HOW IT WAS: The Lord’s Supper as Jesus Inaugurated It. (Part #3)

After the second cup of wine was consumed everyone washed his hands a second time. Then the leader would take the middle of three stacked loaves of unleavened bread and hold it up. He would then break it into two unequal “halves.” After doing so, the leader pronounced the following invitation, not in the Hebrew language, but in Aramaic, a non-Jewish language:

“This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat! Whoever is needy, let him come and celebrate Passover!” [1]

HOW IT WAS: The Lord’s Supper as Jesus Inaugurated It. (Part #2)

"Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, 'Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?' And he said, 'Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, "The Teacher says, 'My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples'"'" (Mat 26:17, 18).

We can assume that in Mark’s family’s house all was cleansed of leaven and ready for the Passover holiday, as was befitting of Jews. At sundown, Jesus and his twelve closest disciples had gathered in the upper room of the house. It was time for the Passover meal.

HOW IT WAS: The Lord’s Supper as Jesus Inaugurated It. (Part #1)

Introduction

“On the night our Lord Jesus was betrayed…,”[1] Good Friday as we now call it,[2] the Israelite city of Jerusalem was strangely quiet. Earlier in the day the narrow streets had been alive with frantic activity. Now the evening approached.

Sunset marked the beginning of the biblical holiday Passover. Over the last week and a half hundreds of thousands[3] of Jewish pilgrims from all over the land of Israel, and the Roman Empire, had converged on the surrounding villages and hillsides. While it was still light they had poured through the gates of the city to be within its white stone walls in order to celebrate this special meal with family and friends.[4] The ancient Israelites, later called Jews, had been instructed by God through the Law of Moses to do so on this date. At sunset. Each year.[5]

Discover the Mercy Seat of God - The Kapporet...

                               The Transfer of the Ark by Singing and Dancing David

Shalom,

"There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the Ark of the Testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”  (Exodus 25:22)

As Believers, we all long to have that closeness to God, to be in His very Presence, in the Holy of Holies.

This longing is well expressed by songwriter Dave Browning in his popular song called "Holy of Holies":

Take me past the outer courts

Into the Holy Place

Past the brazen altar

Lord, I want to see Your face

(Lyrics excerpted from “Holy of Holies” Copyright: Dayspring Music, LLC)

In Jars of Clay

The presence of Yeshua within us consecrates forever. Though we still occupy mortal bodies, these are not ordinary clay pots. We are holy because of the holy treasure within us.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Tzav (צו | Command)

Torah: Leviticus 6:1-8:36

Haftarah: Jeremiah 7:21-8:3, 9:22-23

Gospel: Mark 7:31-8:38

A special portion for Shabbat HaGadol is applicable this Shabbat!

Shabbat HaGadol (שבת הגדול | The Great Sabbath)

Haftarah: Malachi 3:4-24

Did Yeshua have a Bar Mitzvah?

Shalom,

“After three days they found Him [Yeshua] in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”  (Luke 2:46)

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a milestone in Jewish life.  It not only tells the world that the child has reached adulthood and is taking greater responsibility for his or her actions, it strengthens his or her identity as a Jew.

In Jewish law, Jewish girls (at age 12) and boys (at age 13) become responsible for observing Jewish ritual law, traditions, and ethics.  The rite of passage associated with this observance is the Bar Mitzvah for boys and Bat Mitzvah for girls.

Obedience and Sacrifice

What gift can you get for the God who already has everything? Does God desire sacrifice? The book of Leviticus opens with a gift registry that offers a few suggestions.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION:

Vayikra (ויקרא | And he called)

Torah: Leviticus 1:1-5:26

Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23

Gospel: Mark 7:1-30

* Special readings for Shabbat HaChodesh are applicable this Shabbat.

Shabbat HaChodesh (החדש | The Month)

* Maftir: Exodus 12:1-20

* Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18