#1 LENTEN MEDITATION ~ 2023 ~ A Preparation for the GREAT and FINAL PASSOVER ~ Let us Run with Patience the Race Set Before Us. ~

THE LENTEN SEASON 2023 --- A Preparation for the GREAT and FINAL PASSOVER

ANOTHER PASSOVER is coming.

It will be the GREAT and FINAL PASSOVER.

This time, however, it will not only be the Hebrews coming out of bondage in Egypt.

The FIRST Supper... The LAST Passover+

HOLY WEEK

in commemoration of

The Great --- and Final --- Passover

CHRIST our Passover+

is sacrificed for us;

therefore, let us keep the feast.

not with old leaven,

neither with the leaven

of malice and wickedness;

but with the unleavened bread

of purity (Gk) and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:7,8

+  +  +

The FIRST Supper

The disciples made ready the Passover for The LORD and His+ disciples to eat.  It was indeed the LAST Passover The LORD JESUS would eat.

However, for the disciples, it was their FIRST Supper, their first Communion with the Body and Blood of The LORD CHRIST. 

At this time, The LORD instituted His+ Holy Communion, or as the Early Christians called it, the GREAT THANKSGIVING , the Eucharist ( GK ). 

From Matthew's account, chapter 26:

And as they were eating, JESUS took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said,

Take, eat; 

this is My+ body.

And HE+ took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,

Drink ye all of it;

For this is My+ Blood

of the New Covenant,

Which is shed for many

for the remission of sins.

.

From Mark 14:

Take, eat: 

this is My+ Body.

And HE+ took the Cup, and when HE+ had given thanks, HE+ gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

This is My+ Blood

of the New Covenant,

Which is shed for many.

And from Luke 22:

.

And HE+ took the Cup, and gave thanks, and said,

Take this, 

and divide it 

among yourselves:

For I+ say unto you, I+ will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of GOD shall come.

 And HE+ took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying,

This is My+ Body 

which is given for you:

this do in remembrance of ME+.

Likewise also 

the cup after supper, 

saying,

This Cup is the New Covenant

in My+ Blood,

Which is shed for you.

But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth ME+ is with ME+ on the table.

+  +  +

Thus, HE+ gave them their FIRST Communion at the LAST and Final Passover.

This Final Passover was no mere "remembrance."  No. It was the actual thing which GOD had prepared for His+ people all along.

During any ACTUAL Passover which is NOT a mere remembrance, there must be blood shed to cover us so that we are not destroyed with the unbelievers. The blood COVERS the sinner who has repented before GOD.  

( Heb. = kippor = covering, or, Gk = hilasterion, a Divine lid covering the Ark of the Covenant )

In one sense, GOD performed a precursor to the first Passover when HE slew animals to COVER Adam and Eve's nakedness, Genesis 3:21.

Did HE also cover their sin that day, so that the satan could not destroy them? The satan was certainly upon earth at that time because through his wiles, Adam and Eve brought sin into the entire Adamic race of men.  

Some say the animals slain for their coverings were Lambs. It could have been, but Scripture is silent on this. No blood had been shed on planet earth before that time. 

No blood at all,

of either animal or man. 

Would that HE+ would return

and restore planet earth

to that pristine state !

Thus, as our LORD prepared to enter into GETHSEMANE's garden after eating the Passover Meal, HE+ prepared His+ disciples with His+ Body and Blood to face their battle of great fear, horrifying doubt, and immense sorrow that would soon follow. 

Gethsemane, a word from the Chaldean / Aramaic language, was the place for pressing out oil by crushing the olives. Somehow, the "gath" root of this word also means a treading of grapes to produce wine.

Both meanings show us Whose+ Life was being crushed, treaded down, and wrung out  during this Final Passover night in the garden of "Gethsemane."

From Luke 22:

Saying, FATHER, if THOU be willing,

remove this cup from ME+:

nevertheless not My+ will,

but Thine, be done.

And there appeared

an angel unto HIM+ from Heaven,

strengthening HIM+.***

And being in an Agony

HE+ prayed more earnestly:

and His+ sweat was

as it were great drops of blood

falling down to the ground.***

+  +  +

For even

CHRIST our Passover+

is sacrificed for us:

+  +  +

*** Modern versions have removed those last two verses from their Bibles, which is totally unjustified editing. Those Bibles are faulty and not to be trusted as the ACCURATE Word of GOD.