Holy Week
HOLY (PESAHA) THURSDAY
LUKE 22:7-13 + JOHN 13:1-15 + LUKE 22:15-21
(THE LAST SUPPER, WASHING OF THE FEET,
AND
INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY QURBANA)
INTRODUCTION
On Holy or Pesaha Thursday we commemorate with
Jesus, the old and new Passovers. In the original Passover, Israel
recalls her liberation from Egyptian slavery by sacrificing an
unblemished lamb. In the new Passover, we commemorate Jesus’ action of
saving all humanity from Satan’s clutches by offering himself as the
sacrificial lamb. The rite of circumcision that involved the drawing of
a little human blood was a sign of the covenant with Abraham. God
confirmed that covenant by asking Moses to sprinkle animal blood on the
Israelites at Mount Sinai. Jesus sealed a new covenant in his blood and
asks us to partake of it by drinking it. To prepare for this, we also
join in Jesus’ washing of the feet of his disciples as a pledge of our
humble service and the cleanliness of our souls. The celebration of the
Pesaha Thursday is a combination of several remembrances: (1) Jesus
washing the feet of his disciples and teaching the importance of servant
leadership in the church, (2) Institution of the Holy Eucharist as the
new covenantal relationship whereby we receive the precious body and
blood of Jesus, (3) Establishment of priesthood by asking the apostles
to continue the Holy Eucharist in Jesus’ remembrance, (4) Jesus going to
the Garden of Gethsemane for prayer in distress. Let us learn from these
examples and teachings of Jesus.
BIBLE TEXT (LUKE 22:7-13 + JOHN 13:1-15 + LUKE 22:15-21)
(Lk 22:7) Then came the feast of the Unleavened
Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. (8) So Jesus sent
Peter and John saying, “Go and get everything ready for us to eat the
Passover meal.” (9) They asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare
it?” (10) And he said, “When you enter the city, a man will come to you
carrying a jar of water. Follow him to the house he enters and (11) say
to the owner: ‘The master asks: where is the room where I may eat the
Passover meal with my disciples?’ (12) He will show you a large,
furnished room upstairs, and there you will prepare for us.” (13) Peter
and John went off and having found everything just as Jesus had told
them, they prepared the Passover meal.
(Jn 13:1) It was before the Feast of the
Passover. Jesus realized that his hour had come to pass from this world
to the Father. Having always loved those who were his own in the world,
he loved them to the end. (2) They were at supper; and the devil had
already put into the mind of Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray
him. (3) Jesus knowing that the Father had entrusted all things to him,
and as he had come from God, and was going to God, (4) got up from the
table, removed his outer garment, and taking a towel wrapped it around
his waist. (5) Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the
disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing. (6) When
he came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, do you mean to wash my
feet!” (7) Jesus said, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but
afterwards you will understand it.” (8) Peter replied, “No, you shall
never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you can
have no part with me.” (9) Then Simon Peter said, “Then, Lord, wash not
only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” (10) Jesus replied,
“Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash, except the feet, for he
is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you.” (11) Jesus
knew who was to betray him; that is why he said, “Not all of you are
clean.” (12) When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his
outer garment again, went back to the table and said to them, “Do you
understand what I have done to you? (13) You call me Master and Lord,
and you are right, for that is what I am. (14) If I, then, your Lord and
Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet.
(15) I have just given you an example so that you also should do as I
have done.
(Lk 22:15) And he said to them, “How much I have
longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; (16) for, I tell
you, I shall not eat it again until it finds its completion in the
kingdom of God.” (17) Then he took a cup and when he had given thanks he
said, “Take this and share it among yourselves: (18) for I tell you that
from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom
of God comes.” (19) Then Jesus took the bread,
and after giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them saying, “This
is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (20)
And he did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is
the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you. (21) But the
hand of the traitor is with me on the table.
INTERPRETATION
Jesus spent the last week of his life in Jerusalem
teaching in the temple area and staying during the night at the Mount of
Olives. Early each morning, people used to come to the temple area to
listen to him (Lk 21:37-38). Though the chief priests and the scribes
attempted to arrest Jesus, they could not do so because of the
surrounding admirers. The Jewish leaders bribed Judas Iscariot to help
them arrest Jesus when he was free from the crowd (Lk 22:1-6). Prompted
by Satan, Judas agreed to that deal. In the meantime, Jesus prepared for
this last Passover celebration with his apostles.
The Preparation for the Passover
When God delivered the Israelites under the
leadership of Moses, God asked them to celebrate Passover. Since they
had to leave Egypt immediately after that in a hurry, they could not
wait to leaven the bread. So, God asked the Israelites to celebrate
annually the feast of the Unleavened Bread for one week to remember
gratefully this historical event. “The fifteenth
day of this month is the LORD’s feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven
days you shall eat unleavened bread” (Lev 23:6).
Israel had to give up all their sinful ways in
Egypt and follow the Lord to the promised land. Since leaven was a
symbol of sin, part of Passover preparation was the scrupulous removal
of all leaven from the house before the celebration.
Since Luke wrote for non-Jewish readers, he
clarified the main content of the Passover celebration, which is the
sacrifice of a Passover lamb. According to Paul, Christ is the paschal
lamb sacrificed for us (1 Cor 5:7).
Jesus took the initiative to set
up for his last Passover meal. He had sent two disciples to get the colt
for his solemn entry into Jerusalem. Later, he sent probably the same
disciples to prepare the Passover meal.
Jesus had 72 disciples like the elders of the Old
Testament or the Sanhedrin, 12 apostles representing the 12 tribes of
Israel, and the apostles Peter, James, and John as an inner circle.
However, Jesus selected Peter and James for preparing the last Passover.
That might have caused them to develop a good companionship. The
following are the combined activities of Peter and John recorded in the
Bible:
1. Though the evangelists do not give the names of
the two disciples Jesus sent to get the donkey for his solemn entry to
Jerusalem, many believe that they must be Peter and John (Mt 21:1; Mk
11:1).
2. Jesus assigned both of them to prepare the
Passover meal for Jesus and his apostles (Lk 22:8).
3. When Jesus revealed during the last supper that
one of the twelve would betray him, Peter nodded to John to find out
whom he meant (Jn 13:21-24).
4. Peter and John accompanied Jesus to the high
priests’ residence during the trial of Jesus (Jn 18:15).
5. Peter and John were the first apostles who went
to the tomb of Jesus when Mary Magdalene told them about the empty tomb
(Jn 20:3).
6. During the post resurrection appearance of Jesus
at the Sea of Galilee, John said to Peter, “It is the Lord” (Jn 21:7).
7. When Jesus told Peter with what kind of death he
would glorify God, Peter’s concern was only about John (Jn 21:18-22).
8. After the Pentecost, Peter and John went to the
Temple when Peter healed a crippled beggar (Acts 3:1-10), at the
preaching of Peter, the Temple authorities confronted them, put them in
custody, and on the next day the Sanhedrin questioned them (Acts
3:11-4:22).
9. “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who
went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit”
(Acts 8:14-15).
There were several items to be prepared for the
Passover meal. The step-by-step preparations, along with how they apply
for the sacrifice of Jesus as the Pascal lamb, are:
1.
Selection of the lamb on the tenth of Nisan:
Each family would select a one-year-old unblemished male lamb for the
sacrifice. In Jesus’ case, he stood in for the unblemished male lamb,
whom the family of Israel had selected and brought to the Temple, and
the priests approved him for slaughter. This happened on the Palm Sunday
that was the tenth of Nisan. The slaughter would take place in the
Temple on the 15th of Nisan that starts at 6:00 p.m. on the 14th,
according to the Gregorian calendar and ends at 6:00 p.m. on the 15th.
According to the Jewish calendar, Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist,
and the soldiers crucified him on the same date, 15th of Nisan.
2.
Searching Leaven on 13th of Nisan: The
family would check and remove any leaven in the house based on God’s
commandment: “For seven days, no leaven shall be seen throughout your
territory” (Deut 16:4). Jesus did this on Palm Sunday by expelling the
unjust merchants who defiled the House of God and clearing their
livestock from the Temple area.
3.
Foot washing on 14th of Nisan: When the
guests and family members arrive at the house for the Passover meal, a
slave or servant would wash their feet. Since his disciples did not
perform this, Jesus did this for them during the meal, which was
unusual. It was to teach them how they should follow his ‘servant
leadership’ in their ministry.
4.
Table setting:
The family sets the Passover table Charoseth (a sweet
dark-colored paste made of fruits and nuts), unleavened bread,
vegetables, vinegar (karpas), four wine glasses, red and warm wine
bottles, and several candles. The people would recline with the support
of pillows around a low table about 18 inches high. They arrange seating
according to the age or social position of the participants.
Jesus had used different houses
or locations for his stay during his visit to Jerusalem. So, the implied
question of Peter and James to Jesus was in whose house they had to
prepare the Passover meal. The preparation procedure for the Passover
lamb was: People brought the Passover lambs at the Temple Mount,
and they killed their animals in the courtyard of the Temple. The
priests collected the blood of the sacrifice in silver and gold basins
and tossed the blood on the altar. After the sacrifice, the owners
flayed the animals and took them home and roasted (https://jewishroots.net/library/holiday-articles/passover-lamb-sacrifice-procedure.html).
“No bones might be broken either during the cooking
or during the eating. The lamb was set on the table at the evening
banquet, and was eaten by the assembled company after all had satisfied
their appetites with the ḥagigah or other food. The sacrifice had to be
consumed entirely that same evening, nothing being allowed to remain
overnight. While eating it, the entire company of those who partook was
obliged to remain together, and every participant had to take a piece of
the lamb at least as large as an olive” (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11934-passover-sacrifice).
Did Peter and John offer a Passover Lamb for Jesus
and the apostles is not clear. Most probably, they had offered a lamb
and brought it as part of the Passover meal because it was essential for
Passover observance. However, later, Jesus substituted himself as the
lamb for the new Passover for Christians.
Jesus stayed at Bethany with the other ten
disciples while Peter and John went to prepare the Passover meal. It
must be in Jerusalem because the Passover sacrifice could not take place
anywhere else. “You shall offer the Passover sacrifice from your flock
and your herd to the LORD, your God, in the place the LORD will choose
as the dwelling place of his name” (Deut 16:2). So, the city Jesus
referred to was Jerusalem, where the lamb has to be sacrificed and eaten
with a Passover meal.
With his divine vision, Jesus could foresee what
would happen when the disciples enter the city. There was no running
water in the houses. Usually, ladies went to fetch water from the nearby
well or fountain. So, a man carrying a jar of water was an unusual
sight. However, according to the Jewish custom, the master of the house
had to draw the water on the 13th of Nisan before the stars
appeared in the heavens, to knead the unleavened bread for the Passover.
Most probably, the Passover was held in the upper room of Mark’s house
(Acts 12:12) whose mother Mary was a follower of Jesus. The man who
carried the water might be Mark, who is believed to be one of the 70
(72) disciples of Jesus. Hence, the master of the house was his father,
Aristopolos.
Since the man who carried the water was not the
house owner, Peter and John must follow him to the house he entered and
meet the owner. It was like Jesus sent two disciples to get the donkey
(Lk 19:29-31). They believed and obeyed what Jesus told them to do.
Many people in Palestine used to have an upper room
allotted for prayer, gatherings, or for guests. Jesus might have used
such a room of the owner during his previous visits to Jerusalem. “Say
to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, where is my guest room
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ (Mk 14:14). Jesus had
previously arranged that room with the owner for his last Passover meal.
Since Mark’s parents were rich, their upper room could accommodate those
13 people to recline and eat the food. Jesus’ team also had enough
people to eat one Passover lamb (Ex 12:3-4).
Jesus was sure that the house owner would accept
his request to allow the upper room for his use. Jesus might have asked
the house owner beforehand to set up the room for his Passover
observance with the disciples. So, he was sure that the room was already
furnished, and the disciples had only to prepare the Passover meal
there.
The house should belong to a wealthy admirer
of Jesus, like Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus. Many believe that it
belonged to the parents of Mark. His family was wealthy, with at least
one maidservant, Rhoda (Acts 12:13). Besides using for the Last Supper,
the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to the disciples happened in
this room. The early Christian community had used this upper room for
prayer (Acts 1:13). The Holy Spirit came on the disciples in this upper
room on the day of Pentecost. Peter preached to the people gathered on
the day of Pentecost from here and converted 3,000 people (Acts
2:14-41). So, this became the first Christian house.
Everything took place, as Jesus told Peter and
John. When they reached the city, they saw the man who came towards them
carrying a jar of water. They followed him to the house and found the
owner. The house-owner showed them the upper room already furnished for
the Passover meal. The apostles prepared the Passover meal there,
including the cooked Paschal lamb.
Jesus’ Last Supper was a Jewish Passover meal that
reminded the Israelites of how God delivered them from the Egyptian
slavery. It also reminded them of how their forefathers slew unblemished
lambs and marked their blood on the doorposts of their houses so that
the angel would spare their first-born children from death. Jesus
replaced the lamb’s blood with his own blood as the Lamb of God. He
marked it on his cross, the new door to heaven, so he could save the
lives of the children in faith from eternal destruction.
We often hear in the gospels that Jesus’ hour had
not yet come. His hour is the time “to pass from this world to the
Father” (Jn 13:1) by fulfilling his mission through his passion, death,
and resurrection. The evangelist says that the hour had arrived, and
Jesus knew it.
Death for Jesus and his followers is a passage from
this world to God the Father. Like the Israelites’ passage from the
slavery of Egypt to the Promised Land, we also pass from the bondage of
sin in this world to eternal joy in heaven.
Jesus made his own those who left everything and
followed him. He loved them like his family. Jesus was the head of the
family, and the apostles were his “little children” (Jn 13:33). The time
came for Jesus to depart from this world to his Father. However, he
promised them he would not leave them as orphans (Jn 14:18). This
description gives the mood of how Jesus and his apostles felt at the
time during their farewell and how much Jesus loved and cared for them.
John the Evangelist who documented this was an eyewitness to this event,
along with the other apostles.
Jesus loved his own to the end of his life and
affirmed it by offering his life for their salvation. His love would
continue from heaven by supporting them in their mission until the end
of this world. We notice Jesus’ love to the end of his life on the cross
by entrusting Mary and John to each other, by promising paradise to the
repentant criminal crucified with him, and even forgiving and praying
for those who persecuted him. He continued his love by appearing to his
loved ones after his resurrection and sending the Holy Spirit upon them
on the day of Pentecost.
The Evangelist John adds here Judas’ intention to
betray Jesus for money under the devil’s influence. By this, John
reveals what was going on in the minds of Jesus and Judas in the gloomy
context of that farewell Passover. The contrast in the mental states of
Jesus and Judas that no one else knew gives the readers a dramatic mood
of the situation.
This verse of the power of Jesus that he inherited
from his Father sets the background for the humble act of washing the
apostles’ feet. Before returning to his Father, Jesus wished to set a
memorable example for his apostles, who had been jostling amongst
themselves for noble positions.
Since the people walked barefoot or wore sandals,
washing of feet was the practice before entering a residence. They used
to eat the meal reclining so the feet might be on the sofa and close to
the face of the person reclining nearby. So, they needed to wash their
feet before entering a house. A slave, servant, or host (Lk 7:44) would
wash the feet of the guest as a traditional gesture of honoring and
welcoming the person (Gen 18:4).
Since the apostles had no host or servant to wash
the feet, they skipped it. None of the apostles wanted to be at the
service of others, not even to wash the feet of their Lord. So, they
might have started the supper by washing themselves and without the
ceremonial washing of feet. Jesus had noticed it and taught them a
lesson by making himself a humble servant of his disciples. According to
the Jewish practice, washing the feet should take place before the
Passover celebration and not during the supper as Jesus did.
The evangelist gives a graphic presentation of how
Jesus taught the lesson of Servant Leadership to his disciples. While
serving, the servant used to take off his outer garment and tie a towel
around his waist for practical reasons. Jesus needed the towel to wipe
the wet feet of the apostles at the end of foot washing. The apostles
were amazed when they saw Jesus dressed like a servant. They did not
understand what he would do. Jesus used symbolic and dramatic actions,
like some prophets of the past, to convey strong and memorable messages
to the people. He was fulfilling what he had said earlier. “I am among
you as the one who serves” (Lk 22:27). “Be like the Son of Man who has
come not to be served but to serve, and to give his life to redeem many”
(Mt 20:28). Thus, the incarnate God did the menial job of a slave for
his subjects.
The family used to keep towel, washbasin, and a jug
of water inside the house for repeated washing of hands in between
different courses of food during the meal. Jesus used them for the feet
washing. He did not seek the help of anyone in this service, like
pouring water into the basin. He did everything himself, like a humble
slave. According to the custom of the time, if there was no slave or a
servant, an inferior would wash the feet of a superior like a wife to
her husband, children to the parents, disciples to the master; but not
vice versa. By doing this act, Jesus touched the hearts and minds of his
disciples. Besides washing their feet, Jesus was affectionately wiping
the feet clean with the towel girded around his waist.
After the feet washing, Jesus had the intention of
establishing the Holy Eucharist. So, by this action, Jesus was also
symbolically cleaning their souls. That is a lesson for us to clean
ourselves spiritually before receiving the Holy Communion.
Scholars differ on whose feet Jesus washed first.
Some say he washed the feet of Judas first; while others say he did it
first to Simon Peter.
Peter was an outspoken person. His questioning the
master for washing his feet was a natural reaction from his humility and
respect for the master.
Jesus later clarified the meaning of what he did in
John 13:13-17. He instructed, “If I, then, your Lord and Master, have
washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13:14).
Though Jesus mentioned they would understand the
meaning of his actions later, Peter objected to Jesus washing his feet
out of his reverence for his master. The apostles did not understand why
Jesus did it. In Jesus’ mind, he was preparing his disciples to receive
the Holy Eucharist that he planned to establish after the feet washing.
This washing gave them warning that they should humble themselves to
serve and purify themselves to administer and to receive the Holy
Eucharist that they would continue in their lives.
Whenever Jesus had a theological discussion, he
would switch from a material sense to a spiritual understanding, as he
did with Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-21) and the Samaritan woman (Jn 4:4-42). In
this discussion with Peter, Jesus shifted the focus from washing off
physical dirt to cleansing from spiritual sin with his precious blood
and the Holy Spirit. For Jesus, feet washing was not limited to the feet
but symbolizes washing the whole person. So, he said, “I wash you.”
Jesus would inherit the Kingdom of God after his
passion, death, and resurrection. He presented washing Peter with the
blood and Holy Spirit as a requirement for him to inherit with Jesus the
Kingdom of God in heaven. By addressing this to Peter, Jesus offered all
his disciples a partnership with him in the Kingdom he would inherit
from his Father. For that, we also must wash away our sins in the blood
of Jesus and receive his Holy Spirit. Only those whom Christ washed will
have a part in the church and in the heavenly kingdom.
Jesus will clean our hearts, provided we let him do
it. The cooperation from our part is that we approach for the Sacrament
of Reconciliation that Jesus established and offered us through the
church.
Peter did not understand what Jesus meant. He
continued to take the washing in the literal sense. So, out of
enthusiasm, he asked the Lord to wash his hands and head, the uncovered
parts of his body. He was ready to offer anything to inherit the Kingdom
of God with Jesus. So, he requested Jesus to cleanse all actions of his
hands and all the thoughts of his head.
Here also, Jesus has a physical and spiritual
meaning in the statement. Those who come from the bath need only to wash
off the dust or dirt from the feet. In the spiritual sense, those who
received Baptism in the blood of Jesus and his Holy Spirit need only a
cleansing, like the Sacrament of Reconciliation or an act of contrition.
Only after that shall he partake in the Holy Eucharist, which is a
foretaste of the eternal banquet in heaven.
Jesus here revealed an exception, though only he
knew who the person was. Jesus washed Judas in the baptism of Christ and
thus made him clean. However, the devil entered his heart and polluted
it to love wealth more than the Lord, and to betray his master for
money.
Jesus knew what was in Judas’ mind while he was
taking part in the Last Supper and the washing of the feet. Jesus was
polite not to identify the person who would betray him. Judas heard
Jesus’ words as a warning to him. However, he was so attached to wealth
that he could not resist the temptation and accept the discourse of
Jesus. Those who are under the devil’s possession will not be willing to
open their minds to the Word of God. Those who are slaves of terrible
addiction would avoid any spiritual warning.
After washing the feet, Jesus took the position
back as the master to instruct them and to share the Passover meal with
them. People ate meals in a reclining position during those days. They
did the Passover meal in Egypt standing. Later they did it reclining, to
show their relaxation and freedom because of their redemption from
slavery.
Jesus raised this question, not expecting an answer
from the apostles, but to get their attention for his interpretation
that followed.
Students were not used to calling their teacher by
name among the Jews. So, they called “teacher,” “Master” or “Lord” with
respect.
Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet like a slave,
also emphasized his position above them by repeating and reversing the
words “Master and Lord” to magnify their role to be servants to one
another regardless of their position in the community. It is not a
suggestion, but a commandment is clear from the term “you must.” Jesus
had shown his law of humility and service in action.
Jesus was not only teaching people what to do and
what to avoid but was presenting himself as an example to follow. Though
God, he humbled himself, took the form of a human, and showed through
his life of humility and servitude, the lifestyle expected from a
Christian with the promise of resurrection and glorification in heaven.
A significant contribution of Jesus to humanity is
a revised concept of leadership in the religious and secular world. He
taught this in the background of the Jewish and pagan leaders of the
time. About the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus said, “Do not follow their
example. For they preach, but they do not practice. They tie up heavy
burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they
will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be
seen. … The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts
himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted”
(Mt 23:3-12). Referring to the gentile leaders, Jesus taught his
disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not
be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be
your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to
give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:25-28). We must follow Jesus,
who is “meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29).
Based on what Peter learned from Jesus, the first
pope advised his fellow presbyters, “Tend the flock of God in your
midst, [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have
it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those
assigned to you but be examples to the flock. And when the chief
Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1
Pet 5:2-4). This advice applies to all Christians in their service for
their family, workplace, and society.
Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist (Qurbana)
while he celebrated the Passover with his disciples in an upper room in
Jerusalem. So, we need to understand the Last Supper in the background
of the Jewish Passover. Israelites celebrated Passover, one of
the three pilgrim feasts, in Jerusalem (Lev 23:4-14, Deut 16:1-8). They
sacrificed a lamb in the Temple and took its meat home to eat as the
Passover meal. They followed Seder, which means an “order” for the
procedure of Paschal feast. This procedure has 15 steps with prayers
given in a book known as Haggadah. The fifteen corresponds to the 15th
day of Nissan when Passover starts or the 15 semi-circular steps from
the Court of Women to the Court of Israel in the Temple. Levites sang
the fifteen “Psalms of the Steps” (Ps 120-134 of Degrees or Ascents)
with musical instruments there.
THE 15 STEPS OF THE PASSOVER MEAL
Step 1. Kadeish
(Sanctification): The head of the family who sits at the place of
honor would take the first of the four wine cups and fill it with wine
mixed with water (grape juice for children) and pronounce a thanksgiving
over it. He would taste it first and then pass it to all present. The
four cups of wine stand for the four “I will,” in Exodus 6:6-7. “I
will free you from the burden of the Egyptians (The Cup of
Sanctification) and I will deliver you from their bondage (The
Cup of Deliverance); I will redeem you with the blows of my
powerful hand and my mighty acts of judgement (The Cup of Redemption).
I will take you for my people and I will be your God (The Cup
of Restoration); you will realize that I am the LORD your God who
delivered you from the burden of the Egyptians” (Ex 6:6-7).
Step 2. Urchatz (Washing of
Hands): Participants wash their hands by pouring water on the right
hand three times and then the left hand three times to prepare for
eating the herbs dipped in saltwater. This was necessary because they
were eating without using utensils like the spoon and fork.
Step 3. Karpas or Bitter
Herbs (parsley): People eat karpas after dipping it in saltwater.
The vegetable is symbolic of Israelites’ poor background, and the
saltwater represents their tears shed in Egypt during slavery and
throughout their history. The saltwater also reminds them of the
crossing of the Red Sea with God’s providence while leaving Egypt. Then
they pour wine into the second cup.
Step 4. Yachatz
(Breaking of middle matzo bread): The family places three
loaves of matzo bread in three pockets of matzo cover. Matzo bread is an
unleavened flatbread with stripes and piercings on it, symbolic of the
scourging and nailing of the Messiah according to the Christian
interpretation. These three loaves of bread, according to the Christian
interpretation, stand for the Most Holy Trinity. The head of the family
breaks the middle bread standing for the Messiah into two pieces,
reminding the broken body of Christ for our sins. The leader returns the
smaller piece symbolic of the “bread of affliction” to the pocket and
keeps the larger one representing Pesach Sacrifice in a hidden place in
another cover. For Christians, this stands for the burial of Jesus.
Step 5. Magid
(Storytelling) of Exodus from Egypt as a question-answer session.
The youngest son, or the least significant person, would ask four
questions about why that night differs from the banquet of other nights.
The head of the family would give the answers and clarify the
significance of the special food items. Participants then drink the
second cup of wine. They then recite the first half of the Hallel, Ps
113-114.
Step 6. Rachtzah (Second
handwashing): The participants wash their hands a second time with a
blessing to prepare for eating the matzah, the unleavened bread. The
family then serve Paschal Lamb, charoseth (a paste of nuts and fruits)
with vegetables, and two of the unleavened bread wafers.
Step 7. Motzi: The
blessing for bread holding the remaining matzah bread.
Step 8. Matzah (Unleavened
Bread): Everyone eats a part of the top and the middle matzah. They
lean to the left when they eat.
Step 9. Maror (Bitter
Herbs): The participants eat bitter vegetable-like raw horseradish
or romaine lettuce after reciting a blessing over it. Bitter Herbs
remind the bitterness of slavery. They dip the bitter herb in charoset,
a sweet dark-colored paste made from mixing apples, nuts, cinnamon, and
wine. They signify the mortar Israelites used for the construction work
in Egypt during their slavery.
Step 10. Koresh (Matzah
Sandwich): The participants fill two pieces of Matzah with Maror and
Romaine lettuce. They recite a special prayer and eat the Koresh while
leaning to the left.
Step 11. Shulchan Orech
(Dinner): The head of the family cuts the Pascal lamb into pieces
and gives a part to each family member with unleavened bread and bitter
herbs dipped in sauce.
Step 12. Tzafun / Afikoman
(Half-piece Matzo bread): The head of the family asks children to
find the piece of matzah bread that he hid earlier. Its finding
represents Jesus’ resurrection according to the Christian view. Once
recovered, they break that into pieces and eat, saying, “This is the
bread of affliction that our fathers ate in Egypt” (Ex 13:3). At this
point, Jesus established the Holy Eucharist using the Afikoman bread.
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing and broke
it, and gave it to his disciples saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my
body’” (Mt 26:26).
Step 13. Barech (The Cup of
Redemption): The head of the family then serves the third cup of
wine, saying a blessing over the cup. All the participants share it.
Jesus instituted the second part of the Holy Eucharist at this part of
the Passover observance. “Then he took a cup and gave thanks, and passed
it to them saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood,
the blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the
forgiveness of sins’” (Mt 26:27-28). Jesus and his apostles left the
room to the Garden of Gethsemane at this moment. The rest of the
Passover continued through his sacrifice as the Lamb of God on the
Cross. Then the participants pour wine in the fourth cup. They set aside
an additional cup for the prophet Elijah, who would announce Messiah on
a Pesach day. Then one of them opens a door to invite the prophet into
the house.
Step 14. Hallel (Praises):
The participants recite the rest of the Psalms (Hallel) (Ps 115-118)
followed by a blessing over the fourth cup of wine and drink it. Jesus
considered the fourth cup as his suffering, and prayed at the Garden of
Gethsemane, “Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me; yet
not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). However, Jesus accepted and
tasted this fourth cup when he was on the cross.
Step 15. Nirtzah (Closing):
The Passover concludes saying “It is finished” and with the prayer,
“Next Year in Jerusalem” hoping that they might celebrate Pesach the
following year in Jerusalem with the Messiah. Jesus also said, “It is
finished” after tasting the fourth cup on the cross just before his
death.
Though the enemies made several attempts to kill
Jesus, he did not let them do it before he could accomplish all he had
planned to do prior to that. He longed to eat his last Passover meal
with the apostles before his crucifixion because he had to:
1. Give them his last discourse so they would not
get scandalized and depressed at his arrest, sentencing, painful
passion, and humiliating death.
2. Jesus wanted to teach the disciples the lesson
of servant leadership by washing their feet.
3. He had to establish the Holy Eucharist that they
needed to continue in remembrance of his deliverance of humanity from
the original sin. He was the new Pascal lamb slain for all humanity
instead of the lambs sacrificed for the deliverance of the Israelites
from Egypt.
The Passover Jesus observed with his apostles was
the commemoration of Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian bondage for
their later entry into the promised land. During the Last Supper, Jesus
replaced that Passover with a new one, which is the Holy Eucharist,
where he is the Lamb. Along with it, he instituted a new priesthood for
a reconstituted Israel, the church. That new kingdom of God would be
inaugurated on the day of Pentecost by the descent of the Holy Spirit on
the apostles. So, after the Last Supper, his next Passover with the
apostles would be after the completion of his mission on the cross and
the establishment of the new kingdom where the renewed Passover he would
share with them would be the Holy Eucharist.
Jesus compared the joy of the Kingdom of heaven to
a banquet that is enjoyable, relaxed, and involves wonderful friendship.
He used this metaphorical usage of a wedding banquet to the kingdom of
God that would happen in its fullness at his second coming. John
documents his vision in the Island of Patmos: “Then the angel said to
me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding
feast of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These words are true; they come
from God’” (Rev 19:9). While teaching on the servant leadership to the
apostles, Jesus said, “It is you who have stood by me in my trials; and
I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me,
that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and you will sit
on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Lk 22:28-30). Until
Jesus’ second coming, the disciples must diligently work for the church
with their entrusted responsibilities. “Gird your loins and light your
lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a
wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are
those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I
say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and
proceed to wait on them” (Lk 12:35-37).
In this Passover meal, Jesus acted as the head of
the family. Out of the four cups of wine drank during the Passover, this
could be the first cup of Sanctification in which case, the head of the
family would fill the cup with wine mixed with water and pronounce a
thanksgiving over it, taste it first and then pass it to all present.
So, this was not the establishment of the sacramental cup. That came
later after the supper (Lk 22:20) using the third cup.
Wine and banquet are representations of spiritual
joy in heaven. Jesus promised he will share the spiritual wine in the
kingdom of God with his faithful disciples. Then, “many will come from
east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in
the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 8:11).
Melchizedek offered bread and wine to God. He was
the priest of Salem, which is Jerusalem (Gen 14:18). Jesus became the
High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4). He revived
Melchizedek’s offering and replaced the animal sacrifice in the Temple
with the Holy Eucharist.
While Jesus and his apostles were eating the
Paschal meal, and before drinking the third cup of wine, Jesus took the
bread. This specially cooked unleavened bread symbolized sinlessness.
According to Matthew 26:26 and Mark 14:22, Jesus
said a blessing over the bread before he broke it. He did that over the
unleavened bread to transubstantiate it to his body. Breaking the bread
was symbolic of the sufferings the Israelites underwent in the past.
When Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist, it became representative of
his passion and death. Jesus broke the bread and passed the pieces to
his apostles.
Jesus calls the bread his body and not a symbol of
his body. Jesus fulfilled his promise: “I am the bread of life. Though
your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have
the bread which comes down from heaven so that you may eat of it and not
die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven; whoever eats
of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my own flesh
and I will give it for the life of the world” (Jn 6:48-51).
By these words, Jesus gave the authority to his
apostles to continue his Eucharistic meal in the church until his second
coming. Thus, he established priesthood and assured the spiritual
nourishment of his followers with his body and blood. That will also
become a memorial of his sacrifice with his spiritual presence among the
faithful. So, the Christian Passover is no longer a remembrance of
deliverance from Egypt but the liberation of us from the bondage of
Satan by Jesus. Just celebrating the Holy Eucharist is not enough. Like
Jesus, who continued his sacrifice and shedding of blood on the cross,
we should continue the sacrifice in the daily lives as our humble
service for the family and others entrusted to our care.
The blood of the sacrificial
animal was separated from the body to prepare for the sacrifice. No
human was supposed to drink the blood that represented life. The priests
poured the blood of the sacrificial animal at the altar in the Temple as
an offering to God. At the institution of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus also
considered his body and blood separate. He blessed the bread
representing his body and blood representing his life and gave both to
his disciples to consume.
Jesus used the third cup known as
“The cup of Redemption” to institute the Holy Eucharist. This cup had
wine mixed with a little water called “the cup of blessing” (1 Cor
10:16) because of a special blessing said over it thanking God for the
wine and food the Israelites could produce by God’s grace. It was the
principal cup, which they did after the Pascal meal. The red represented
the Passover lamb’s blood marked on the doorposts of the Israelites in
Egypt when the angel of death passed over their houses. Similarly,
Christ’s blood marked on the cross saved the people.
Shedding of blood was part of
making a covenant like animal sacrifices or the Abrahamic covenant of
circumcision (Gen 17:8-14). Jesus here applied the same phrase used for
the Old Covenant that God made with Israelites through Moses at Mount
Sinai as given in Exodus 24:3-8. People agreed to all the ordinances of
the Lord when Moses came down from the mountain and reported to them.
Moses then built an altar at the foot of the mountain. The Israelites
offered burned offerings of young bulls. Moses took half of the blood in
large bowls and splashed on the altar. He read aloud from the book of
the covenant to the people who responded, “All that the LORD has said we
shall do and obey.” Moses splashed the other half of blood on the
people, saying, “Here is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has
made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Just as Moses was the mediator of
the old covenant, Jesus became the mediator of the New Covenant
established at the Last Supper and fulfilled on Calvary. After using
wine for his blood, Jesus shed his blood for humanity through the
torture and crucifixion he underwent. This was the fulfillment of the
new covenant Jeremiah prophesied (31:31-33).
Jesus asked his apostles to drink
his “blood” of the new covenant. The Jews could not drink any blood
because it represented the life of the person or animal. Unlike Moses
sprinkling the people with the animal blood (Ex 24:6), Jesus was giving
his own sacramental blood for his believers to drink because his
covenant was not external, but internal. When a believer drinks the
sacramental blood of Jesus, he receives the life of Jesus and unites
with his life.
After Jesus blessed the cup, he
shed his blood within hours, on the same date according to the Hebrew
Calendar. Instead of the animal blood poured on the altar of the Temple,
Jesus shed his blood, replacing all the past animal sacrifices that
could take away only the personal sins. Jesus poured out his blood not
for him, but for humanity to take away our original sin forever. That
shedding of blood was completed at the cross when Longinus pierced the
heart of Jesus with a lance after his death on the cross (Jn 19:34).
The betrayal of Judas troubled Jesus deeply and
testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me” (Jn
13:21). In John 13:18, Jesus said it is the fulfillment of Psalm 41:10:
“Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against
me.” The disciples were perplexed by this (Jn 13:22). Jesus was aware of
who was the traitor and indirectly identified him.
The revelation of the betrayal of Judas after the
institution of the Holy Eucharist is a proof that Judas received the
Holy Eucharist and received the ordination to priesthood after he agreed
to the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus.
Jesus skipped the fourth cup of
the Passover so he could complete it at the crucifixion. After the
second part of the songs of praise called “Hallel,” he left to offer his
life as the sacrificial lamb. When Jesus was near death on the cross,
“Jesus knew that all was now finished and he said, ‘I am thirsty,’ in
fulfillment of Scripture. A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so,
putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a hyssop stalk, they raised it to
his lips. Jesus took the wine and said, ‘It is now fulfilled.’ Then he
bowed his head and gave up the spirit” (Jn 19:28-30). When Jesus spoke
“It is finished,” he was not referring to his life’s end but the 15th
step of the Passover celebration. Thus, on the cross, Jesus finished his
Passover meal by drinking the fourth cup and declaring the end of his
Passover observance.
MESSAGE
1. Unlike the Jewish leaders of the time, Jesus
practiced what he taught. He even washed the feet of his disciples to
teach the importance of servant leadership in the church. We become
loyal disciples of Jesus only if we humble ourselves in our dealings
with others and take up our responsibilities as service.
2. Jesus washed even Judas’ feet, though he knew
Judas would betray him that night. Jesus, who taught us to love our
enemies and bless them, gave a concrete example by washing Judas’ feet
and kissing them. Let us follow Jesus’ model of being tolerant of those
who plot against us.
3. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples just
before establishing and sharing the Holy Eucharist. This reminds us of
the relationship between the sacraments of confession and Holy
Communion. Before participating and receiving the Holy Eucharist
(Qurbana), we need to cleanse our souls by confession or by an act of
contrition. We should do with more attention, the penitential service
during the Holy Mass (Qurbana) before we receive the Holy Communion.
4. The Holy Eucharist that Jesus established and
commanded us to continue in the church is his greatest gift for us to
keep up our covenantal relationship with him. Let us make use of every
opportunity to take part in the Holy Mass in the church.
5. As we remember the establishment of priesthood
in the church, let us pray for all the priests and pledge our
cooperation with them in building up of the church.
6. Judas, along with the other apostles, had
received the baptism, washing of feet, the Holy Eucharist, and even
ordination from Jesus. Still, he failed, not because of any deficiency
on Jesus’ part, but because he was gripped by the love of money that
Jesus had warned against. Judas even ignored the warnings Jesus gave at
the Last Supper. Satan is after the holy people with offers of wealth
and temporal glory. They will resist the Word of God if worldly desires
become their priority.
7. Passover was a feast of the unleavened bread.
Leaven was symbolic of sin, and the family removed it thoroughly before
the Passover. Our mothers use new utensils and vessels to prepare the
Passover food remembering this. This also reminds us of our need for
spiritual cleanliness, especially during the Holy Week.
8. During the Passover in Egypt, the angel of death
spared the first-born sons of only those who obeyed the commandment of
God through Moses to sacrifice the lamb and mark the doorposts of their
houses with its blood. The Israelites had to continue keeping the
ordinances of the Lord to occupy the promised land. Though Jesus washed
away our original sin through baptism, we need to practice the teachings
of Jesus to inherit the Kingdom of God.