A number of years ago, my mother came to visit with us for several days.  I thought she might like a certain movie, so I went to the store and rented it.  After about an hour of watching the movie, my mom said, “I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand this movie at all.”  I picked up the video case and realized I had made a mistake.  I had rented the sequel to the movie, which was part 2, instead of the original movie, which was part 1.  She couldn’t understand part 2 because she didn’t know anything about part 1.

            In same way, we can’t understand part 2 until we first know about part 1. The New Covenant is part 2.  The Old Covenant is part 1.  We can’t understand Part 2 (the Lord’s Supper) until we first understand Part 1 (the Passover Feast).   

            They ate Unleavened Bread at the Passover every year for centuries because God wanted them to remember their deliverance from Egyptian bondage.  That was Old Testament, part 1.

            Jesus is in the Upper Room with His disciples at the Passover and they are observing the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Now He is about to transition them from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.  He is ending Part 1 (the Passover) and replacing it with Part 2 (the Lord’s Supper). 

            At the Passover Meal, Jesus held up a piece of bread and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of Me.”  Jesus knew that people are quick to forget, and He didn't want His Church to forget what He did on the cross.  To insure that Christians throughout the ages would remember what He did on the cross (just like the Old Testament people observed the Passover Meal so they wouldn’t forget), He instituted the Lord’s Supper.

            In effect, Jesus said, “I’m replacing the Old Covenant with the New Covenant.  I’m the Passover Lamb who will die for your sins.  Instead of eating the bread to remember your salvation from Egypt, I want you now to remember your salvation from sin.

--Kent Crockett www.kentcrockett.com