It’s no coincidence that Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Passover meal. Nearly every part of the Passover is a foreshadowing of Christ’s saving sacrifice.
The Israelites were enslaved in Egypt; humanity is enslaved to sin. The blood of a lamb without blemish is what saved them from death; the blood of our sinless Savior saves from final death. The Israelites were to keep the lamb with them before sacrificing it; Jesus dwelt among us before His sacrifice. They were instructed to eat the flesh of the sacrificed lamb; Christ instructs us to eat His flesh in the Eucharist, and it has become a perpetual institution.
John’s Gospel, interestingly enough, does not include a direct account of the institution of the Eucharist, as the other Gospels do. Some say this is because he addresses the Eucharist in John 6. In any event, in the washing of the disciples’ feet, perhaps Christ is calling us to join in His sacrifice in our own way. None of us will ever be blameless as Jesus is, but we can sacrifice and serve others to help them bring about God’s kingdom, as He did. We can become more Christ-like by humbling ourselves in the service of God.
J.M. Pallas has had a lifelong love of Scriptures. When she is not busy with her vocation as a wife and mother to her “1 Samuel 1” son, or her vocation as a public health educator, you may find her at her parish women’s bible study, affectionately known as “The Bible Chicks.”
Feature Image Credit: Didgeman, https://pixabay.com/photos/easter-lamb-cross-easter-greeting-709524/
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