And now they were in the city, thronged with Jewish visitors from fifty countries. Its temple, its palaces and busy streets and markets, were well known to them all. They made their way to the house where the guest-chamber had been prepared for them.
“And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him” (Luke 22:14).
Outside, in the city, there is darkness and impending death. Already, men with swords and staves are seeking him. But, inside this house, if only for a few precious minutes, there is light and love and life and hope. Jesus, the host, prepares to celebrate the passover—his passover with his friends.
* *
Rabbinical tradition, probably followed in large measure by Christ, specified four cups of wine during the lengthy meal—as the rabbis taught, to symbolize either four cups of vengeance upon the enemies of Israel (the four world-empires of Daniel?) or four cups of consolation to God’s people. The latter four were enumerated in the Psalms (the last two in the Great Hallel1) :
- Psa, 16:5: “Yahweh is the portion of my cup.”
- Psa, 23:5: “My cup runneth over.”
- Psa, 116:13: “The cup of salvation.”
- Psa, 116:17: “I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving . . .”
The order (Hebrew “seder”) of the Passover is very precise:
- After giving thanks, the first cup is drunk (Luke 22:17,18) :
“Blessed art Thou, Yahweh our God, Who hast created the fruit of the vine! Blessed art Thou, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, Who hast chosen us from among all people, and exalted us from among all languages, and sanctified us with Thy commandments ! And Thou hast given us, 0 Yahweh our God, in love, the solemn days for joy, the festivals and appointed seasons for gladness; and this is the day of the feast of unleavened bread, the season of our freedom, a holy convocation, the memorial of our departure from Egypt. For us hast Thou chosen; and us hast Thou sanctified from among all nations, and Thy holy festivals with joy and with gladness hast Thou caused us to inherit. Blessed art Thou, 0 Yahweh, Who sanctifiest Israel and the appointed seasons! Blessed art Thou, Yahweh, King of the Universe, Who hast preserved us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season !”
- Next comes the ritual washing of hands. (It is probably at this point that Christ would wash his disciples’ feet as well.2)
- Herbs, dipped in salt water, are eaten by the host and given to the others. This symbolizes the bitterness, the sweat of slavery in Egypt.
- All the dishes are now removed from the table. A second cup of wine is poured, but not yet drunk.
- Next comes the Haggadah (Hebrew, “setting forth,” or instruction. This is the teaching, by the familiar form of questions and answers, of the true meaning of the passover. It was to the Haggadah that Paul the great Mosaic scholar referred in Rom. 3:25:
“Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth”, to be a propitiation through faith in his blood (i.e., the blood sprinkled on the ‘doorposts’ of the heart—Heb. 10:22), to declare His righteousness for the remission (or “passing over”) of sins that are past. . .”
“For as often as ye eat this bread, And also in 1 Cor. 11 :26 : and drink this cup, ye do shew (or “set forth”) the Lord’s death till he comes.”
Rabbi Gamaliel (Paul’s teacher) said regarding the Passover:
“Whosoever does not explain three things in the Passover has not fulfilled the duty incumbent on him. These three things are: the Passover lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs. The lamb means that God passed over the blood-sprinkled place on the houses of our fathers in Egypt. The unleavened bread means that our fathers were delivered out of Egypt in haste. And the bitter herbs mean that the Egyptians made bitter the lives of our fathers in Egypt.”
This portion of the feast is now concluded with words quite strongly suggested to us in this day and age:
“From generation to generation every man is bound to look upon himself not otherwise than if he had himself come forth out of Egypt. Therefore we are bound to thank, praise, laud, glorify, extol, honour, bless, exalt, and reverence Him, because He hath wrought for our fathers, and for us all these miracles. He brought us forth from bondage into freedom, from sorrow into joy, from mourning to a festival from darkness to a great light, and from slavery to redemption. Therefore let us sing before him: HALLELUJAH!”
- The first part of the “Great Haller is now sung. Psalm 113 and 114 are the nearest approximation we possess to the “new song” of Rev. 14:1,3; 75:3;: the song of Moses and the Lamb. Might not similar words fall from the lips of that great multitude of the redeemed? A brief prayer is now offered.
“Blessed art Thou, Yahweh our God, King of the Universe, Who hast redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt.”
- Finally, the second cup of wine is drunk.
- Hands are washed again.
- The unleavened bread is broken.
- Then thanks is given.
- The unleavened bread is dipped in “charoseth,” a mixture of vinegar, dates, raisins, and other fruits (symbolizing the thick mortar of the bricks of Egypt). This is the “sop” which Christ gives to Judas, who now departs, into the “night.” (John 13:30). The “leaven” being now truly purged, the meal may continue.
- At this point would normally come the main meal, the partaking of the Passover Lamb. There is no lamb but Jesus, so he “sets forth” himself. During this time Christ continues his teaching, for the time remaining with his disciples is altogether too short, and by his teaching, he may strengthen himself as well for the trials ahead.
In the solemnity of these precious moments the disciples remain silent, sensing the holiness of a new and deeper fellowship with their Master. His spirit flows out to them with a love not hitherto revealed. . . “My little children. . .” And so he comes quietly to us as well, in our quiet hopes and fears, with his invitation. “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you.” Are we truly prepared with the love, the sacrifice of self-will, the dedication, which this invitation should provoke?
- After this, Jesus takes the unleavened bread, blesses it, and breaks it (Luke 22:19). The grain of wheat must fall into the ground, and die, that it may bring forth a bountiful harvest for bread. The first step must be taken in faith, or the promised bread will never become a reality!
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:5,6).
And so the Saviour was to go forth, for the joy set before him, enduring the cross and despising the shame.
“This is my body, which is given for you.”
“This is the bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.”
“The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? For we being many are nevertheless one body; for we are the partakers of that one bread.” The bread is broken and passed by Christ to each individual.
- The third cup of the Passover feast was traditionally known as the “cup of blessing” (and was so called by Paul in 1 Cor. 10:16). This is the cup “after supper” (Luke 22:20). The fruit of the vine must be gathered, and trodden under foot, its “blood” shed. The red liquid must be left a little time, to be “resurrected” in the fermentation process, with a new life.
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”
“This is the wine that maketh glad the heart of man, making his face to shine.”
“The cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ?”
Probably the cup was passed from hand to hand among the eleven disciples, as symbol of the love and joy shared among themselves.
- The last part of the Great Hallel (Psalms 115 through 118) is sung (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). The Saviour of the World, soon to face a death of intense suffering, sings the words with his friends:
“What shall I render to Yahweh ?”
“I am Thy servant and the son of Thine handmaid.”
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner.”
“Bind the sacrifice . .. unto the horns of the altar.”
“Oh give thanks unto Yahweh . .. for His mercy endureth forever.”
- The fourth and final cup of wine is drunk.
- The final blessings is pronounced: “The breath of all that lives shall praise Thy name, Yahweh our God. And the spirit of all flesh shall continually glorify and exalt Thy memorial, 0 our King! For from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God, and besides Thee we have no King, Redeemer, or Saviour. . .”
“And when they had concluded, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
May we partake of this passover with ever-growing awareness and thankfulness, and may we “set forth,” as did Paul, the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One