Hebrews 9:22

Jesus sent His disciples ahead to Jerusalem for their second Passover together, but our Lord did not join them ((John 6:1 and 7:1)

The Third Passover in the upper Room, wad decidedly different, not only from the two previous, but from any other ever celebrated.

First, a location must be chosen: “Go to the city to such a man. And say unto him, the Master saith, “my time is at hand: I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.” (Matthew 26:18) Read Luke 22:8-12

Nothing is left to chance. Every element of the feast is intended to picture something else–with the centerpiece of the meal, the lamb–ultimately picturing the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29.)

All the elements were very carefully prepared, meaning that the all of the pictures of salvation are in place, and ready for the Lamb to come and make the feast His own Memorial Supper.

Holy Communion causes us to face a bitter truth. Jesus was born to die! “Without shedding of blood there is no remission,” (Hebrews 9:22) “The wages of sin is death,” the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:23. Death is much more than an enormous question mark in our lives. It is what many scholars have called the “Ultimate Reality.” Death entered our world through disobedience to God’s clear instruction, from our ancient parents in the garden of glory, and continues to this day, hovering over fallen humankind. We cannot escape on our own. Death is inescapable.

For this He came, and it all starts with communion. Through this Holy Meal, we are reminded that Christ came into our world because, truly, “God so loved the world…..” (John 3:16.) Yet, to conquer humankind’s reality of death, Jesus had to do something absolutely unique and unimaginable–He had to kill death! And to make it even more imaginable, our Savior had to kill death dead by dying.

For this He accomplished–to destroy death! The Son of God, our Jesus Christ, took it upon Himself of every sin and disobedience to God’s clear direction, and became guilty so that we the truly guilty could go free. Death, and its consequences, are resolved in he Cross of Calvary.

For this He is coming again!. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ stands before us these days before Easter’s Resurrection Joy. In subsequent Sundays’, I want to explore the depth of this amazing truth. We’ll journeying together on the road to Gethsemane, and examine the example the life of one who bore first witness to the victory of the Cross of Christ. By her witness to the empty tomb, we share Mary Magdalene’s heart and mind! That’s next Sunday. This Sunday we have the testament of the Lord’s Table in our midst at Depews Chapel United Methodist Church. And it’s enough–for now!