And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. (Matt 26:19)
Tomorrow morning I will be heading out to Jersey for the weekend. I will be spending it with friends and family. One of my best friends is hosting her traditional Passover seder tomorrow evening and I will be there. Yes, she is Jewish, so it will be more “authentic” than anything I’ve ever done. I feel honored to be included in this celebration and I am looking forward to sharing the experience and enjoying the company of loved ones. From there (after resting up on Saturday and spending the evening with my daughters and some of my musically inclined friends) I will head to my home town to spend Easter with my sister, her family and my Dad. God continues to bless me each and every day!
When we think in terms of "The Last Supper" - what we imagine and what actually took place are probably two entirely different things. All we tend to remember of that meal is that at that time, Jesus offered us the "new" covenant. I'm quite sure that their meal consisted of more than bread and wine, after all, it was Passover. I can imagine him sitting at the table with his Disciples, enjoying matzo ball soup, a lamb dinner, perhaps some gefilte fish, some borscht, some tzimmes, and some birmuelos or ingberlach for dessert, and plenty of wine. We all envision his "breaking of the bread" to be a rather large loaf of white bread, but the reality is that is was most assuredly unleavened bread (ie - matzos).
When we celebrate our holy days (or holidays), many of us do it as an excuse to get the family together, tell stories of the "old days" and sit and eat a good meal. In essence, that is exactly what Passover was - with one small exception...it was to honor God who delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. It reaffirmed God's covenant with them and remember all he had done for them. Why then, should we not remember to tell the story of God's new covenant with us? Why should we not make every meal a celebration of our deliverance? Well, Jesus reminds us that we should do it - he even tells his Disciples such at his last meal - to do this in remembrance of him. The Lord's Supper should be a reverent and solemn occasion, not a cattle call. It's not something required to get you into heaven, nor is it a "must do" once a year. It does not have to take place within the confines of a church, nor does it have to be conducted by the church hierarchy.
Gather with your family and friends and celebrate the new covenant, the shed blood of the lamb, and mark your heart with it - it has been shed for you! Give to God what rightfully belongs to him - your praises and your song. All of eternity does not afford us enough time to give thanks for that one act or redemption - so start now! "Worthy is the lamb who was slain..."
