Jesus came to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover celebration. His disciples wanted to know where they would eat the meal. The meal was prepared and that evening they gathered to remember their deliverance from Egypt. But there was something different this time.Jesus made reference to different symbols. “And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:22-24).Now this is a mystery to the disciples. Jesus has not yet died, and the talk of body and blood make no sense to them. But it will.Passover was celebration of God’s people being set free from Egyptian slavery. Jesus assigned some new meaning to a two of the elements of that meal: The bread, he said, was his body. The wine, he said, was his blood. This is now the central memorial action that links us in an unbroken line back to this evening before His death.That evening He and His disciples gathered to eat this meal, and it was later that night He would be betrayed. He would be denied, forsaken, arrested, tried, mocked, beaten, and crucified. Then three days later He would be risen.Now we celebrate and remember the freedom that Christ’s blood offers us. Paul recalls the words of Jesus, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24, 26). Paul further says that eating of this memorial of Jesus “proclaims his death” (1 Cor 11:26). Partaking of this, we remember that sacrifice Jesus offered for us; but also we remember that He is coming again.Another important element is that this is something we do as a body of believers—this communion is fellowship with Christ and with each other. Paul said, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Cor. 10:16). This meal is to call to our attention the mutual sharing, with the Lord and with one another, that characterizes the church.Now all four gospel accounts speak of a “new covenant.” This new covenant ...
