Pascha żydowska a chrześcijańska ofiara eucharystyczna

Abstract

Some religious rites have a very long history of evolution and change of content. The Eucharist was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper but the answer to the question of whether the genesis of the rite is to be found in more ancient times depends on whether the Last Supper was a paschal meal. It is difficult to solve this problem .but we can be sure that the last meal of Jesus took place during the period of the Passover and in the atmosphere of that feast: hence in order to understand the meaning of his words and actions we have to consider them in the context of the Jewish Passover. Jesus used an old rite but gave it a new content. The blood of the lamb saved the Jews from death and the paschal meal commemorated it. It lost its appropriateness at the moment of his death, which was a satisfactory sacrifice for men’s sins. Jesus instituted a new covenant with his. death. The Last Supper and the Passion constitute one integral whole. They are continued in Christian Eucharistic sacrifices, which are the Passover of the New Covenant. Christ’s body and blood give us eternal life.