Thousands of years of Jewish history are in the communion service. It started with the first Passover. Passover was first practiced by the people of Israel in Egypt. It was their celebration of freedom from slavery in Egypt. God inflicted ten plagues on the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release the slaves. The tenth plague involved the killing of every first born male in the land. The people of Israel were instructed to paint their doorposts with the blood of a spring lamb so that the Lord would pass over those homes. After all the first born were killed the people of Israel were told to leave Egypt. In haste they packed their belongings and took their dough before it was leavened. Because of this unleavened bread plays a large part in the Passover. They were instructed to keep the day as a memorial to remember how the Lord took them out of slavery. Exodus 12:1-76 explains this in detail.
At the Last Supper Jesus was celebrating the Passover but he gave new significance to the bread and the blood. The significance was the symbolism of the bread to his body and the wine to his blood. He said to his disciples, “Take and eat, this is my body”, next, he told them; “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins". Matthew 26:26-27.
Jesus wanted them to understand that he was the redemption from evil and slavery just as offerings had been in the past. His body, broken like the bread, and the wine, blood that came from his wounds would be his sacrifice to free us from sin so that we would have access to God.
From the people of Israel in Egypt to the table at the Last Supper the communion service has been observed in many different ways and places. In the early church it was observed secretly in homes when Christianity was against the law and presided over by the apostles. Later they had churches where they celebrated communion.
Over the last few thousand years the communion service has changed and is still argued over. This turning point in the ministry of Jesus is the most important to Christians because it turns us from ritualistic to redeemed and the communion service gives us the opportunity to participate in the remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, the blessing of His gift and the celebration of redemption.
