[Steve Myers] Christian and Passover, sometimes people think those two words don't go together, but they do. If you look into your Bible, the Passover is not just a Jewish thing. It is a Christian thing. It's a thing you as a Christian need to be observing. And the New Testament is very specific about the New Testament Passover.

[Darris McNeely] Absolutely. One of the greatest of Christian writers, the Apostle Paul, wrote to a Gentile church many years after the death of Christ, the beginning of the church there in the first century, and he instructed this Gentile church in Corinth on how to observe the Passover as a commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ.

[Steve Myers] And one thing, maybe for some, they might not know exactly what a Gentile is, but that's a non-Jew, someone that's not a Jew. And here's his instructions.

[Darris McNeely] In 1 Corinthians in chapter 11 verse 23, beginning there, the Apostle Paul writes, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you." So this was instruction from him—from God to Paul. "That the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread." This was the night before Christ's death when He met with His disciples in what is often called the Last Supper, but what was really the Passover meal before that. And in that he changed the symbols of the bread and wine. It says, "And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.' And in the same manner He also took the cup after supper saying, 'This cup is the New Covenant in My blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). And so here we see that these old symbols, ancient symbols of the bread and the wine were transformed by Christ on that night to have different meaning.

[Steve Myers] Right, tremendous meaning when you think about it. When you understand what Christ did that evening, this was not some Jewish Passover that was His ultimate intent. His ultimate intent was to show the significance of His sacrifice. That's where it all begins, with the sacrifice of Christ. So, at the New Testament Passover, it's the time that we proclaim and we herald the death of Christ because with that sacrifice it gives us the opportunity to begin the journey to salvation. And so we accept that and we understand that and we recommit ourselves to Him.

[Darris McNeely] And it's on an annual occasion just as the Passover service was an annual occasion on the 14th day of the first month of God's calendar on a once a year basis, so is this particular observance. By Paul saying, "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death" he was not saying—giving carte blanche permission to do it as often as you choose, we do it as often as God instructs from the Scripture and that was once a year.

[Steve Myers] And there's so much meaning behind the Passover. We certainly can't get into all of it in just a minute or two, but it's something that if you're unfamiliar with, you should check it out. It is a serious thing. It is an important thing. And in fact it is the beginning of the plan of God that shows exactly what God's doing.

[Darris McNeely] And we're in that season of year when this Passover service, this New Testament Passover service is to be held by Christians. And we'll be talking more about this on future editions of BT Daily. Join us next time.