The Meal That Heals

The Meal That Heals

napkin. During the Passover supper, the middle piece of bread is removed and is broken in two. One half of the broken piece is hidden. This hidden portion is known as the afikoman (the “after meal”) and is eaten at the end of the meal as a reminder of the paschal lamb, which was eaten at the end so that its taste would remain in the mouth. A custom developed for the broken half of the bread to be placed in a linen napkin and hidden somewhere in the house by the father. The children would then set out to discover the hidden piece of bread and the child who was successful would receive a special prize. In these customs, we can see the prophetic parallel of Christ’s sufferings. During the Middle Ages, Christians taught that the three pieces of bread represented the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The middle bread, representing Jesus, was removed and broken. When Christ held up the bread and broke it before His disciples, He was symbolically breaking the middle matzo. Just as part of the bread is wrapped in a linen napkin, so the bruised body of Christ was wrapped in linen cloth and hidden away from the eyes of men in a sealed tomb (Luke 23:53). After His resurrection, the disciples ran to the graveyard, stooped inside the small cavern, and saw the grave clothes lying on a stone slab, the body missing (John 20:6-7). In the Passover Seder, the child who discovers the bread wrapped in the linen receives a gift. Those who were an eyewitness to Christ’s resurrection did receive a special gift called “the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). This promise of the Father was the Holy Spirit, the other comforter sent to dwell in the church (John 14:26). During the Passover meal, a cup of the fruit of the vine was set before the disciples (Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18). Judas was present, participating in the supper as though he was a faithful friend and follower of Christ. Yet, in his heart was greed and deception. When Judas partook of the bread and drank from the cup representing the New Covenant, the spiritual condition of Judas brought judgment to his life. He knew he was going to betray his master and he was fully aware that the thirty silver coins had his name on them. Judas was in a terrible backslidden condition and was going through the religious routine, but God saw through the hypocrisy.

56