Pascha Jezusa Chrystusa

Abstract

Many people raise the question: Was the Last Supper of Jesus and the Apostles the Jewish Passover? The answer to this question is not that simple, though. This article attempts to identify the features of Jewish Passover based on characterictics of the Last Supper found in the Synoptic Gospels. However, the most important aspect for the author is to present the novelty of Eucharist in the light of rites and theology of the holy day of Pesach. This Novelty, when interpreting the descriptions of the Last Supper in the light of the Jewish Passover, provides us with a new theological dimension of the Eucharist, which was taken into account during the Second Vatican Council as well as liturgical reforms. Christ died and was raised from the dead to the immortal glory so as to deliver us from the power of sin. Our Saviour crossed the borders of death and went on to the new life. In theology this passing is referred to as Pesach/Passover, the Mystery of Pascha, or the Paschal Mystery, since the Hebrew word pesach means a passage. The ‘passage’ of Christ to the to Father’s glory was announced by the Israeli leaving the Egyptian land of slavery, solemnly declared at the time of Jewish celebration of Pascha/Passover. Christ’s death and His Resurrection took place right at the time of this religious feast. The introductory part of this article presents the most important elements of Jewish Pesach contained in descriptions of the Last Supper. Then we make insight into Jesus Christ and His redempting activity in the light of the Jewish Passover. And finally, the last part of this article introduces the new and paschal dimension of the Eucharist.