FA IT H
THE
LORD’S SUPPER:
REMEMBERING CHRIST’S DEATH
TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO, JESUS ASKED US TO REMEMBER THE LORD’S SUPPER. WHAT MADE IT SO SPECIAL? JESSE HERFORD
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SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AU • MARCH 2023
the people with the feasts
In stark contrast to the capricious gods of the surrounding pagan nations, God directed the Israelites to take part in ceremonies that celebrated His saving work on their behalf. These rites became a central part of their daily lives. The Old Testament books of Leviticus and
SEDMAK—GETTY IMAGES
H
umans have practised rituals for millennia. Ancient cultures on almost every continent performed various rain-making rituals, calling upon the gods to water their crops. We know that ancient Mesopotamian people sacrificed animals (and sometimes their own people) to appease the gods.
Deuteronomy detail many of these feasts and the associated celebrations. We are told about the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread; the feast of First Fruits, the festivals of Pentecost and Trumpets, the observance of the Day of Atonement, and the feast of Tabernacles.
These ritual feasts were instrumental in two ways. First, they served to help the Israelites regularly practise praise, gratitude, remembrance and repentance. Second, they were reminders of the covenant that the people of Israel had with God. The feasts engaged all of the senses: taste, smell, sound, sight and touch. MARCH 2023 • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.ORG.AU
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