I condensed my many questions about Yeshua’s last Passover into four topics.

Did Yeshua keep a “traditional” order of Passover?

Did Yeshua omit or change any part of the Passover ordinance and statutes?

Did Yeshua more fully explain what the existing Passover ceremony meant?

Did Yeshua institute a new communion service, “the Last Supper,” to be taken at will?

Yeshua prearranged to have the guest room of a house for His last Passover. When the date had arrived, He sent Peter and John to “go and prepare the Passover, that we may eat” (Luk. 22:7-13). And when “the hour had come,” He sat down with His disciples. On Abib 14, after twilight, Yeshua began His last Passover with the disciples by taking a cup, blessing it, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves” (Luk. 22:14). He set apart the meal as holy and pronounced His disciples clean by washing their feet (Jhn. 13:2-3). On a specific date, hour, and place, Yeshua commenced His last Passover with a first cup, then made clean His followers to become a part of Him.

At the time of the second cup, Yeshua proclaimed His death at the hand of a betrayer (Jhn. 13:1, Mat. 26:21–25, Mar. 14:18–19, Luk. 22:21–23) and identified him by giving the sop (Jhn. 13:26, a dipped bread and bitter herb sandwich, Psa. 41:9, Jhn. 13:18). “For I, the Son of Man, must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago” (Mat. 26:24, Mar. 14:21, Luk. 22:22, Jhn. 13:18, 31, NLT). He proclaimed His necessary death; Judas displayed the height of unbelief (idolatry, treason against God), while the rest were consumed with rivalry among themselves as to which of them should be considered the greatest.

As the disciples ate, Yeshua took the unleavened bread, blessed it, and broke it, then gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body” (Mat. 26:26, Mar. 14:22, Luk. 22:19, 1Co. 10:16–17, 11:24). Previously He had explained that the Word of God was the manna, the Bread from heaven, the Bread of Life, satisfying humanity’s hunger for the Presence (Jhn. 6:29–35, 51, 53–58, 63).

At His last Passover, Yeshua declared the Father’s love (Psa. 22:22, Jhn. 14:7–11, 17:6, 9–11) and watchfulness over their exodus (Jhn. 14:19–29). He recognized the firstborn were not “of this world” but sojourners with Him to a homeland, an inheritance incorruptible (Jhn. 15:9–16, Luk. 22:29-30, Heb. 11:8–10, 12:18, 22–14). His death proclaimed judgment against the world and its ruler (Jhn. 12:30–33). 

When they finished eating, Yeshua took a cup, the third cup, blessed it, and offered it to His disciples, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luk. 22:20). Drinking the cup meant agreeing to the new covenant. The Passover third cup was a betrothal cup pointing to the marriage consummation (Exo. 6:6–8, ketubbah blessing; Hos. 2:19–20 “take you to be My people”). Those who drank the cup of blessing became betrothed to Christ, one in body and spirit, “My people.” In the nation of Israel, all who ate of the sacrifices from God’s table were united, and likewise, all who partake of Yeshua’s body and blood are joined in one body. Consequently, Paul urged the beloved to flee from idolatry (fornication, doing what is right in your own eyes), from the fellowship of demons, for such a relationship is incompatible with a holy Bridegroom.

What are we to memorialize each year? Passover memorializes YHWH keeping His covenant with Abraham that his righteous children dwell forever with God, proving He is God (the yod of the Ten Generations, see Blog 10, Fun Factors). The Lamb of God’s death delivered us from darkness and brings us into the marvelous light of His Presence, into His sacred festivals of instruction in holy living. That deliverance involves being cleansed and made holy, eating God’s life essence—His body and blood, and entering a marriage (new) covenant, a time of preparation, living “in Him,” embodying His Torah. The cleanliness and holiness of Yeshua’s people dwelling in His presence is the living memorial of His sacrifice and exodus. But Passover is not finished until the consummation of the marriage vow, the appointed time of Pentecost, the Feast of Firstfruits, His firstborn harvest of living stones, His New Jerusalem, a city built without human hands. 

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Yeshua declared Passover’s fourth cup, the Bridegroom’s vow to prepare His Father’s house for them. “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Mat. 26:29, Mar. 14:25, Luk. 22:16, 18).

Takeaway:
Yeshua followed the natural order of the Passover service, which may be organized into four cups. Without altering its ordinances, He observed Passover at the beginning of Abib 14 and ate lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread, not at the temple, but in a private upper room of a house. Rather than instituting a new “communion” service, Yeshua enhanced the existing Passover ordinances by His actions, cleansing, proclaiming, explaining, and declaring His intentions as the Bridegroom. Just as He taught the Torah, elevating it to the spiritual level, Yeshua exalted the rite’s symbolism, illuminating His deep love acting to make them a part of Him, always in His holy presence. He did not do away with the law, and He did not do away with the Passover footing. Without Passover, Israel could not observe His holy feasts. He asked us to remember He was the Lamb of God sacrificed for us by yearly renewing our Passover vows. Passover is the anniversary celebration of our engagement to Yeshua, the new covenant He signed with His own blood.