Institution and Importance

1. The New Testament continues to show how the Jews saw the Passover as central to their lives
2. They often used the terms "Passover" and "Feast of Unleavened Bread" interchangeably, Lk. 22:1; Mk. 14:1

1. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE PASSOVER FEAST
   1. The gospel of John gives a clear picture of this
      1. The cleansing of the temple, John 2:13-17
      2. The feeding of the 5,000. John 6:1-14
      3. The "bread of life" teaching, John 6:25-59
      4. The "Lamb of God" proclamation, John 1:29
      5. Jesus' personal observance of Passover, John 13:1-30
   2. The Synoptic Gospels describe Jesus' establishment of the Lord's Supper during the Passover observance, Matt. 26:2,17-19; Mk. 14:1,12,14,16; Lk. 22:1,7-8, 3,15
      1. The record also shows their bewilderment at this and subsequent events, Lk. 24:1-12,36-43; Matt. 28:16-17
      2. However, they were further taught, commissioned, and eventually empowered, Lk. 23:49; John19:26,34; 20:24-28; Lk. 24:45; Matt. 28:19-20
      3. As a result of the Holy Spirit's work, the church began fifty days after Passover, Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:7-8; 2:1f

2. THE EARLY CHURCH LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
   1. Those converted "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42)
      1. Those early Jewish Christians were in a position to appreciate deeply the Passover elements of the Supper
      2. The unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, which had for centuries reminded them of their great escape, now pointed to Jesus, God's sacrificed Lamb
   2. The first explicit discussion of the Lord's Supper in the New Testament is found in I Corinthians
      1. Therefore, the context and character of the Corinthian church needs to be considered
      2. Thus, Paul's work at Corinth and the date of his first letter is important for our study

1. The gospels show Jesus and the Passover intertwined
2. The early church saw the Lord's Supper as the ultimate significance of Passover. God's Son was God's Lamb. God's Lamb was God's Son
3. We end this lesson at the earliest New Testament records concerning the Lord's Supper

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