"The Lord's Supper"

1 Corinthians 11:26-29

How is the date for Lord's Supper Determined? Jesus was crucified immediately before the Jewish Passover, which is a celebration of the Exodus from Egypt under Moses. The Celebration of Passover started on the 15th day of the (spring) month of Nisan.

So the Lord's Supper is today on the 14^th day of Nisan. This year this coincides with April the 7^th this year. Unlike His birth, finding the death of Christ and the Lord's Supper can be easily determined. It is a fixed date and it can occur on various days of the week. It's like your birthday - it is a fixed date, but it means it can fall on different times of the week too!

But have you ever noticed how Easter always falls on a Sunday? That really doesn't make sense does it? How is Easter Determined? The Roman Catholic Church decided to make Easter Sunday the first Sunday after the first full moon after vernal equinox.

Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the "official" full moon on or after the "official" vernal equinox. The official vernal equinox is always 21 March. The official full moon may differ from the real full moon by one or two days. So, the crucifixion is celebrated about a week after it was known to happen.

Protestant churches follow this same tradition. The Catholic Church criticizes Protestant Churches because they fall in line with whatever the Catholic Church dictates. But the Church of God is not a protestant church. In fact, the Pope declared that there are only three true churches - the Catholic Church, the Hebrews, and the Sabbath Keeping Churches - like the Church of God 7^th Day.

Until a century ago, Baptists along with numerous other Protestant religions did not celebrate Easter; to them it was a Pagan celebration and not in true accordance with the KJV Bible. In the authorized KJV (King James Version) Easter is mentioned but once in Acts 12:4 where the pagan King Herod was observing it, not any Christian. Hence Protestants did not believe in celebrating this Pagan holiday. Additionally, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday have no Biblical reference; therefore, it was their belief the entire holiday had become a Christian farce, and a rebirth of the pagan rituals.

Most Protestants a century (and more) ago were raised in a true black and white world- believe in the Written Word. No variations, no interpretations, a what- you- see -is -what -you -get mentality. Webster's Dictionary (College Edition) defines Easter as: "originally the name of pagan vernal festival … Eastre, dawn goddess." Further research with encyclopedias and other holiday books will identify this Eastre with the pagan goddess known variously as Eostre, Ishtar, Semeramis, and Astarte. In the KJV Bible, this is the same Babylonian "Queen of Heaven" who to worship was condemned in the Word of God. (Read Jeremiah 7 and 44).

Times change and the Baptist like a lot of other Protestants decided to compromise and gave in to the celebration of pagan holidays. The first Protestants to begin celebrating Easter "compromised" by calling Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday. But of course, the Church of God is not a protestant church. She does not base her existence as a form of protest to any other church but tries unswervingly to continue to hold fast to the truth as closely as possible. After all there are only two choices; either you hold fast to traditions and compromise the truth, or you keep the faith and follow the truth regardless of how unpopular it might be. So on Tuesday night at sundown, an age old tradition established by the Messiah long ago, "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19

Lord's Supper Observance -

Matthew 26:17-30 New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples

17 Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

18 And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"

19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."

22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"

23 He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"

He said to him, "You have said it."

Jesus Institutes the Lord's Supper

²⁶ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

²⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹ But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

Foot Washing Ceremony

John 13:1-10 (NKJV)

Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"

7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."

8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"

Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"

10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."