The meal that heals ( PDFDrive )

On one occasion, Christ spoke of destroying this Temple and in three days
He would build it again (Matthew 26:61). Religious critics twisted the intent of
Christ’s statement and rumored that He wanted to destroy Herod’s Temple in
Jerusalem. Christ was referring to His physical body and not the man-made
Temple in Jerusalem. At times, Christ taught in parables and mysteries that
needed further explanation:
“But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.”
Mark 9:32
It would be much later, at Christ’s final Passover supper, that the disciples
would understand the full meaning of Christ’s message about His blood and His
body. That night, as Jesus held up the cup that represented the ancient Passover,
He introduced the cup with a new meaning: the cup of His blood of the New
Covenant (Matthew 26:28). As Christ broke the unleavened bread representing
the haste out of which the Hebrews fled Egyptian bondage, Christ spoke of this
bread representing His body:
“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it
among yourselves: for l say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until
the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake
it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in
remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper saying, This cup is the new testament in
my blood, which is shed for you.”
Luke 22:17-20
The disciples were aware of what the cup and the bread represented. Each
year at the feast of Passover, the Jews would remember the time they came out
of Egyptian slavery (Leviticus 23:5-8). There was no time to place leaven in the
bread; therefore, the bread was baked without the leaven. During the Passover
meal, the bread used for the supper is called matzo, meaning baked without
leaven.
There are four cups of wine used at every Jewish Passover. According to the
Jerusalem Talmud, each cup represents one of the four words used in the
redemption of Israel out of Egypt:
1. And I will bring you out (Exodus 6:6)
2. And I will deliver (Exodus 3:8)
3. And I will redeem (Exodus 6:6)
4. And I will take (Exodus 6:7)
According to the Talmud and rabbinical commentaries, the wine is mingled
with water so the wine will not be strong. Because of the children, some Jewish
families use a special wine that has no fermentation (alcohol). It is produced in