On the cross, our Lord said: “It is finished”. That speaks about our redemption, does it not? How come in Romans 4:25 St. Paul says: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” which seems to link redemption with the resurrection of our Lord. A contradiction perhaps? Scott Hahn opens up with this dilemma presented to him by his Pastor of the Evangelical Church he was attending many years ago. In the sermon, the Pastor throws out the dilemma but admits that he didn’t know the answer. Over the next several years, Scott Hahn would figure out the answer, give numerous speeches about it, and eventually publish The Fourth Cup which was released this January.
Every Christian knows that the last supper is somehow tied to the Jewish Passover. We just don’t really know all of the details. In this short book that passes Dennis Prager’s below 200 pages test, Hahn goes about explaining this divine mystery. He examines the Gospel of John with the synoptics and shows a beautiful harmony between them. Most liberals would just put them against each other to cause as much chaos as possible but Hahn shows us how they’re complementary and not contradictory.
In addition to the Gospels and St. Paul’s epistles we read about how the Old Testament fits into the picture as well. Hahn even goes beyond the Old Testament and into some early Rabbinic writings and shares some intimate details of the Passover and how it was celebrated.
In addition to this, we have references from the early Fathers of the Church. He goes through the writings of St. Justin Martyr, St. Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Melito of Sardis and others. The Last Supper is linked to the Passover and no early Church Father ever doubted that.
His research is impressive. I learned a couple things that I didn’t know beforehand. Although I would take issue with a couple peripheral issues, the overall thesis is firm in my opinion. Hahn is also gifted with the ability of taking very complicated concepts and putting them into language that the average layman can fully absorb.
Hahn also talks about how this issue is connected to his conversion story. He adds some details that weren’t shared in Rome Sweet Home. This issue for him was a journey. A journey that was part of his larger journey when he came home to the Catholic Church.
Pick this one up. It’s a quick and easy read but you’ll learn a lot. Aren’t those the best kind of books? The mystery of the Passover and the Last Supper will be solved for you in just a couple of hours. “It is finished?” What did Christ mean when he said these mysterious words two millennia ago? What was finished? You’ll have to pick up this masterpiece to find out!
Interesting find, I might pick it up myself if the Kindle has a discount.
I learnt from Ray Vander Laan’s ‘That the World May Know’ series that the Last Supper also has Jewish marriage connotations.
Together with Jesus’ wedding parables, comparing Himself to the groom, and going to prepare a place in His Father’s house – Jesus is the suitor, asking His disciples to accept the cup of engagement He offers. He will then depart to prepare a new room attached to His Father’s complex, and when it is done, He will return for His bride the church and take her home to live in the Father’s house.