How does Exodus 12:14 connect to the Lord's Supper in the New Testament? Exodus 12:14—A Perpetual Memorial • “This day shall be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent statute.” (Exodus 12:14) • Three key ideas: – Memorial: a God-ordained act of remembering. – Feast to the LORD: worship centered on redemption. – Permanent statute: intended for every generation of the redeemed. Passover Foreshadows the Work of Christ • The spotless lamb (Exodus 12:5) points to “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). • Blood applied to doorposts (Exodus 12:7) prefigures Christ’s blood applied to believing hearts (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19). • Deliverance from Egyptian bondage anticipates deliverance from sin’s bondage (Romans 6:17-18). • The Passover meal eaten hastily (Exodus 12:11) foreshadows a pilgrim people, ready for the journey God sets before them (1 Peter 2:11). Jesus Institutes a New Covenant Meal • The Last Supper occurs on Passover night (Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22:7-13). • “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:19-20) • Jesus fulfills the Passover—“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). • The bread and cup become the divinely appointed memorial of the greater exodus accomplished at Calvary. Continuity and Fulfillment • Exodus 12:14’s “permanent statute” finds its fulfillment in the continuing practice of the church: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) • Old covenant memorial → New covenant memorial – Passover looked back to Egypt and forward to the cross. – The Lord’s Supper looks back to the cross and forward to Christ’s return. • Both meals anchor identity: Israel as redeemed people; the church as redeemed people in Christ. Practical Implications for Today • Approach the Table with the same seriousness Israel approached Passover—recognizing the cost of redemption. • Celebrate with joyful gratitude; the meal is a feast of freedom, not a funeral. • Examine your life (1 Corinthians 11:28) and rest in the finished work symbolized by bread and cup. • Proclaim Christ’s death and anticipate His coming, keeping alive the God-given memorial “throughout your generations.” |
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