

 

 

[Joe Chandler]

I almost included John 6:60-66, but decided that I had already included a lot of content. It really adds to the conversation. Good catch. I don't know what to say about the disciples that walked away. I see church members leave, then return later, so maybe there is hope for those in John 6. Gen 9:3-6 certainly doesn't exclude cannibalism, but I never linked them until I read your reply. Something to think about. Thanks.

[BrotherTony]

7 hours ago, SureWord said:

[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?

John 6:66-67

There was a "falling away" of sorts from Jesus when he spoke about eaten his flesh and drinking his blood. Even many disciples (Hebrews 6:4-6) turned away.

I've never heard anyone among IFB really discuss this. If many disciples turned away how could these "disciples" be saved at the time? At the least, if they were born again, they would have understood Jesus was speaking allegorically and not literally. If they were not saved then why were they called "disciples"? 

I believe in eternal security but this whole passage is strange indeed.

Anyway, comparing scripture with scripture it seems to me that the coming "falling away" (II Thessalonian. 2:3) will have something to do with the body of Christ. I also find it interesting that the falling away occurs in John 6:66 of all verses.

Maybe a blasphemous form of the Lord's Supper will enter the Church that will make transubstantiation look like child's play. 

Right after Jesus spoke of his flesh and blood Satan himself entered Judas Iscariot (a disciple) to betray Jesus. Judas Iscariot is a type of the Antichrist in scripture.  

In I John 2:22 the apostle mentions about antichrists who deny the Son. In this context it was denying that Christ came in the flesh. They were Gnostics which has seen a great revival in this world. 

So, all these things seems to be related to the literal body of Christ.

If the days of the Son of Man are indeed as the days of Noah in the fullest sense than it could involve cannibalism. I say this because it appears from the wording of Genesis 9:3-6 that cannibalism on a grand scale was occuring before the flood. In the context of eating animals God prohibits the shedding of man's blood and a death penalty falls upon man and animal for this. 

Notice the strange passage in Isaiah:

[8] Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
[9] And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
[10] Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
[11] Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
[12] And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
[13] But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

The land is made "desolate" after there is a "great forsaking" and "the holy seed" shall be "eaten".

The "abomination of desolation" shows up. If you look at the word "abomination" in scripture many times it's used in the context of something that is sacrificed then eaten.

 

 

 

 

It's very possible. I'll have to do more research on it. Never quite looked at it that way.