This, My Body: Mark 14:22-25

God is in control.  The closer we get to the events of the crucifixion and resurrection, the more this theme comes out.  He is the mastermind of the world.  He allows us to play in His creation and have our way, but ultimately everything we do is within His greater boundary-making.  This world is His story to tell: a story of creation, rebellion, restoration, and life.

Jesus turns to the Passover celebration.  This celebration is steeped in historical tradition, a tradition for which there isn’t space here to go into full depth.  During the Passover meal, though, there are three pieces of Matzoh, or unleavened bread, placed at the head of the table.  At the beginning of the Passover celebration, the middle piece of bread is removed, broken into two pieces, and one part is hidden.  During the meal, this broken piece is retrieved, ransomed back to the family gathered at the table, and reunited with its other part.

In the circles that follow Jesus’ teachings, people talk about three divine beings: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Father was known first, starting with creation.  The Son was always known as God’s Messiah, but became known in person in Jesus.  The Holy Spirit was also always known, but became known in person after Jesus’ resurrection at Pentecost.  This pattern of revealing is why the Son is the second being of the Trinity.

It is commonly thought Jesus speaks the words “This, my body,” during the middle of the Passover when the hidden half of the second matzoh is ransomed back and then restored with the other part.  Jesus refers to His body as the broken Matzoh, signifying His death.  Jesus refers to the reuniting of the Matzoh pieces to signify His resurrection.  His body is broken as a ransom for us.  His body is made whole again as a symbol of what is to come for all.

There is more symbology in the cups.  The Passover meal has four cups of wine.  These are cups for remembering sanctification, praising God, our redemption, and hope for the future.  It is the third cup that follows the point where the broken piece of Matzoh is ransomed and reunited.  Thus, immediately after Jesus says the broken and reunited piece of Matzoh is His body, Jesus lifts the cup of redemption and says, “This, my blood.”  Jesus tells His disciples His blood will be what God uses for redemption.

These symbols had been celebrated for centuries of Hebrew history.  The symbolism would be taught to all Hebrew people from a very young age.  God set the significance of Jesus’ Passover celebration in motion fifteen hundred years prior, using the yearly passage of time as reinforcement. 

This is His plan.  He took dozens of generations to bring His plan into existence.  The crucifixion is no trivial plan from Judas.  It is no scheme from the religious elite.  This is God demonstrating His mastery over time, or sin, and over death.  God is in control.