HAS THE PASSOVER SEDER ANY THEOLOGICAL RELATEDNESS WITH THE LAST SUPPER (EUCHARIST)?

 

The Passover is a Jewish celebration marked to recall their exodus from slavery into freedom. This celebration is marked by the eating of unleavened bread, unblemished lamb, bitter leaves and the meal itself eaten in haste. The Eucharist is the real presence of Christ in the two species of bread and wine. The Eucharist was presided over by Jesus Christ, who himself became the spotless victim, the sacrificial lamb.

The Passover and the Eucharist are theologically interrelated because of the following reasons:

•   UNLEAVENED BREAD

In the festival of the unleavened bread (Exodus 13:1-10 & 12:14-20) by the Israelites, the kind of bread used was unleavened. That is to say that there was no yeast in the bread; which implied that there was no time for the preparation of bread. Likewise in the Last Supper’s institution (Matthew 26:20-30 & Luke 22:7-23), Jesus used bread which was unleavened.

• THE PRESIDER WAS THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY

Family heads preside over the Passover and Jesus Christ was the president of the Last Supper. In Exodus 12:46, it was stipulated that every household of Israel shall celebrate this event. In the Jewish custom, it is the duty of the family head to preside over the family gatherings. Likewise, Jesus is the head of the body of Christ, the Church and hence presided over the celebration.

•   UNBLEMISHED LAMB

Every household was entitled to one unblemished lamb for the celebration of Passover. If a household cannot, they are to join another household for the celebration. In the last supper, the lamb was Jesus Christ, who himself became for us real food.

•   COMMUNAL MEAL

The Passover was celebrated by the whole congregation of the Israelites in exception of the slaves and foreigners (Exodus 12: 43-45). The communal meal in the context of the Last Supper was celebrated by Jesus and his apostles.

•   MEMORIAL MEAL

The festival of unleavened bread was to be marked by the Israelites to remember their exodus from Egypt. Jesus told his apostles to “do this in remembrance of me”.

•   DECREED BY GOD

…As an annual meal of the Passover and a daily meal of the Last Supper. The Israelites were decreed by God to commemorate this event. Jesus commissioned his apostles to always carry out this event.

•   THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

The blood of the lamb was to prevent the angel of death from striking down the non-Israelites (Exodus 12:13). The blood of Christ was to set us free from sin. That was why he died on the Cross for the remission of sins- salvation history.

From these similarities highlighted from the sacred scriptures, we can concretely deduce that the Passover and the Eucharist are theologically interrelated.