Preparing for Easter: God's Provision

“Next Year in Jerusalem!”

Today’s Reading: Matthew 26:17-30

In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people would celebrate the Passover Feast every year, a lot like Christians today celebrate Easter each year. Jesus and his disciples would have been very familiar with this annual celebration and all the symbolism surrounding it. 

For example, prior to the day of Passover they would celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matt. 26:17). The basis for this Feast lies in Exodus Ch. 12, when God commands the Israelites to bake unleavened bread before beginning their Exodus from Egypt. The idea was, this Passover meal would need to be eaten quickly and the Israelites ready to leave in haste, so there was no time to wait for yeast to cause the bread dough to rise. (Exodus 12:11) Out of trust in God’s provision, the Israelites forfeited their normal baking routine. God was interrupting their status quo with something ultimately greater. 

An image common to the Passover Feast is that of the Passover lamb. You may be familiar with the symbolism of the spotless lamb that was slaughtered by each family prior to the Exodus, according to God’s direction for the Israelites to cover their doorposts with the lamb’s blood. 

Through this act of faith, the Spirit of death would see the blood on the door post and “pass over” the Israelite’s houses, sparing their firstborn sons while the children of all who did not obey God’s direction would perish. As we look back on this event as Christians, we can see the Passover lamb foreshadowing the Messiah - the provision of Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. 

While the disciples had failed to connect all these puzzle pieces to Jesus prior to the night of this last Passover meal together, Jesus made clear to them what was previously hidden from their understanding. 

Matthew 26:26-28 says that Jesus took the bread, broke it, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup of wine and gave it to them saying, “Drink from it…this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” 

Previously, the disciples had only known the bread and the wine within the context of the Exodus - God’s provision for their freedom from the oppression of the Egyptians. Here, Jesus invests new meaning into that sacred meal. The Passover would now represent something even greater than they would have hoped for or expected. Jesus’ sacrifice would usher in a new, more profound Exodus. Not just the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt, but the liberation of all who believe from sin and death. 

But even as Jesus expounded on this new, deeper meaning of the Passover meal the disciples were still uncertain of what he meant. 

You and I might be tempted to look back and criticize the disciples for not seeing what appears to be clear to us today, but let’s acknowledge of ourselves: Don’t we all, to some extent, get complacent about the meaning behind some of the spiritual traditions and practices in our own lives? 

You and I can become overly familiar with our regular spiritual practices in community - like attending church, celebrating communion, or worshiping together – and in doing so we diminish the deeper meaning these practices hold. We lose sight of the way in which they remind us of God’s provision of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. 

So as we find ourselves in uncharted waters, in an exile of sorts in this particular season, as we are prevented from participating in many of the practices of Christian community that we have become so familiar with, let’s remember how God was present with the people of Israel during their times of exile. 

There were extensive periods of time throughout history when the Israelites found themselves in exile, living in a foreign land, and unable to go to the temple to worship together as a nation. In spite of this they would continue to celebrate the Passover each year, wherever they found themselves. After the meal was over, they would all declare together, “Next year in Jerusalem!”

The meal took on a dual meaning for them. They remembered God’s faithfulness in providing for them in the past and they also looked forward to when God would restore them in the future. Their hope was that next year God would allow them to celebrate together once again, but in Jerusalem like their ancestors did. 

In this season, let’s embrace the same attitude. Let’s celebrate Easter and God’s provision through the death and resurrection of the Messiah on our behalf, and let’s also be full of hope that next year He will restore our fellowship “in person” and that we’ll get to celebrate together physically once again. 

As we wait, we can also take hope in knowing that our fellowship isn’t defined by physical proximity but by the presence of the Spirit that resides inside of us and binds us together - another profound expression of God’s provision! 

Even as many of us are struggling with uncertainty right now we can be certain of God’s goodness because of His sacrifice on our behalf in Christ Jesus. We can take heart in knowing that God is not a passive bystander, rubber-necking as he passes by our tragedy, but actively working on behalf of His people to provide for our most desperate needs. 

Maybe, like the disciples at the Last Supper, you haven’t been fully aware of the greater meaning behind some of the common spiritual practices and traditions of our faith. What a great opportunity this is to be reminded of the significance of these things that maybe we’ve taken for granted. 

In the absence of what has been so familiar, let’s allow this season to lead us to remember once again – but with fresh perspective and greater sensitivity - the fullness of God’s provision for all our lives.