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The First Lord’s Supper

by Vicar Lisa

In our upcoming gospel for Sunday, we observe the first Lord’s Supper. This event takes place in the context of a Passover meal. Originally mandated in Exodus 12, the Passover commemorated two events. Specifically, the name itself referred to the way in which death “passed over” the Israelite households, striking only the Egyptians. To commemorate that event, the Israelites were commanded to spread the blood of a slaughtered lamb on their lintel, just as their ancestors had done that night in Egypt.

More generally, the Passover celebrated the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. They commemorated their exodus by eating unleavened bread and retelling the story of their flight from Egypt (see Exodus 13:3-10). Over time, the retelling of the story (known in modern times as a seder) and its accompanying meal came to include other elements, including the ritual sharing of cups of wine.

Jesus takes these elements of the Passover and reinterprets them in relation to his coming death. For his disciples, this must have come as a shock. From their earliest memories, they had celebrated the Passover as a story of God’s past action; Jesus tells them instead to think of the meal in relationship to him. The bread, which stood for the haste of the Israelites’ flight, Jesus redefines as his own body. Jesus redefines the cups of wine as his own blood, promising his disciples that he will protect them from death.

Regarding the blood, Jesus adds another layer of meaning by describing it as his “testament” as in the English phrase “last will and testament.” The Greek word used here, diatheke, can mean both “covenant” and “testament.” However, a “covenant” requires the ongoing participation of both parties. In the context of Jesus’ approaching death and his subsequent prediction of the desertion of the disciples, translating the word as “testament” makes the most sense. Jesus does not use the blood as a symbol of their partnership; rather, he invokes his own blood to testify that he will give his life on behalf of them to save them from their sins.

Think of how strange this may have been for the disciples as we meet at the Lord’s table on Sunday and commemorate over 2000 years of Jesus’ testament on our behalf.

Palm/Passion Sunday -- March 24, 2024

10 a.m. Worship with Communion

Announcements

  • Lent Soup Suppers: Each Wednesday during Lent we gather at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for a Soup Supper and devotion. Plan to join us this Wednesday, March 6. We also need volunteers to bring soup, salad, bread, or a light dessert. If you can help, please sign up on the sheets in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Weekday Bible Study: The next weekday Bible Study will be at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27, in the Fellowship Hall.
  • New Members: Zion’s is welcoming new members on Easter Sunday. A preparation time for people who wish to join Zion’s as voting members will be after worship today. It should last about 90 minutes. See you there!
  • Easter Flowers: On Easter Sunday, our Sanctuary will be filled with beautiful flowers symbolizing the glory of the resurrection. There still is time to sign up to help sponsor flowers. Use the special sign-up sheet in the flower book at the back of the sanctuary. Include your name and any commemoration you would like to see included in the bulletin. A minimum donation of $35 is encouraged and donation envelopes are in the flower book.
  • Early 5-Loaves Help: The 5-Loaves team needs some help with early preparations for the March lunch delivery, as Zion’s will be providing a special Easter meal on Saturday, March 30. If you can help with preparations, please see Norine Hazen. Also, we will be coloring Easter Eggs for that meal after worship today. Come join us in the Fellowship Hall.
  • First Sunday Potluck: Sunday, April 7, is our next First Sunday Potluck. Bring your favorite dish and join us for Fellowship and Food. We also continue our study, “How Lutherans Read the Bible”.

Holy Week:

Palm Wednesday Soup Supper — 6 p.m. on March 27

                  Good Friday Worship — 7 p.m. on March 29

                  Easter Sunday Celebration — 10 a.m. on March 31

                        (Fellowship Brunch, New Member Reception Follows)

E-formation – Palm/Passion Sunday, March 24

Oftentimes, to grasp the fullness of something significant, we must look at both sides. So it is that to approach the meaning of Christ, we have to say two things: Jesus and Christ; human and divine; dead and alive; bread and body. This Sunday celebrates these two sides: we begin by praising Christ with “Hosanna,” and we go on to shout, “Crucify him!” Come to join us as we fit both truths into one service.

Mark 11:1-11

Holy Week begins with a palm procession and the proclamation of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem from the Gospel of Mark. Christ enters the assembly now, just as he did then, and we praise his presence among us. “Hosanna” is now our song, pleading for salvation.

Mark 14:1—15:47

Twice each Holy Week we hear the entire story of the betrayal, arrest, trials, abuse, and crucifixion of Jesus. Because it is Sunday, we listen to Mark, the synoptic gospel of this year. In Mark’s gospel, the death of the messiah is the incongruous secret that is manifest now in the believing community. Read in the Sunday assembly, the passion of Christ leads to the eucharist, which is always a celebration of the resurrection.

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Christians have seen in the Servant Songs descriptions of Jesus Christ. In Christian interpretation, the reading sounds as if Jesus is describing his own ill treatment, an important theme in Mark, although he affirms his innocence and his trust in God.

Philippians 2:5-11

We join with Christians of the first century in a creedal poem: Christ humbled himself to death, and God has raised him as Lord. The ancient song is a summary, not only of our baptismal faith, but also of the Holy Week that has begun.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785