This post highlights the deep symbolism and rich meaning of the foods in the Passover meal. When Jesus needed to let his Disciples know the meaning of his fast approaching death, he didn't give them a sermon or write them a book. He gave them a meal. And this meal tells the Gospel story. If you've ever wondered about the foods of the last supper or why the Savior compared himself to a certain kind of bread, this post is for you!
Where do we see the Passover meal in Scripture?
The first so named Passover meal that appears in the Bible happens in the book of Exodus, just before the Israelites are suddenly, finally expelled from slavery in Egypt.
"That same night they are to eat the meat of the lamb roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast." -Exodus 12:8
Roasted lamb. Bitter herbs. Unleavened bread.
What are the significance of these foods?
The roasted lamb was slain and it's blood painted around the doors of the homes of God's people, which kept them safe from death.
The bread was unleavened which means it was not naturally fermented like sourdough bread or raised with a leavening agent like yeast or baking soda. The bread would have been flat or close to it. The reason for this was that things changed so quickly for the Israelites that they did not have time to prepare their bread in the normal way. This reminds us that God provides, even if it's not exactly in the way we expect.
What about the herbs? The reason for the bitter herbs is not expressly stated in Scripture and the Bible also uses a fairly vague word for them so we don't know exactly what vegetable or herbs may have accompanied the first Passover meal. I believe that highlights YHWH's intention to be inclusive to all people around the world, since there are many vegetables that could be described as bitter. It also shows that God provides for us since many of these herbs are wild or perennial.
Scripture calls us to "eat to remember all the days of your life" when God quickly lead his people out of slavery. By eating these foods and taking part in this meal, we remember the miracles and how the Living God came through for his people.
These foods speak of God's promises!
Jesus and the last supper:
Many, many years after the first Passover meal, the Savior gathered his followers for a meal the night of his arrest.
Most scholars believe this was a Passover meal. And it seems obvious that it would be. Here Jesus is connecting this meal to the Exodus. It's not a coincidence that the Messiah died on the very same day that God's people were freed from slavery. God planned this.
We have reason to believe the menu was similar to the original. This was practical, of course. Jerusalem bakeries wouldn't have been selling leavened bread at this time of year, and bitter herbs and greens are abundant in the springtime. But that wasn't the only reason. This would have been an important custom to the Disciples, to follow Scripture's instructions for this meal. Eating the same meal or at least a similar one is a way to connect to the original event.
N.T. Wright points out that, "when Jesus wanted to explain to his followers what his forthcoming death was all about, he did not give them a theory, a model, a metaphor, or any other such thing; he gave them a meal, a Passover meal."
Of course, when Jesus serves this meal, the climax isn't on the roasted lamb. The New Testament insists that Jesus is the worthy lamb who was slain, and his connection to the Passover lamb whose blood stopped the angel of death is not one to be missed.
The bread and wine were the highlight of the last supper. Jesus literally likens them to himself.
Why would the Messiah opt for a Passover meal in his final moments with his Disciples? Because that was the context he saw his death in.
Jesus did not face the cross and look at it like he was getting punished instead of us because God had set an impossible standard for humans to live up to and was angry when we didn't.
Jesus looked at his death the way he looked at the Exodus story. God's people were enslaved and they needed to be freed so that they would be free to worship him and to bear his image while representing his truth to the world.
The foods he served indicated this. The roasted lamb stood for the Messiah and how his blood would stop other powers from controlling our lives, something that Jesus also chose to highlight when he served wine and called it his blood. The bread of life wasn't just provision, it was also broken for our benefit. The green herbs speak of new beginnings and that God provides for us, even amidst bitterness.
The foods of the Passover meal speak of God's promises and when we take part in these meal we remember that we are not enslaved, but set free of by the Messiah so that we can worship him and show his love and truth to the people around us.
Related posts:
The Spiritual Meaning of Unleavened Bread
What are the Differences Between Passover and Easter?
What Scripture Says about Passover
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