by Larry Fyffe
As previously noted, the New Testament has Christ and his disciples celebrate the ”Passover’ meal before He’s crucified:
Now the feast of the unleavened bread drew nigh Which is called the Passover .... Now when the hour was come He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him
(Luke 22: 1,14)
The story changes in the Gospel of St. John; Jesus has an ordinary supper; then waits a while to be served up as the metaphorical “Lamb of God” at the Passover meal after He’s crucified:
Now before the feast of the Passover When Jesus knew that his hour has come That He should depart out of the world unto the Father Having loved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end (John 13:1)
As well, it might be construed that in Luke’s version there’s still a chance for Jesus to escape after the week-long “Festival of Unleavened Bread” is over:
The festival was over, and the boys were all planning for a fall The cabaret was quiet except for the drilling in the wall .... Then he walked up to a stranger, and asked him with a grin "Could you tell me, friend, what time the show begins?" Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack Of Hearts (Bob Dylan: Lily, Rosemary, And The Jack Of Hearts)
It’s really mixed-up confusion – akin to the shooting to death of Jack Kennedy who has an affair with “Lilli” Marlene Dietrich; his mother’s named Rose:
They killed him once, and they killed him twice Killed him like a human sacrifice The day they killed him, someone said to me, "Son The day of the AntiChrist has just begun" (Bob Dylan: Murder Most Foul)
The New Testament assures doubters that, unlike the later fate of President Kennedy, Jesus literally comes back to life, and what’s more, the Passover meal is transformed from being a celebration of the Hebrew’s escape from Egypt into a rather Gothic ritual:
Then Jesus said unto them "Verily, Verily, I say unto you Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man And drink His blood Ye shall have no life in you"
(John 6:53)
Taking on a Christian viewpoint to a degree is one thing, but contemplating such an ugly thought is quite another if you’re from a firm Jewish background:
Never could learn to drink that blood And call it wine Never could learn to hold you, love And call you mine (Bob Dylan: Tight Connection To My Heart)
Likewise, as also mentioned before, the Christian dogma of ‘original sin’ is a hard card to play:
Temptation's not an easy thing, Adam given the devil reig Because he sinned I got no choice, it run in my vein Well, I'm pressing on; yes, I'm pressing on; well, I'm pressing on To the higher calling of my Lord (Bob Dylan: Pressing On)
In any event – at least in the spiritual sense – be he Jack or be he Jesus, the drifter escapes death.
12 years of Untold Dylan
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