Page 15 - Easter The Untold Story

The apostle Paul wrote: "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Following Jesus' instructions, Christians are to observe the Passover of the New Testament on Nisan 14.
Jesus' body is represented by bread. "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48). His blood is symbolized by wine. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Paul explains, "is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16).
How important is it to partake of the Christian Passover? It is a question of life and death, according to Christ. He proclaimed in no uncertain terms: "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him" (John 6:53-56).
Self-Examination
Observing the Passover, [wrongly] called the Lord’s Supper, is a serious matter, and should not be taken lightly. A period of profound self-examination should precede the occasion, because "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1 Corinthians 11:27- 28).
Of such awesome worth was the shedding of Jesus' blood for our redemption that God will hold accountable anyone who demeans or belittles that sacrifice (Hebrews 10:29- 31). Making salvation available to all humanity did not come cheaply. A great price was paid when Christ "bore our sins in his body on the tree [the cross]" (1 Peter 2:24). We were not redeemed "with perishable things such as silver or gold... but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Old Testament prophecies offer a glimpse at what Jesus went through for our benefit. The authors were divinely inspired to describe, centuries before it took place, various aspects of Christ's crucifixion.
David wrote: "All who see me mock me... open their mouths wide against me... I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up... my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth... they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me (Psalm 22:7-17).