Across the world, all Christian churches have Communion (also known as Mass, Eucharist or Lord's Supper depending on what domination one belongs to) as part of their gatherings. Each church will have different times and how often they do this practice. At my home church, we remember Jesus with Communion fellowship on the first Sunday of the month. In varying accounts at Jesus' last meal with his disciples, the Gospel writers called Matthew, Mark and Luke each record the original Seder meal when Jesus instituted the practice for us Christians to follow behind. Jesus taught his disciplines this new remembrance procedure as part of gathering between believers to honor and commemorate his death and the significance of it. Modern Christians also use this time to examine our own hearts for unconfessed sin so to ask Jesus to forgive them in prayer individually.
Today, each church practice Communion differently with different supplies and how it's done. At my church, the Communion servers would deliver tiny plastic packets with the smooth cracker between the plastic and foil and tiny cup filled with grape juice to each person sitting at their seats. Since we're a small church, it's easier and faster that way. In addition, it's great to have one or two persons to get a chance to serve the church this way each time we do Communion. Fun Fact: Sometimes we have children, old enough to follow directions, very patient, and steady with the trays, who gets to be Communion servers.
Today, each church practice Communion differently with different supplies and how it's done. At my church, the Communion servers would deliver tiny plastic packets with the smooth cracker between the plastic and foil and tiny cup filled with grape juice to each person sitting at their seats. Since we're a small church, it's easier and faster that way. In addition, it's great to have one or two persons to get a chance to serve the church this way each time we do Communion. Fun Fact: Sometimes we have children, old enough to follow directions, very patient, and steady with the trays, who gets to be Communion servers.
Let's go back into history to bring this original Lord's Supper come to life. Imagine....
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Spring 30 A.D. (just about)
Jerusalem
All over the Roman empire especially in the Middle East region of the world where Jews lived, the people preparing for Passover which was a week long holiday. It was one of the highest points of the Jewish calendar when they were celebrating the Jews' deliverance from Egypt after being enslaved by Egyptians for a very long time. At this point, the Jews were free people for many generations now. In the first century, it was very popular to go to Jerusalem for Passover. Thus the city was filled with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims (who were present when Jesus died which happened in a few days later) celebrating and enjoying the holiday. Thousands of Jewish women of Jerusalem cleaned their homes, brought food and prepared a feast for their families and guests. Many Jewish men took time off from work to enjoy the Passover festivities. Jewish children waited in anticipation for the Seder meal with story telling and singing as well as feeling the excitement in the air.
While the Jews were preparing and starting the early festivities of Passover, Jesus and his twelve disciples was outside of Jerusalem heading into the city. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover male lamb which has to be perfect had to be sacrificed, Jesus sent Peter and John to go ahead to complete an assignment. Jesus said to them,"Go and make preparations for us in the city."
They asked, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for us to eat the Seder?"
So Jesus gave them clear directions by saying, "Go into the city, and a certain man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. When he enters the house, go to the homeowner and say, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. Where is my guest room where I may eat the Seder with my disciples to celebrate Passover?' He will show you a large upper room, all furnished and ready for us. Make preparations there."
Peter and John left Jesus to follow his directions in which they went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Seder with some help from the women, some friends and followers of Jesus. The hors d'oeuvres, lamb, matzoh (unleavened bread--more like a flat, dry cracker--to remember the time when the Israelites led by Moses wandered the desert for 40 years with no yeast for their bread so they made do), other food items and wine was gathered. The women prepared the meal. Peter and John laid the table.
When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve to recline at the table. Jesus led in prayer to start the Seder; after the prayer, a few women came in to serve the food and pour wine into the cups. They left jugs of wine at the table for the men to serve themselves. The women left the room. The men was happily eating their meal and chatting with each other. Telling some fun stories or sharing jokes.
In the middle of their meal, Jesus said to his twelve friends, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Seder with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."
He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave each piece to each disciple, saying, "Eat it. This is my body which is broken for you. I give for all freely; do this in remembrance of me."
Then he picked up his cup full of wine, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they drank from it. "The old ways has past. I start a new covenant with you all. This is my blood which I shed for you all, for the forgiveness of sins," he said to them, "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
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This is where we leave Jesus with his disciples. Jesus continued to give last minute lessons and answered questions. Before they left the room and Jesus went to his favorite garden for prayer, the men sang. It's mentioned in Mark 14:26 and Matthew 26:30, "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." What song did they sing? It's hard to imagine Jesus singing since he did many things as a man. Singing wasn't one of them. In the Gospels, none of the writers mentioned Jesus singing regularly. However, Mark and Matthew took note about that night, they sang which we assume Jesus joined in during this occasion. I like to think Jesus really want to savor the last Seder by singing with his eleven friends the Hallel throughout the evening. He knew that when he leaves that room, he will be facing a crushing challenge. Remember Judas Iscariot, the traitor, left the dinner early before it ended; he was on a mission to betray Jesus. Anyway, I did a little research and a preacher and teacher named Wesley D. Tracy have some thoughts on the closing song of the Seder. Here is Psalm 118 sung in Hebrew:
He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave each piece to each disciple, saying, "Eat it. This is my body which is broken for you. I give for all freely; do this in remembrance of me."
Then he picked up his cup full of wine, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they drank from it. "The old ways has past. I start a new covenant with you all. This is my blood which I shed for you all, for the forgiveness of sins," he said to them, "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
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This is where we leave Jesus with his disciples. Jesus continued to give last minute lessons and answered questions. Before they left the room and Jesus went to his favorite garden for prayer, the men sang. It's mentioned in Mark 14:26 and Matthew 26:30, "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." What song did they sing? It's hard to imagine Jesus singing since he did many things as a man. Singing wasn't one of them. In the Gospels, none of the writers mentioned Jesus singing regularly. However, Mark and Matthew took note about that night, they sang which we assume Jesus joined in during this occasion. I like to think Jesus really want to savor the last Seder by singing with his eleven friends the Hallel throughout the evening. He knew that when he leaves that room, he will be facing a crushing challenge. Remember Judas Iscariot, the traitor, left the dinner early before it ended; he was on a mission to betray Jesus. Anyway, I did a little research and a preacher and teacher named Wesley D. Tracy have some thoughts on the closing song of the Seder. Here is Psalm 118 sung in Hebrew:
Here is Psalm 118 sung in English for us Christians to sing and worship the Lord together:
I hope you enjoyed my retelling of the original Lord's Supper in which started the tradition to do Communion between believers. Of course, I added some of my imagination to bring it alive. Luke did mentioned Peter and John who was sent to prepare for Passover. Well, I have a hard time imagining the First Century Jewish men actually shopping for food and cooking the meals especially as major as the Seder meal. However, there were probably some exceptions back then; for example, maybe there were roaming unmarried shepherds who might have to buy their own food, cooked meals and clean after themselves. Back to those two disciples, I have a hard time imagining them grocery shopping and cooking. It is documented in the New Testaments that there were women followers around Jesus and the Lord had a number of female friends who shared their homes and serve meals for him and his disciples. So in my re-telling, I placed some women, unnamed since I don't know who they were, actually preparing for the Seder (which turned out was Jesus' last Seder meal as a human-formed man who was and still is God).
It took me several hours to write this story and put together this blog entry. I know it's not my best story telling since I really want to educate people who don't know what is Communion is. My research wasn't as in-depth as I wanted to. It would take too much time. I did hyperlink a few websites to explain certain things for those who don't know about Passover and the Seder meal which happens the first night of Passover and Communion. Yes, I also skipped some parts of that night Jesus had his last Seder meal with his disciples who were dear friends of his too. I just wanted to focus on how Communion got started and what the "bread" and "wine" stood for. I also hope you enjoy learning about Hallel and what Jesus would have sung at the end of the Seder meal.
Let's end this blog with another song. This time, it's Psalm 117 sung in Hebrew:
It took me several hours to write this story and put together this blog entry. I know it's not my best story telling since I really want to educate people who don't know what is Communion is. My research wasn't as in-depth as I wanted to. It would take too much time. I did hyperlink a few websites to explain certain things for those who don't know about Passover and the Seder meal which happens the first night of Passover and Communion. Yes, I also skipped some parts of that night Jesus had his last Seder meal with his disciples who were dear friends of his too. I just wanted to focus on how Communion got started and what the "bread" and "wine" stood for. I also hope you enjoy learning about Hallel and what Jesus would have sung at the end of the Seder meal.
Let's end this blog with another song. This time, it's Psalm 117 sung in Hebrew:
Here is a more festive Psalm 117 sung in Hebrew:
Here is a fun version of Psalm 117 sung in English with dancers: