The uniqueness of this Passover meal continues. It is in fact, along with the first one, the most important Passover Meal in all of history. Because now, step by step, Jesus begins to reinterpret the meaning of the Passover for his disciples.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

When he had taken the bread, the first thing he did was to give thanks, as was the Jewish custom before meals. This meal starts with joyful gratitude to God for the gift that is about to be received.

Jesus then broke the bread. Unless the bread was broken, it could not be shared with those who needed to receive it. Without the broken body of Christ, there would be no life for God to share with humanity. And just as Christ himself broke the bread, so too no one broke his body, except as an act of his own will. John 10:18.

Then Jesus gave the bread to the disciples as a gift, saying to them, “Take it.” Through these words, Jesus was establishing the symbolic link between the broken bread and his sacrifice at Calvary.

You can be present at this meal, and eat the bread and drink the wine, but not participate in its meaning, because you don’t spiritually “take it,” as Jesus said, and so you don’t affirm from your heart that the body of Jesus was broken for your salvation.

What has been your experience of the Lord’s Supper in the past? What can you personally do to ensure that you more deeply experience its beautiful meaning?

Listen to the Podcast here.