Who doesn’t love a good romance? Am I right? Whether it’s a movie like “Cinderella” with your 3 year old or “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers, there’s something about a love story that speaks to us. Romance is big business – just look at the Hallmark Channel! Though most romance movies and plots are predictable: boy notices girl, boy pursues girl, boy and girl encounter an obstacle or crisis, then boy and girl fall in love, marry, kiss and live happily ever after, there is something about the pursuit that speaks to our hearts. 

Enter a Prince into the plot. That’s my favorite story line. Oh the Prince!! He is so very handsome, incredibly wise, funny, kind, good, and generous. Everyone in his kingdom loves him because he is just so good! It’s finally time for him to choose a bride and oh the bevy of beautiful princesses – who will it be?! But….the one who captures his heart doesn’t end up to be a princess – she ends up being someone like you or me! Now that story does something to my heart – it gives me hope!  

Now – what does this have to do with communion you ask? I’m glad you asked.

Everything.

Before I get into the specifics, I have a disclaimer. I am no expert of Jewish theology or customs. I am a Gentile believer who is in love with and a follower of Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. When our son, Randal, was around 6, he asked me why we did not observe the Sabbath after he watched a movie about Moses – and honestly, I had no answer – so,  I sought one.  Our church at the time, Shady Grove Church, had this mission statement: to Know God and make Him known – and, that included a heavy emphasis on missions starting with the Jew first then to the Gentile – it is the Biblical order. Fortunately one of the members, Bonnie Wilks, wrote a book called Sabbath: A Gift of Time  which gave me permission to observe the Sabbath. In it she teaches that God created the Sabbath for all mankind at the creation of the world. Psalms 78, paraphrased, instructs us that one generation shall tell the next generation of the mighty deeds of the Lord so that they, the next generation, would not be stubborn and stiff necked:

For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel,

Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children;

That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born,

That they may arise and declare them to their children,

That they may set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

And may not be like their fathers,

A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright,

And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Psalms 78: 5-8

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 puts it this way:

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and 

 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 

when you lie down, and when you rise up. 

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, 

shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, 

and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

That started my journey – our journey. We began observing the Sabbath approximately 12 years ago and it’s grown from there. Over time we’ve incorporated and observed other feasts and through study, we’ve learned that all of the Jewish feasts, and I dare say many of the “traditions” or customs, – point to the return of Yeshua (see Colossians 2:16-17). During my study, I found several writings where Orthodox Rabbi’s compare the traditional betrothal and wedding ceremony to the Sabbath. Therefore, from those two frameworks, I want to draw a picture for you and perhaps present a different perspective to communion that you’ve not considered. 

Now, back to communion.

The Pursuit~ I love this part. In ancient Jewish customs, it was the Father of the Groom or a “matchmaker” sent on his behalf who would seek out a Bride for his son and it was the Father of the Groom that paid the dowry (Genesis 24). The use of a “matchmaker” is still common today among many Orthodox. The choosing of the Bride was quite significant as it was the joining of two families. The Father of the Groom recognized the high value of a good Bride for his son and offered a contract and dowry as a way to compensate and comfort the Bride’s family. The Bride’s family would lose an extra set of hands – someone that helped run the household, and, often, in ancient times, the Bride would leave her family never to return.

Once a suitable Bride was found and an agreement was made, the families would enter into an official covenant to be held at the first of two ceremonies. The first ceremony, “Erusin” – or the Betrothal Ceremony, was considered a holy day – as is Shabbat. The second ceremony, Nesuin, came much later – often a year or more after the Erusin and was considered a season of preparation – more on that later. Suffice it to say, the time of waiting was important. While it is now customary among those who still observe the Erusin and Nesuin ceremonies to have them on the same day, that wasn’t always the case.

There are many scriptures that point to God’s pursuit of His people and His reference to them as a Bride (such as Jeremiah 31:1-14, Exodus 6:7-8, and Leviticus 26:12-13). 

Yeshua, Jesus, called Himself the “Bridegroom” in Matthew 9:15 and we can be assured that He chose you and He chose me: 

…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,

 according to the good pleasure of His will, 

to the praise of the glory of His grace, 

by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:4-6

The Day ~ Shabbat is a holy day (Exodus 20:8). It is a day set aside to rest from the week. It is a day unlike all others. On this day, we cease from work and rest. The first day of rest followed creation: 

God gave further instructions to the Jewish people following the Exodus:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 

but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 

In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant,

nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea,

and all that is in them, and

rested the seventh day. 

Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

Exodus 20:8-11

Suffice it to say, the Sabbath is important to God. Likewise, marriage is important to Him. At the Betrothal Ceremony, the day is also a holy one before God – a day set aside with a specific purpose: two people enter into a covenant that is legal and binding. It is still customary today to have a special day to symbolize the joining of two people – it is a Holy act unto and before God.  

The Candles ~ on Shabbat, we light two candles to remind us to rest from the weariness of the week and to remind us what the Lord has brought us through during the week. While there isn’t candle lighting in communion, it is romantic and it serves as an illustration later. 

The Washing ~ on Shabbat, we wash hands to symbolize coming before God with clean hands and a pure heart. During the Betrothal Ceremony, a couple would partake in The Mikveh – or Ritual Immersion – which was symbolic of spiritual cleansing before being presented to those in attendance. The purpose of being “set apart” or cleansed was to prepare them for their wedding. It was customary that both the Bridegroom and the Bride would be dressed in all white garments. In Orthodox homes, it was customary for the Bridegroom to wear the same white garments during the High Holy Days such as Yom Kippur. The Ritual Immersion and the white garments were symbolic of cleansing – they were symbolizing that they were entering into their marriage with pure hearts devoted only to one another. 

Our Bridegroom, Yeshua, was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17), and we  who believe in Him and have accepted Him as our Savior are to follow His example in Baptism (Matthew 28:19). 

Ephesians also speaks a cleansing through the Word of God:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 

that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 

that He might present her to Himself a glorious church,

not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,

but that she should be holy and without blemish. 

Ephesians 5:25-27

The Covering ~ At the Betrothal Ceremony, it was customary for the man and woman to come up under a single covering called a “Chuppah”. The Chuppah was customarily set up outside under the stars and an open Heaven to serve as a reminder of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens (Genesis 15:5, Genesis 22:17, Genesis 26:4, Exodus 32:13). It also symbolizes a physical covering or protection. Customarily the Bridegroom would enter the chuppah first symbolizing his commitment to provide for and protect his wife. It is customary for the Bride to circle the groom seven times upon entering the Chuppah symbolizing perfection and completion. Mentioned over 800 times in the Bible, the number 7 is believed to be associated with God’s divine power and miracles – God rested on the 7th day and Yeshua performed miracles on the Sabbath (7th day) such as giving sight to a blind man and healing a withered hand. It also reminds us of a Sukkot which is a Feast of great joy among the Jewish people and a time to be reminded of God’s protection and provision. Even Solomon was married under a Chuppah!

He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love. 

Song of Solomon 2:4

In a Shabbat ceremony, it is customary for the father to wrap his children in a “Tallit” or prayer shawl. It is symbolic of God’s protection over His people:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; 

My God, in Him I will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

Psalms 91:1-4

God’s promises of protection are found all throughout scriptures. 

When a woman entered into a Bridal Covenant, she had the protection, the provision, and the position of the Bridegroom and the Father of the Bridegroom. As a believer in and follower of Yeshua, we have His protection, provision, and position. 

The Cup ~ While the cup most often symbolizes judgement in the Old Testament, at both Shabbat and the Betrothal Ceremony, the cup, filled with wine, called the Kiddush cup, symbolizes joy. Both Shabbat and the Betrothal Ceremony are times of great joy and celebration. When the cup is filled, it is filled to overflowing, representing abundance, and the Bridegroom would then present it to the Bride. In presenting the cup, the Bridegroom is saying that he is willing to give up his life for her. He is offering all of himself – his past, his present, and his future to her. By drinking the cup, she is receiving his gift of provision, of protection, and of position. She is saying: what you have to offer me is enough – I receive you without hesitation and want nothing more than what you are offering me. After she drinks from the cup, the Bride is then referred to as “one bought with a price.” That will preach! 

When Yeshua established the communion, it is important to note that He did so at the Passover meal. In Luke 22:15, Jesus said He “fervently desired” to share the Passover meal with His disciples before He was given over to suffer. Since it was the Passover meal, there would have been 4 cups offered at various points: the cup of sanctification, the cup of deliverance, the cup of redemption, and the cup of praise.  

The cup of sanctification is also called the Kiddush cup which is the cup we drink on Shabbat. During the Passover meal that Yeshua shared with the disciples, He held up the third cup – the cup of redemption – and said:

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Luke 22:20

Think back now to the name the Bride is given after she drinks from the cup offered by the Bridegroom – she is referred to as one bought with a price. When Yeshua held  the third cup and proclaimed it as the new covenant, He was foreshadowing His death on the cross for all who would receive Him. In both Shabbat and Betrothal ceremonies, the Kiddush cup symbolizes great joy and celebration. While ultimately for us, the cup reminds us of the painful, horrific, bloody crucifixion of Yeshua, the cup also gives us reason to give thanks. As His Bride, He presented the cup and symbolically declared He was willing to lay down His life for us and He did. I am now called “one bought with a price”. You are now called “one bought with a price.” Let that truth sink in. Powerful

The Bread ~ At the Passover Meal, they would have eaten matzah – not the fluffy loaf of bread most often seen in paintings depicting the Lord’s supper. There’s quite a process to making matzah – or unleavened bread. Leaven is what causes the bread to ‘puff up’ or rise. Symbolically, it represents sin in our life – the thing that puffs us up – pride, selfishness, lust, lies – the list goes on. Paul speaks about Leaven in Corinthians: 

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, 

since you truly are unleavened. 

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, 

nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, 

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I Corinthians 5:6-8

When you make matzah there are a few important steps. First, it has to be mixed in haste in order to ensure it does not rise or puff up. When you roll it out, you have to roll it out super thin, then you ‘beat’ the dough with the rolling pin, which bruises it, and pierce it with a fork – all to ensure it doesn’t puff up. After you bake it, it is easy to see the ‘stripes’ and the ‘piercings’ – especially when you hold it up to a candle. Isaiah and Mark also tell of someone pierced and bruised:

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

…He [Pilate]delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Mark 15:15

In Greek, the word “scourged” is phragelloo which means a multi-thronged tool used to whip someone publicly. The device would have caused Yeshua’s skin to be pierced – leaving holes – and ripped off – leaving strips across His back. 

When matzah is rolled out, it is incredibly thin – so thin in fact that you can see light through it. This reminds us of a parchment paper – the type of parchment paper that might have held the terms to the Bridal covenant – terms spelling out the price the Father of the Groom was willing to pay, terms that included the protection offered to the Bride, and positioning her legally bound to the Bridegroom. 

When Yeshua took the bread at the Passover meal, He held it up before them and broke it saying, 

“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Luke 22:19

As believers, His body is the dowry – it is the Bridal Covenant – His body, His very life blood is the price the Father of the Bridegroom – God the Father – was willing to pay for us. God the Father looked at you and at me and said, “she is worth it!”

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, 

but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17

Once the Erusin takes place and the contract read, the couple is legally married though they do not live together yet nor consummate the marriage, and, it is interesting to note, a divorce could only be initiated by the Father of the Groom or the Bridegroom himself. The New Testament confirms this with Mary and Joseph – Joseph wanted to divorce her quietly. 

The Waiting ~ After the Betrothal Ceremony, the Bridegroom would then return to his father’s house to prepare a room (or rooms) for his Bride which was customarily built onto his father’s house. During the waiting period, the Bride was active! She was busy making her bridal garments, making linens and other items she would need for her new home, and preparing her body with beauty treatments for her Bridegroom and the wedding which would take place when the Bridegroom returned. The Bride was charged with keeping herself pure while she was waiting. She could not be pursued by another – doing so was akin to adultery. While the Bride knew the approximate time the Bridegroom would return – about a year or so, perhaps even longer – she stayed in a ‘ready’ state knowing he could return at any moment – and when he did, the waiting would be over, the wedding ceremony would take place, the marriage consummated, and she would leave her father and mother’s home to make a life with her Bridegroom and his family. 

It was customary for the Bridegroom to send forerunners ahead of him to announce his return for his bride. One or two friends of the Bridegroom would run ahead and proclaim loudly, “THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING!! THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING!!” The Bride would hurriedly dress, her attendants and family would gather, and together, they would wait for the Bridegroom to knock on the door. When the Bridegroom entered the city gates, he would blow a shofar  announcing his return. He would blow it intermittently until he arrived at her door ready to claim his Bride and take her to her new home. 

As believers, we are in the season of waiting and preparation. Remember the parable of the 10 virgins – the 5 wise and the 5 unwise? The wise were prepared for the return of the Bridegroom – the unwise virgins were not and as a result, they were left behind. Paul encourages us to walk in obedience and work out our salvation: 

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, 

but now much more in my absence, 

work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13

The Remembering ~ When we partake of communion, He instructs us to do so in order that we might remember what He did for us – His sacrifice on the cross – and, dare I say – we are to remember the bridal price He paid for us. We should pause to reflect upon the Bridal Covenant we entered into with Him. If there has been a moment where you have felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit, confessed Jesus as your Savior, and followed Him in baptism, you have drank of the cup – you received the price He paid for you. And, those of us that have received His gift are charged with keeping our hearts, minds, and bodies pure. We are charged with preparing for His return. 

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: 

that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 

and when He had given thanks,

 He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body 

which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 

In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying,

 “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. 

This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, 

you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

I Corinthians 11:23-26

My next blog will be about the season of preparation for the Bride. For now, let the truths shared above penetrate your heart. Meditate on your title as “one bought with a price.” Imagine the peace and hope we can rest in when we embrace our identity as the Bride of Christ and embrace the truth of the provision, the protection, and the position we have as a result of our Bridegroom and join your voice with the resounding cry in the earth:

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”

Revelation 22:17

Resources:

https://www.jewishvoice.org/read/article/did-yeshua-eat-seder-meal

https://www.judaica.com/jliving/jewish-wedding-ceremony-steps.html

https://www.aish.com/h/su/tai/48957181.html

http://www.shalomadventure.com/jewish-life/traditions/2691-the-chuppa

http://messianicfellowship.50webs.com/wedding.html

https://www.aish.com/atr/Erusin_and_Nesuin.html

http://www.cmdeaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/MessiahInTheHebrewFeasts.pdf