Weekly passages: Exodus 6:2-9:35; Ezekiel 28:25-29:21; Romans 9:14-33

Just a few hours before his sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples (Matt 26:17-30; Mark 14:17-26; Luke 22:14-38; John 13). As he shared the bread and wine he gave them a new meaning: "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19); "This is the cup of the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22: 20).

In obedience to Jesus' command, over many years the Christian Church has made the Communion (sometimes called the Eucharist and sometimes the Mass) central to the life of faith. Yet how often do we remember the background of the Exodus and of the Passover? It was in the context of remembering the Exodus from Egypt, the first Passover, that Jesus gave the new command. The types and shadows of the Old Covenant came into sharp focus as Jesus brought in the New Covenant.

Celebrating Passover

Since the time of Moses, Jews have met together once a year at Passover (according to the command of God, Lev 23:4-8) around family meal tables, to remember the deliverance from Egypt and to remember God's promises.

In addition, many Jews, whose eyes of understanding are opened to know Jesus as Messiah, still celebrate Passover in the traditional way but with the emphasis of the New Covenant merged into the Feast. This raises the question as to whether Christians have separated the Communion overmuch from the Passover meal and its original promises.

Four Cups, Four Promises

Exodus 6:6-7 contains the four promises that are remembered with four cups of wine at the traditional Passover meal:

I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

I will free you from being slaves to them.

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.

I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.

As each cup is drunk, each part of the story of the Exodus (beginning in our portion this week) is remembered. Would it bring special emphasis to our Communion celebrations if, to some extent, we incorporated the memory of the Exodus with our remembrance of what Jesus has done in fulfilment of these promises – and also what he will complete on his return?

No Jew foresaw this clearly prior to his coming, but every Jew and every Gentile can now reinterpret the promises with clarity. Remember too that the promises were given first to Israel - our share in them is within this framework.

Luke's Account

Reading Luke's account in the context of the Exodus account clarifies another matter. Luke mentions the sharing of wine twice – verses 17 and 20. These were two of the four cups. If the first of these envisions the third promise - I will redeem you with an outstretched arm – we have a dramatic prophecy in Exodus 6 of our Lord stretched out on the cross in fulfilment of the Father's promise to act on behalf of Israel. This is the cup we share at Communion – the memory of his sacrificial death.

The Fourth Promise

Matthew seems to record only the fourth cup (Matt 26:26-29) since immediately afterwards, the meal being over, they go the Mount of Olives. Jesus told his disciples to drink of this cup but did not do so himself, saying he would not drink like this again until he drinks it anew in the Kingdom of his Father.

This fourth cup is traditionally called 'the cup of consummation' or 'the cup of completeness', finalising the imagery of marriage. This then is what the fourth promise of Exodus 6 foreshadowed - I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. No wonder we understand from the communion service that we are remembering the Lord's death "until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26).

In the context of Exodus and the Passover, the Communion service has a clearer meaning than when it is become detached - as in much Christian tradition. Indeed, as we look forward to the Lord's return we must also remember that the promises in Exodus were given specifically to Israel. Is it not time to deepen our roots in terms of the vision of the one new man of Ephesians 2 especially relating to the Communion? May our Torah study this week help us in that process.

Author: Clifford Denton