This week we’re celebrating the last Passover meal with Jesus and His disciples.

“the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which

is for you.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)

At the original Passover, the Hebrew people were to make for themselves unleavened bread – because

they needed to be prepared to leave Egypt quickly – no time for the bread to rise. So unleavened bread

came to serve as a reminder of their experience in Egypt – representing slavery and then freedom – and

was offered at every Passover feast.

In the course of time, leaven (or yeast, as we call it today) became a symbol of moral and spiritual

corruption. Often people in Bible times saved a little bit of fermented dough so it could be added to a

fresh batch of dough to speed up fermentation. This concept is the basis for the biblical image of a life

contaminated by disobedience to God. Like yeast added to dough, sin causes decay and has an impact

on everything and everyone it touches. Leaven eventually came to symbolize sin.

When preparing for Passover, the Jewish people cleaned every square inch of their homes to remove

every crumb of leaven that might have settled anywhere. Some even boiled all their cooking pots and

pans and utensils. This was to symbolize their strong commitment to be free of leaven and to remove

any sinful act or attitude in their lives.

It was with this historical backdrop that Jesus took the unleavened bread, gave thanks, and spoke these

words to His disciples, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians

11:24). He was telling them visually that He was the appropriate sacrifice. He was free of leaven. He had

no blemish. He was “tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He was not

infected with decay. “But the one God raised up did not decay” (Acts 13:37). He would live for eternity.

When you come to the table for The Lord’s Supper, what kind of attitude do you bring? The Lord’s

Supper is not just a time for remembering, although that is quite important. it is also a time for

preparation – a time to prepare our hearts – to confess any sin – to acknowledge where we have

allowed leaven (sin) to creep into our lives – and to ask God to forgive us and clean us up – so we’re

ready to fellowship with Him around His table.

Father, let us not take lightly the invitation to gather around Your table. Prepare our hearts to come to

that table in humility, gratitude, and praise. Amen

By Judy Shrout