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Getting to the point: for the time being, I don’t want to return to current problems of this world just yet. Although current events are important and we will surely come back to them, today I have planned a slightly lighter, more reflective topic related to the recent Commemoration of Christ. I would like to summarize it and answer questions related to it.

To start, I would like to address a few comments that I have received recently. The first one, although a bit older, seems worth clarifying. User Murphy wrote: “I suggest not using the twisted form NATANYAHU, which means 'given by YHWH’, because it creates a potentially dangerous combination 'Satan from YHWH’.” Regarding this issue: indeed, in Hebrew natam means “gift”, “present”, and YHWH is an abbreviation of God’s name. Combined, Natan-yahu means “gift from YHWH” – that’s logical, although the “from” is implied here and does not appear as a separate word. In Semitic languages, certain relations are often hidden and don’t need to be expressed literally, for example in Arabic one says “this car” instead of “this is a car”.

However, the combination “satan-yahu” does not mean “Satan from YHWH”, but rather two separate words: “satan” and “YHWH”. It’s important to remember that “satan” is not a proper name, but a designation – it means adversary, accuser. If we assume that “yahu” is an abbreviation of God’s name, then “satan-yahu” would mean “enemy of YHWH”, which in my opinion makes theological sense – after all, Satan is God’s enemy. Murphy also suggested exchanges like “Nathan Satan” or “Satan Nathan”, but those are more linguistic games without a deeper biblical context. In my understanding “Satan Yahu” is accurate, although I have some doubts about the correctness of the abbreviation “Yahu” as a form of God’s name. The abbreviation in writing is YHW, not YHU or Yahoo – and here there are discrepancies.

Regarding pronunciation and meaning – in God’s name, the so-called tetragrammaton, the letters YHWH are key. Some people read it as “Yahu”, but I am not convinced that this is correct. In Greek, there is no letter H, and the aspiration is treated more as a way of pronunciation than a separate letter, so it’s hard to say whether the “H” in the abbreviation “I AM” (from YH) should be pronounced. In the Book of Revelation, the word “Alleluia” appears, which means “praise Yah” – this indicates that the abbreviation “Yah” is more proper than “Yahu”. The letter H in Hebrew is often replaced by a vowel, so “Yah” seems more natural. If anyone has other arguments – I am happy to listen! However, “I AM” appears directly in Greek, and this confirms this version.

I hope I have clarified this issue. In my understanding, “Satan-yahu” means “enemy of God”, if we assume “yahu” as an abbreviation of God’s name. Such an interpretation is theologically consistent.

Moving on to the next comments: Agata asked whether I could conduct a live broadcast of the Memorial. In response: yes, we do broadcast the commemoration of Christ live, but access to this broadcast is reserved only for people baptized in the name of Yeshu, who for important reasons could not be present in person. However, I believe we need to think about this further – we don’t have an explicit prohibition, but I’m not sure if this form of leading the Memorial online really reflects the biblical concept. Why do I have doubts? Historically, the first followers of Christ (I prefer the term “Christ-people” to “Christians”) did not celebrate this ceremony quietly at home, separately, but gathered together. If someone was sick and could not come, they did not practice commemorating the Memorial alone—appointed brothers would bring wine and bread from the ceremony directly to the sick person. This shows the importance of community and unity during this event. In partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we unite with Him, and by participating with all the brothers, we also unite with one another as a community. It’s hard for me to say whether such unity can be achieved at a distance, over the Internet.

A separate, very important issue is participation in the Memorial. According to the teachings of the New Testament, only those immersed in the name of Yeshu—that is, those who are His disciples and whose sins have been washed away—may take part in this ceremony. Someone may believe that everyone should have access, but I do not agree with this. In the 1st century, great emphasis was placed on ensuring that participants were worthy of partaking of the body and blood of Christ. In 1 Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 27-30, we read: “Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks from the Lord’s cup unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Let each person examine themselves…”. This is a serious warning—partaking in an unworthy manner led to serious consequences, even death. It is this immersion in the name of Yeshu that cleanses us and makes us worthy to participate in the Memorial—then we bury the old self and are born into a new life.

That’s why I do not encourage independently celebrating the Memorial at home, without immersion, without community, without proper preparation. This is too serious a matter. In the Letter to the Romans 6:3-7, we read: “Do you not know that when we were immersed in the Anointed Yeshua, we were immersed into his death?…” – and further on, it speaks of our spiritual resurrection.

I would like us to understand well that—as Scripture says—“Know this, that our old self was crucified with Him so that the sinful body would be destroyed and that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For the one who has died has been freed from sin.” So who actually benefits from the sacrifice of Christ on the cross? Those who have immersed themselves in His name, in the name of Yeshu. The third verse reminds us of this: “Do you not know that as many as have been immersed in Christ Yeshu, have been immersed into his death?” So if we wish to experience the cleansing power of Christ’s sacrifice, we must be immersed in His name. That’s why before the Memorial we always give new people the opportunity—most often two hours earlier—to be immersed in the name of Yeshu, to devote their life to service, to ask for a clean conscience, so that they may worthily eat His body and drink His blood.

So it is not the case that I automatically make this event available online, because I do not want to encourage the participation of unprepared people—uncleansed, unaware of the significance of this act. People who have not gone through immersion, but under the influence of emotion would like to take part, would be exposed to committing sin. I do not want to play a part in this, which is why the Memorial is reserved for those who have been immersed in the name of Yeshu. That’s how it was in the first century: not everyone could eat the body and drink the blood of Christ. There were even recommendations to fast or confess one’s sins before the Memorial. We may not find this explicitly described in the Bible itself, but such practices appear in letters and writings from the 2nd century, which are very close to the times of the first Christ people. We will talk about some of these texts today. I hope that I have resolved these doubts.

I would also like to draw your attention to a certain phenomenon, which I strongly caution you against. There is a group of people who claim the right to partake of the body and blood of Christ, demanding this privilege, but do not want to give anything of themselves. They do not want to be immersed, are not ready for humility, do not want to fast or take up service—they only expect privileges. I believe that if someone does not want to be immersed because it is inconvenient, does not want to make sacrifices, they do not appreciate what Christ is giving them. Then the words from the Gospel of Matthew 7:6 come to mind: „Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to tear you to pieces.” We must show gratitude and respect—there is nothing holier than the body and blood of Christ. This passage relates not only to preaching the Gospel, but also to encouraging someone to take part in the Memorial without proper preparation, skipping over conversion, humility, and remorse for their former life—that would be improper.

I will move on to the next question. Dawid asked: „Do we celebrate Passover all day, or only in the evening? Do we abstain from work the whole day?” This is a very interesting issue, worth exploring in more depth. I encourage, and have also encouraged during the Memorial, that the day following the evening celebration should be dedicated to reflection and meditation on the death of Christ. We meet in the evening, on the anniversary of this special supper, but the full depth of the event does not take place only during the meal, because the drama of Christ’s death did not happen only at the table, but continued through the night and ended only at 3 p.m. the next day.

We do not find in the Bible a detailed instruction regarding the celebration of Passover, but we have valuable testimonies from the 2nd century, very close to the time of the apostles. There we see that Christians often spent the whole night keeping vigil, in prayer, reading passages of Scripture, and the next day fasted until the hour of Christ’s death. Sometimes the fast lasted even three days—until the resurrection. It is worth looking into these sources, because although we do not have explicit biblical commands, the practice of 2nd-century Christians shows the spirit of this feast.

For example: Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 70–155 AD), a disciple of the apostle John, bishop of Smyrna, wrote a letter to the Philippians around the year 135. This letter is quoted by Eusebius. Polycarp advocated celebrating Passover exactly on the 14th of Nisan, in accordance with apostolic tradition, emphasizing fasting and vigil. He even met with the bishop of Rome, Anicetus, to discuss the date of Passover. Already then, in the year 154, Christians were arguing about the proper day—Polycarp and the congregations of Asia Minor celebrated on the 14th of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar, while Rome moved the feast to Sunday, which has remained to this day. Polycarp maintained a fast from morning until evening on the 14th of Nisan, there was vigil through the night, readings from the Scriptures (especially the Book of Exodus and the Gospels), and at dawn, the Eucharist was celebrated in remembrance of the resurrection. Quoting Eusebius: „Polycarp always celebrated Passover according to the apostolic tradition on the fourteenth day of the month like the Judeans, keeping fast and vigil, remembering the Lord’s passion.”

This shows that Passover was a time of fasting and spiritual reflection, even if there were differences in the date of its celebration. Despite the disputes, this did not lead to divisions, but to respect for unity. Justin Martyr (ca. 100–165 AD), though associated with the Roman tradition, also emphasized that Passover is the commemoration of the Lamb of God, with elements of fasting and prayer. Melito of Sardis (ca. 160–180 AD), in his work about Passover, describes the night-time celebration of the 14th of Nisan—lasting the whole night, with Scripture reading, prayer, homilies. The Quartodeciman tradition—celebrating Passover on the 14th of Nisan—was the continuation of the apostles’ teaching, and not some later sect.

Melito also advocated celebrating Passover on the 14th day of the month of Nisan. In his writings, he emphasizes that the festivities lasted the whole night and included fasting throughout the day of 14 Nisan, commemorating the passion of Christ. In the evening gatherings, the Book of Exodus was read, and homilies or sermons were heard,which interpreted Passover as a foreshadowing of Christ. The Passover lamb symbolized Our Lord Yeshu, Egypt was an image of sin, the exodus from Egypt signified salvation and liberation from sin. The entire vigil, filled with prayers, hymns, and songs as well as reflections on typology—the comparison of the Old and New Covenants—led to the Eucharist, celebrated at dawn as a sign of resurrection and the “great banquet of the Lamb” (although this expression is somewhat ambiguous). Melito wrote: “The old Passover has passed away, the new has come. The type has given way to reality. The lamb was slain in Egypt, but it is Christ who is the true Lamb. We observe this with fasting and vigilance, remembering His suffering and our salvation.”

So we see that already in the 2nd century, the celebration was not limited solely to supper, but the festivities extended throughout the night. Personally, I am considering whether even today we should give this celebration greater solemnity and extend it to the whole evening and night, even if not everyone is able to stay awake until morning—especially since the reflection can continue the next day, for example during a communal breakfast, which marks the end of the fast. This is an issue worth considering, because the New Testament does not impose strict rules here—we learn about these customs mainly from the writings of 2nd-century Christians, who were often persecuted and disciples of the apostles. Such practices seem logical, as Christ did not die the previous day, but after supper, which is why it was at this very time that His death was contemplated.

Earlier I discussed the testimonies of Polycarp of Smyrna, but it is also worth mentioning Polycarp of Ephesus, who around the year 190 sent a letter to Victor, the bishop of Rome. In it, he described the celebration of Passover as fasting and vigil on the 14th of Nisan, according to apostolic tradition. Once again, he referred here to John and Philip, who, as it seems, particularly emphasized this date. Christians fasted until the evening and kept a night vigil, in prayer and commemoration of Christ’s suffering. The morning Eucharist was also a part of it. In Polycarp’s letter we read: “We observe the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, neither adding nor subtracting, in accordance with the Gospel. Fasting and vigil just as John, the disciple of the Lord, taught.”

I would like to draw attention to another source to emphasize the weight of this tradition. Irenaeus of Lyon (ca. 130–200), a disciple of Polycarp, who was himself a disciple of the apostle John, describes the diversity of observances in Gaul and the influence of the Roman Church. In Rome, they began to celebrate Passover on Sunday, while in Asia they retained the 14th of Nisan. These differences, however, did not lead to the exclusion of communities; Irenaeus encouraged mutual tolerance: “Differences in the date of Passover should not divide the Church. Some fast for one day, others for two or more, but all honor the Lord through fasting and vigilance.” We may surmise that those who fasted longer wished to more deeply experience Christ’s death, but these were not requirements, only grassroots initiatives.

It is surprising, however, that already at the beginning of the 2nd century the Roman Church began to depart from the original apostolic model, preferring to celebrate Passover on Sunday instead of the 14th of Nisan. Ultimately, the move away from the 14th of Nisan was sealed in the 4th century, when a unified date was introduced—the first Sunday after the 14th of Nisan. That is why we celebrated the 14th of Nisan on Thursday, while most Catholics celebrated on Sunday. It should be added, however, that over time these festivities have taken on a completely different character and today include elements entirely foreign to the Christian tradition, such as eggs, bunnies, or “śmigus-dyngus,” which have no connection to the teachings of Christ and are pagan remnants.

I hope, Dawid, that I have answered your question. We strive to follow the example of the first Christians, but we base ourselves primarily on the New Testament in essential matters. Accounts from the 2nd century are a valuable guide for us, but we do not treat them as inspired and binding orders—they are merely suggestions, not commands from the Lord.

Moving on to the next question, which also concerns the Lord’s Supper – Wiesław asks what the term “whenever” means. It’s worth noting that everyone can understand this word a little differently. After Christ’s death, the disciples did indeed gather in the evenings to break bread. The introduction of an annual date for the Lord’s Supper is sometimes seen today as the “letter of the law,” while Christ brought the “law of the spirit.” In practice, however, this does not mean legalism – Christ also taught that “whoever is faithful in small things will be faithful in great ones.” So the question arises: should we scrupulously follow the Lord’s instructions, or interpret them flexibly? Yeshu himself did not impose many detailed requirements, so it is not a matter of strict legalism. The early Christian Passover did not have another name – it was only later that the term “Easter” appeared. Today, we also use the term “Memorial of Christ’s Death,” which accurately reflects the meaning of this celebration.

Referring to the suggestion that this celebration can be observed every time Christians gather – this is not confirmed by historical sources. Yes, the first Christians gathered regularly, most often every week, although it was not always easy. Sunday was called the Lord’s Day because of Christ’s resurrection. During these meetings, led by a bishop, bread and wine were consumed, which can be considered the Eucharist, but they did not equate this with the annual memorial of Christ’s death.

Justin Martyr in his “Apology” describes Sunday services in Rome – there were Scripture readings, homilies, prayers, and the Eucharist, intended only for those baptized and appropriately prepared (preceded by fasting or confession). Besides this, the community also held separate meetings of a teaching or catechetical character, as well as so-called agape feasts. What is important: although bread and wine were consumed weekly, there was an annual special celebration commemorating the death of Christ, which was distinguished from the weekly Eucharist.

If the memorial of Christ’s death were celebrated weekly, there would not have been a dispute over the date – whether it should be 14 Nisan or Sunday. This clearly shows that the one-time, annual celebration had particular significance, and the distinction between it and the weekly Eucharist was clear. Despite the passage of time, this special observance remained, though unfortunately today in many places it functions as a festival of resurrection, and not strictly as a memorial of Christ’s death. Fragments of the New Testament can also be pointed out, which suggest that the essence is not only the Eucharist as such, but its connection with the memorial of the saving death of Our Master Yeshu.

This issue connects with the next question from Bartol. He raised an important point: it’s not about commemorating the memorial for its own sake, but about partaking of the Supper – the body and blood of Christ. Importantly, we have not been assigned a specific date or set frequency for this observance. As for the second part of the question, I already explained that according to historical sources, the disciples of the apostles practiced this once a year. Exactly annually. Meanwhile, the custom of weekly observance of this celebration was probably introduced in Rome. In fact, everything connected with Sunday in Christianity derives from Roman tradition. In Rome too, this holiday was initially celebrated once a year, but Sunday was chosen for it. So, looking at this matter objectively, it is historically documented – documents and testimonies have been preserved, which clearly indicate: originally it was held annually.

The question remains: what are we actually commemorating? The first part of the question was: “We are not to honor a memorial for the sake of a memorial.” That is true – we don’t celebrate a commemoration of a commemoration. So let us ask directly: what is the memorial about? Well, in the Gospel of Luke 22, for example, there is a clear command. Not all evangelists mention the establishment of the memorial, but Luke, John and also Paul mention it in the 1st Letter to the Corinthians. In Luke 22:19 we read: „Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying: 'This is my body, which will be given for you: do this in remembrance of me!'” So what should we do in remembrance? We should eat bread in remembrance of Christ. It’s really simple – it’s about active remembrance through participation in the Supper, following the example of what Christ did.

We find similar words in the 1st Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 24–25. „And after giving thanks, he broke it and said: Take, eat; this is my body for you, {which is broken}. Do this in remembrance of me. Likewise, after supper, the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever {you} drink it in remembrance of me.” Let’s note – the action we are to perform in remembrance is exactly eating the bread and drinking from the cup. Some think that every time we drink wine, we should do so in remembrance of Christ, but that’s not the point. The phrase „whenever you drink” refers to every time we gather annually to observe this celebration, not to daily or weekly practices. So we are talking about the remembrance of Christ – or more precisely, the remembrance of His death, as Paul further explains: „For whenever {you} eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until (He) comes.” From this practice comes the term „remembrance of Christ’s death.” It is the remembrance of Christ, but its purpose is to commemorate His death – a death that frees us from the bondage of sin, just as the first Passover saved the Israelites from death and Egyptian bondage.

So it’s worth asking the question: should we commemorate this at will, for example daily, weekly? Analyzing the origins – our „Passover” is the counterpart of the Judean Passover, established at the same time and in a similar context. God commanded the Israelites to celebrate Passover annually, so it is natural that we celebrate the remembrance of Christ once a year. This is also confirmed by the earliest disciples of the apostles, who strictly adhered to the date of 14 Nisan. Even the Roman Church, although it later developed weekly practices, originally observed this celebration once a year. So there is solid historical evidence to claim that, in principle, the remembrance should be held just once a year.

There remains a debatable issue whether we should additionally meet to break bread in a context other than the remembrance of Christ’s death, for example as part of weekly gatherings. Such practices appeared in the 2nd century, but the Bible does not impose such an obligation. It’s rather an attempt to imitate the early Christians based on historical accounts.

That’s all on the subject of the remembrance – I think I have exhausted the topic. I hope I haven’t bored you with it, because it is truly important.

Thank you again for coming and I invite you to the next week publication. This year four people have already accepted immersion. We invite all who wish to join the community serving our Lord Yeshu.

The full written version of the article is now available at https://yeshu.blog . There you will also find my videos and music — all created in the name of our Lord Yeshu.

Thanks for listening until the end. I would be extremely grateful for likes, shares and comments, because it helps grow the channel, which gives a chance to reach even more people.

If you receive the gift of faith in the name of our Lord Yeshu, take the next step and contact me to be immersed in the name of Yeshu. You can find contact details on our website or simply write on Messenger.

Glory to Yeshu!!!