A Memorial Meal

There are several kinds of memorials: plaques and buildings, parades and celebrations. But there are not many memorial meals. Scripture describes two memorial meals: the Passover and the Lord’s Supper. They both recall events that led to something new: the origin of a nation and the origin of a fellowship; the inauguration of Israel and the inauguration of spiritual Israel, the assembly of God and the body of Christ.

The first anticipated the second, and the second was instituted during an observance of the first. The Passover supper centered around the sacrificed paschal lamb; the Lord’s supper centers on Messiah’s self-sacrifice. The Passover animal without blemish saved from ceremonial death; the Person without fault saves us from spiritual death—alienation from God and from each other.

We eat this “meal” to remind us of who he was and what he did, and so to remind us of who we were, who we are to be like, and what business we are to be about in the world. These “food items” associate us with the flesh and blood he yielded over to the purposes of the Father for him and for us. We are joining together in a memorial meal with a present purpose.