Wine Was a Key Part of the Jewish Passover (Pesach Seder):
Mishnah - Pesahim (or Pesachim) 10.1-7

Introduction to Mishnah Tractate Pesahim (or Pesachim)

During the (so called) "Last Supper" traditional Christian commentators have argued that Jesus introduced the symbols of (unleavened) bread and wine which replaced the Passover Lamb.

However, the Mishnah which documents the longstanding oral traditions of the Pharisees shows that wine was very much an important component of the traditional Jewish Passover. In fact, four cups of wine were traditionally taken by Pharisees as part of the Pesach Seder (or Passover order of service). Interestingly, Luke 22: mentions two such cups; one in verse 17 and another in verse 22.

Luke 22:

17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

If you haven't done so already, you may be surprised to learn more about the commonality between the traditional Jewish Passover and the (so called) "New Testament" Passover.

The following is an extract from the Mishnah tractate Pesahim (or Pesachim) which shows that four cups of wine were traditionally drunk during a Pharisaic Pesach Seder (or Passover order of service).

You may wish to follow this link if you have questions regarding whether the Mishah and other Pharisaic or Rabbinic traditions are important today.

Go back to the start of Judianity - A "Third Way" Between Judaism or Christianity ?

A predictable adjustment to a law about circumcising gentile proselytes for Passover, caused turmoil for the church in Acts. Why isn't a similar level of controversy recorded if the Torah has been abolished? Does Galatians really mean the Torah law is "abolished" because even after the crucifixion many theologians agree that Paul kept Nazirite vows & offered sacrifices at the temple ?

We hope you found this article about Mishnah Pesahim / Passover engaging. Now let's take a closer look a the Mishnah tractate Shabbath (Sabbath).
© www.judianity.info May 2009.