Day 36: Mark 14:17-22

The Passover meal was not a holiday meal like we picture when we think of Thanksgiving or Christmas. The Passover meal was an object lesson that was passed down from generation to generation in remembrance of what God had done for the Israelites when he freed them from Egyptian slavery. From how they prepared the meal, to how they ate it, in what order they ate, and every thing they consumed that night, there was special significance.

The piece of bread that Jesus breaks in verse 22 is what is known as the “afikomen.” There is some mystery about this particular piece of bread. The origins of this part of the Passover meal can be traced back to the Jewish people living in captivity in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. They would take a piece of bread during the meal, break it in half, wrap it in a napkin, and then hide it somewhere in the house. Toward the end of the meal, they would bring this piece back out of hiding(if there were children present it would become a game to see who could find it) and then eat it as almost a kind of dessert, or celebration. But no one knows why this tradition started. It is not prescribed in the original Passover instructions, and there seems to be no meaning assigned to it that calls back to the captivity of Egypt.

Jesus gives it a meaning. He tells the disciples, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”(Luke 22:19). His body, which would be broken, wrapped in a sheet, buried in the ground(hidden from sight), and then brought back to life after three days. It’s interesting to me that this is still a part of the Jewish Passover meal to this day. Unknowingly, they are celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ every year. So are we, every time that we take communion. The wafer, cracker, unleavened bread, or whatever you use for communion, is reminding us what our Savior suffered. Don’t forget, remember what Jesus put his body through for you.