WHAT WAS FINISHED?

“’29 17 I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father."

30 18 Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. .” (Matthew 26:29-30)

Jesus was celebrating the Passover Meal with his apostles. He had just instituted the Eucharist & the priesthood after drinking the third cup, the Cup of Salvation, giving us the salvation of the New Covenant. The Passover will climax with the singing of the “Great Hallel” (Psalms 114-118) and the drinking of the fourth cup of wine – the Cup of Consummation.

THE LORD'S SUPPER

Matthew 26: 26-30: 26 14 15 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body."

27 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, 16 and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you,
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 17 I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father."
30 18 Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

“After singing a hymn,” many scholars believe the hymn Jesus would sing would be the Great Hallel, the hymns sung prior to drinking the fourth cup and completing the Passover meal. But instead of drinking the fourth cup to finish the Passover, Jesus leaves. In fact, He says He will not drink the fruit of the vine & then goes out to the Mount of Olives.

Doesn’t it seem odd, that a good Jew would purposely stop the Passover meal before its completion? It’s like He meant not to drink what he was supposed to drink as part of the Passover.

GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

Matthew 26: 36-39: 36 21 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, 22 and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, 23 and began to feel sorrow and distress.
38 Then he said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. 24 Remain here and keep watch with me."
39 He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, "My Father, 25 if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will."

Matthew 26: 42-44: 42 27 Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!"
43 Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open.
44 He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again.

Mark 14:32, 36-39:32 11 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
36 he said, "Abba, Father, 12 all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will."
37 When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?
38 13 Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
39 Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing.

Luke 22: 41-44:41 After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed,
42 saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done."
43 14 (And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.
44 He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.)

Jesus prayed, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) Three times he asked that the cup pass him by (Matthew 26:42-44). Clearly, in his human nature, Jesus was afraid & wanted to avoid suffering, but chose obedience.

We know what happens next. Jesus is betrayed & arrested, tried, & brought before Pilate.

THE CRUCIFIXION

John 19:23-24: 23 9 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down.

24 So they said to one another, "Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be," in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled (that says): "They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots." This is what the soldiers did. (John 19: 23-24)

John 19: 28-30: 28 After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, 12Jesus said, "I thirst."

29 There was a vessel filled with common wine. 13 So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.

30 14 When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

John 19: 32-36: 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.

33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs,

34 15 but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

35 An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows 16 that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may (come to) believe.

36 For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: "Not a bone of it will be broken."

JESUS REFUSES WINE

Mark 15: 22-24: 22 They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull).
23 They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it.
24 9 Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take.

Jesus said two things on the cross: “I thirst,” & “It is finished.”

When Jesus said, “I thirst,” he was given wine. “A bowl of sour wine stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth.” (John 19:29)

After drinking from the fruit of the vine, he said, “It is finished.”

What is finished? The Passover sacrifice is finished. Jesus drank from the fourth & final cup of the Passover, the Cup of Consummation, and in His drinking, the Passover is finished. The lamb has been slain. The sacrifice has been consummated.

Jesus is the Passover lamb. He is the Passover sacrifice. He is the perfect, spotless unblemished, lamb, no bones are broken. He is the ultimate sacrifice for sin. His blood, the blood of the Lamb of God, is the blood of the New Covenant, reconciling man to God. The gates of heaven are reopened. Eternal life is now available for all!

Undoing the sin of Adam. Jesus willingly suffered & died, laying down his life for his bride, the Church. Adam, fearing death, refused to lay down his life for his bride. Jesus undid in the Garden of Gethsemane, what Adam did in the Garden of Eden. His blood is the blood of the new covenant. He fulfills the promises of Isaiah’s suffering servant, the servant king messiah.

In the Eucharist we “zecher”, or make present, the Passover sacrifice of Jesus at the Mass. We re-present Jesus as the Sacrifice, this time in an unbloody manner. The law of Moses prescribed that the Passover lamb must be consumed in its entirety. We, too, at our sacrifice, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, must consume the Lamb. Jesus, God made man, comes to us body, blood, soul & divinity, in the Eucharist, giving us the grace we need to pick up our cross & follow in Him.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us!

So today, as you go through your day would you join me in praying this prayer in thanksgiving for the love of God poured out for you & for me. “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You because by Your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”

IS JESUS RE-SACRIFICED AT MASS?

by Kathy Schle

The Passover Meal

One of the beliefs that many non-Catholic Christians find impossible to accept is the Catholic Mass due to their misunderstanding of the Catholic Mass and the Sacrifice of Jesus. By their erroneous belief they claim at Mass Jesus is continually "re-sacrificed," and also claim the Catholic Church wants to keep Jesus dying by displaying Him on the Cross. I can't count how many times I have been told Jesus said, "It is finished!," before He expired on the Cross. (John 19:30)

The true teaching to the Catholic Mass is, Jesus' ONE TIME bloody sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary is MADE PRESENT. Jesus cannot die again. At the Last Supper He commanded His apostles to MAKE PRESENT His sacrifice in remembrance of Him until He comes again. (Luke 22:19; 1Corinthians 11:26)

Because God is not bound to our earthly time nor to our earthly calendar what took place at Calvary and what takes place at Mass is the same moment and the same sacrifice to God. There is NOT a new sacrifice of Jesus at Mass, but His one-time sacrifice at Calvary is MADE PRESENT. It was Jesus who commanded His sacrifice be made present until He comes again. He said, "DO THIS..."

In Exodus, God commanded the Israelites to kill a lamb without blemish and mark their doorposts with the lamb's blood to spare the life of their firstborn child, and eat the lamb. (Exodus 12:1-13) In verse 22 hyssop was used to dip in the lamb's blood to mark the doorposts. In the New Covenant, Jesus becomes our unblemished and spotless Lamb for the sacrifice of our sins. John the Baptist called Jesus "The Lamb of God" who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29;36).

Jesus' sacrifice as our the Lamb of God didn't begin at Calvary, but began in the Upper Room for the Passover Sedar, the night of His arrest. In the Jewish Passover celebration, 4 cups of wine are celebrated.

The 4th and last cup is the completion of the Passover celebration. All 4 cups symbolize the freedom and redemption that God gave to the Jews from the Egyptian slavery. "I will bring you out...I will deliver you...I will redeem you...I will take you as my own people..." (Exodus 6:6-8)

The first cup is called the cup of sanctification...the second cup is deliverance...the third cup is redemption...the fourth cup is the cup of restoration. The third cup of wine at the blessing of the bread and wine is the cup of "redemption."

After Jesus blessed the bread and wine, He said over the third cup, "Drink of it...this is my blood of the covenant...." (Matthew 26:28) The fourth and last cup after singing the psalms (the Hallel) would be the completion of the Passover celebration and asking God in prayer to accept the Sedar.

However, after they sung (Hallel), Jesus and His disciples went out to the Mount of Olives without drinking the fourth cup and completing the Passover celebration. (Matthew 26:30) Jesus said after the third cup, "...I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:29) After they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Gethsemane

Jesus didn't drink that 4th and last cup of wine. His sacrifice as our true Lamb of God was not yet finished. In a place called Gethsemane, He asked His Father with a sorrowful soul, "My Father, if it is possible, let this CUP pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou will." (Matthew

The "cup" He's speaking about would be the completion of His sacrifice as our true Lamb of God that began in the Upper Room. At Calvary on the Cross He refused wine to drink. (Matthew 27:34) Again, His Sacrifice as our Lamb of God, has not yet come to a completion.

And then before He expired on the Cross He said, "I thirst," received wine vinegar on a sponge on a hyssop (the 4th and last cup), and said, IT IS FINISHED, and bowed His Head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:28-30) Jesus' Sacrifice as our true Lamb of God began in the Upper Room at the Last Supper (Passover Sedar), and came to its completion on the Cross at Calvary.

His Sacrifice for our sins as our unblemished paschal lamb IS FINISHED. But our salvation has yet to come at His Resurrection. St. Paul said if Jesus had not risen our faith would be in vain. (1Corinthians 15:17) So Jesus' Words, "It is finished," wasn't in reference to our salvation.

His Words, "It is finished," was only referring to His sacrificial death as the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Now what do we do after the true Lamb of God died for the sacrifice of our sins? If we go back to Exodus of the Old Covenant that Jesus fulfilled, we see God also commanded His people to EAT the lamb.

The sacrifice wouldn't be complete if they only killed the lamb, marked their doorposts with the lamb's blood, and then tossed out the lamb without eating it.

There wouldn't be salvation of God for their firstborn. They would wake up to find their firstborn dead. God commanded them to EAT the lamb. Jesus, as our true Lamb of God, also commands us to EAT Him. (Matthew 26:26-27).

At Mass, Jesus' one-time bloody sacrifice that began in the Upper Room and came to a finish at Calvary is MADE PRESENT. And we are called to God's Table (the Altar) to EAT the true Lamb Jesus.

Our participation at Mass is being at Calvary. Calvary and Mass are the same moment with God. God is not bound to our earthly time. The Catholic Church teaches, "The celebration of the Eucharist transcends time and space." St. Paul takes Jesus' past sacrifice and the present time of our participation and speaks of it as one and the same event.

St. Paul says, "For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. [past tense] Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with old leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." [present tense] (1Corinthians 5:7-8).

It is finished

St. John in his revelation saw Jesus as "a Lamb" after His Crucifixion.

"Now I saw the Lamb..." (Revelation 6:1)

Jesus' Last Supper and His Cross at Calvary is one complete sacrifice. Jesus commanded that His sacrifice that began in the Upper Room at His Last Supper be re-presented until He comes again because He continues to give Himself to us for the salvation of our soul as the unblemished Lamb of God.

The Mass and the Holy Eucharist (the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ) was prophesied by the Prophet Malachi: "For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a PURE OFFERING; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 1:11)

This is not a new Catholic interpretation to the the prophesy of the Prophet Malachi, but was also the interpretation of our early Church fathers such as Justin Martyr.

"Hence God speaks by the mouth of Malachi, one of the twelve [prophets], as I said before, about the sacrifices at that time presented by you: 'I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord; and I will not accept your sacrifices at your hands: for, from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, My name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure offering: for My name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord: but ye profane it.'

He then speaks of those Gentiles, namely us, who in every place offer sacrifices to Him, i.e., the bread of the Eucharist, and also the cup of the Eucharist, affirming both that we glorify His name, and that you profane ." [JUSTIN MARTYR DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO, Chapter XLI [A.D. 100-165]

God did away with symbols in the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant God gives us the true Sacrifice and the true Lamb of Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls.