Luke 22:15
“And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”
When I was 13-years-old I can vividly remember sitting in the sanctuary of my home church, tables spread across the room with perfectly adorned tables set for Passover. I can remember all the smells and tastes. There was dry matzah and the kicking flavors packed in a dollop of horseradish.
My church took a whole Wednesday service to observe and engage in the traditional Jewish holiday of Passover and I never saw the Jewish culture the same again. Who would have known one evening eating Passover would lead to getting a religion minor in college, a study-abroad trip to Isreal, and a never-ending amazement with Jewish culture.
There is a lot that takes place during Passover, but there is one underlying theme I long to delve into with you today. Freedom. The Israelites experienced extraordinary freedom when God rescued them and freed them from their enslavement in Egypt. So, to honor and thank their good gracious God, they hold a Passover meal where the story is shared, cleansing takes place, and they chose to slow down and remember where they were and now are.
Jesus observed the Passover, as he was raised and saturated in Jewish custom and culture. It even says in the bible that Jesus was going into Jerusalem for the Passover. He wanted to eat Passover with his disciples before it was his time to go. He does something different during their Passover meal, something we still as Christians partake in.
“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’”(Luke 22:19-20).
Jesus, the son of God, gave his life so that we may live. And on this very special Passover, a time for celebrating and remembering the freedom all the children of Israel had through their great God, Jesus shared with his disciples’ a type of freedom that went one step further.
He gave his body, for us. His blood poured out, for us. He died so we could live a life of freedom. Through Jesus we are free. Free from our transgressions, our pain, and our sin.
Take a second, and imagine yourself there at the last supper with Jesus celebrating Passover. Imagine processing the reality of the new freedom he was about to give his life so you could have. Take a deep breath. Breath in the hope and love that comes wrapped up in that freedom. Exhale the fear, shame, and pain that’s wiped away by the love of Jesus.