Jesus’ last meal with his friends

It was Passover time, the annual seven-day festival when the Jews remembered the great way God had saved them from slavery in Egypt. And which was their beginning as a nation. This was the moment when Judas betrayed Jesus. And Jesus saw it as a very appropriate time to have a last, solemn meal with his friends. He knew that his death was coming. And he considered it as the way to an even greater rescue than the rescue of the Israelites from Egypt.

His body would be broken on the cross for them. His blood would be spilled. The original Passover was marked by the death of a lamb whose blood was painted over the doors of every Jewish home. They did that so God’s judgement would ‘pass over’ them. The Jews never forgot it.

But now, Jesus sees his death like that of the Passover lamb. He is going to die so that his followers could escape God’s judgement on the evil in their lives. Then they could ‘cross over’ from death and judgement into a new quality of life – like the Jews who had crossed over the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians. His death would create a new relationship between God and themselves. They must never forget it.

Christians have never forgotten it. During Holy Communion in churches, Christians are given bread and wine. They are symbols of Jesus’ body and blood that he gave freely for them to make them free from guilt. This helps them to grow in their new life. If Jesus thought you were worth dying for, then surely he must be worth living for?