Yeshua’s Passover

Yeshua's Passover The Foundation of Redemption

This Bible teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship centers on the profound significance of Passover and its reinterpretation by Yeshua (Jesus) during the Last Supper. The speaker emphasizes that the Passover event is not merely a historical commemoration but the foundational narrative for the entire story of Israel in both the Old and New Testaments. The Exodus from Egypt, brought about by God's mighty acts, including the final plague of the firstborn, is presented as a pivotal moment where God redeemed a people for Himself and initiated a covenant with them, leading them towards the promised land of rest.

The teaching highlights how the biblical authors intentionally weave themes and phrases throughout scripture, connecting the creation story in Genesis, Noah's Ark, and the Exodus. For instance, the splitting of the Red Sea is likened to the creation where God's Spirit moved over the waters and dry land appeared. The ultimate goal of creation, God dwelling with humanity in a place of rest, is echoed in the promised land and later in the temple.

A Timeless Tradition with Evolving Meaning

The Passover Seder, a tradition spanning approximately 3,500 years, is described as a meal centered around storytelling, specifically the origin story of God's people. The speaker recounts a vibrant Passover celebration with children asking the traditional four questions, underscoring God's intention for this meal to be a teaching opportunity for future generations, ingraining in them the narrative of suffering, oppression, God's salvation, justice, and redemption through the blood of the lamb.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all emphasize the final week of Yeshua's life, dedicating a significant portion of their narratives to this period, particularly His triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the events leading up to His crucifixion. The Last Supper, occurring during the Passover, is presented not as a theological lecture but as a meal through which Yeshua explained the meaning of His impending death to His closest followers.

Reframing the Passover: Yeshua's Body and Blood

During the Last Supper, Yeshua radically reframed the traditional elements of the Passover Seder. Instead of the usual setting with nice chairs and tables depicted in Renaissance art, the historical context suggests a low table where participants reclined, a common practice during Roman feasts. The speaker notes that Yeshua reclining with sinners and tax collectors earlier in His ministry foreshadows the intimate table fellowship of the Last Supper.

As they were eating the Passover meal, Yeshua took the unleavened bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "**This is my body**." This declaration was revolutionary, as never before in the Passover tradition had the bread been associated with a person's body. The speaker explains the symbolism of the bread: just as bread provides life and sustenance, Yeshua's body, which would be beaten, sliced, and subjected to a "furnace of flames" (referring to His suffering), would also give life.

Similarly, after giving thanks for the cup of wine (likely the third cup in the traditional Seder), Yeshua gave it to His disciples, saying, "**This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins**." This act connected the wine, traditionally a symbol of celebration and God's redemptive power during the Exodus, to the spilling of His own blood, establishing a new covenant for the forgiveness of sins. This reframing transformed the Passover from a commemoration of past deliverance to a present and future reality of freedom from sin through Yeshua's sacrifice.

The speaker mentions Rabbi Gamaliel's teaching in the Mishnah that a legitimate Passover Seder must include matzah (unleavened bread), moror (bitter herbs), and the