In recent years, Christians everywhere are rediscovering the Jewish roots of their faith. Every year at Easter time, many believers now celebrate Passover meals (known as Seders) seeking to understand exactly whathappened at Jesus' final Passover, the night before he was crucified."Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist "shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitreanswers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus' purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, mostimportant of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, "This is my body... This is myblood"?To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passoverof the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys--the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence--have the power to unlockthe original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on EasterSunday.Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work thatis sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus' presence in "the breaking of the bread.""From theHardcover edition."