Many churches observe Communion weekly; you may call it the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist. Others observe it monthly or quarterly. Jesus commanded that His followers do this regularly in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19). The wine (or grape juice) represents the blood of the new covenant, and the bread represents His body, broken for us. The Lord’s Supper was patterned after the Passover meal, which Jesus shared with His disciples on the night Judas betrayed Him (Luke 22:14–23).
In Ezra 6, the returnees were celebrating Passover and the ensuing seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival commemorated that harrowing night when “the destroyer” (Exod. 12:23) went through Egypt killing the firstborn of all families who did not have the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. The meal celebrated God’s incredible rescue of His people from slavery, His great kindness in passing over them, and His utter faithfulness to Abraham’s children.
The priest and Levites took care to be “ceremonially clean” (Ezra 6:20), just as the Lord commanded. “The Israelites who had returned from exile” ate the meal. Joining them were “all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel” (v. 21). Note the emphasis on following God completely. Both religious leaders and the everyday people were seeking the Lord with obedience.
The people “celebrated with joy” because “the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria” (v. 22). In contrast to Pharaoh, who stubbornly refused to let God’s people go and whose heart God hardened, God softened the heart of the foreign ruler. Either way, the Lord receives the glory for His faithful care.
Go Deeper
How does your church observe the Lord’s Supper? As we remember the sacrifice of Jesus, why is it also a time to celebrate with joy?
Pray with Us
God, may we never take Communion lightly. May it remind us of Your sacrifice and love for us. Help us each day to be mindful and grateful of this life-changing gift: that Jesus bore our punishment for sin!
The LORD had filled them with joy.Ezra 6:22
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