Communion and the Passover
The Sacrament of Communion has a deep connection to the Jewish Passover. It is within the context of the Passover festival that Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper as a frequent practice for His followers. Communion is not merely a symbolic memorial service of Christ's sacrifice but a sacrament where we receive Christ as a means of grace. The Context of the Passover The Passover is a Jewish feast that was instituted by God during the Exodus as the Israelites prepared to leave Egypt. After nine grueling plagues against the Egyptians, Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites go and it became time for the tenth plague; Every firstborn son in the land of Egypt would die. It is important to note that the Lord intended to be indiscriminate with His wrath in the Tenth Plague. This was not a plague targeted only towards Egyptians such as the Fifth (death of livestock), Seventh (Hail), and Ninth (Darkness) plagues where Israel did not experience them. Rather, God intended to move all ...