Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

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7 February 2010
Passage: Matthew 26:1-3
Focus: “…this is my body…this is my blood…”  Matthew 26:26-28.

            Jesus had informed the disciples of what was about to take place.  “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified” (v.2).  No, they didn’t know…but they should have known.  Jesus had told them clearly enough.  They simply could not yet embrace the idea that a suffering Messiah was required to precede a conquering Messiah in prophetic fulfillment.
            The disciples were all good Jews.  From early childhood they had participated in the annual celebration and ceremony of the Passover Feast.  By now they could probably quote the entire script by memory.  It’s possible that they were doing that very thing in their minds when Jesus took the bread and said, “Take and eat, this is…” But at that very point Jesus interrupts the traditional wording and says, “This is my body.”  I can only imagine that their minds, if they were even paying attention, stumbled over those words.  “Hey, wait a minute!  That’s not how it goes.  Did He forget His lines?”
            It that wasn’t shocking enough, Jesus goes on to change the script further.  He took the cup and said, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (vv. 26-28).
            No.  Jesus didn’t forget His lines.  He was in fact stating the most wonderful of truth the human race would ever hear.  He was giving confirmation that He was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world” (Jn. 1:29).  These were “wonderful words of life.”  And it was by no means coincidental that Jesus was crucified during the Passover Feast celebration…an amazing fulfillment of that ancient tradition.  (Read Exodus 12)
            Be reminded again of the glory of the Gospel.  Be reminded of your salvation roots.  And be reminded of what our eternal status would be if it were not for this Passover Lamb of God.