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Pitre shows us that Jesus is also presented as the new Passover lamb. Lambs at Passover underwent a type of crucifixion at the Temple.He suggests that the third Passover cup was the cup of consecration and the fourth cup was the wine he drank from the sponge on the Cross. Pitre examines the Bread of life discourse in the Gospel of John. This discourse follows a miracle which is eucharistic and Pitre helps us understand the eucharistic themes found throughout the discourse. It is also shown to harmonize with the teachings of Paul as found in the First Letter to the Corinthians. Pitre argues that the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is somewhat akin to the Old Testament Bread of the Presence. The instructions about the Bread of the Presence found in Exodus is linked to the eucharistic words of Jesus in Luke 22. We often assume that the Messianic expectations at the time of Jesus were those of a warrior Messiah who would liberate his people by the use of force. As Pitre notes, we forget the concept of a priestly Messiah which was equally prevalent at the time. Pitre does a great job in placing Jesus within his Jewish roots. Reading this work helps us greatly
towards a greater love of the Holy Eucharist. |