[ My Testimony ] [ It is Written... ] [ Principles of the Doctrine of Christ ] [ The Thing About... ] [ What I've Been Hearing Lately... ] [ Intro - Shepherding ] [ Discussions... ] [ My Favorites ] [ Songs of Praise & Worship ]
The
True Communion
Ever
wonder why we take communion?
What’s
the big deal? Why do we have this solemn, reverential moment every Sunday (or
for some the first or second Sunday of every month) to remember the Lord’s
broken body and blood that was shed?
We
certainly don’t need to eat bread and drink wine to remember it. His sacrifice
and subsequent resurrection is our message to others. The gospel is not just His
death. It’s not just His burial. It is the sum total of His death, burial, and
resurrection (I Cor. 15:1-4).
I’ve
pondered over this for quite some time over the years, but never dug into the
scriptures and asked the Lord about it, until just recently.
I
would like to share it in the hopes that we all will see the greater spiritual
significance of taking the bread and the wine. In this study, we will see that
Jesus Himself said His words are spirit and life.
A
very dear brother and friend said, “You must think spiritually.”
I
am realizing as I grow in the Lord that everything given to us by revelation
from the Spirit of Jesus Christ must be understood or discerned spiritually, as
opposed to the carnal mind. Or as the scripture says, “The natural man”.
1
Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV - (12)
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which
is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we
speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost
teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
(14) But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
[Emphasis added are mine]
Discern:
examine or judge
1a) to investigate, examine, enquire
into, scrutinise, sift, question
1a1) specifically in a forensic sense of
a judge to hold an investigation
1a2) to interrogate, examine the accused
or witnesses
1b) to judge of, estimate, determine
(the excellence or defects of any person or thing)
When we spiritually discern we are trying to found
out
the
proper understanding of events? What is really being meant? What is the truth?
Natural vs. Spiritual
Gal 5:16-18 -
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit,
ye are not under the law.
There is a constant battle raging within us between
our flesh and our spirit. We all can readily admit that daily struggle in our
lives. That battle also wages between the mind of our flesh and the mind of our
spirit. Logic is good, but it must submit itself to the supremacy the ways, will
and Word of God. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are higher than our
thoughts and so when we try to understand Him we must do so on a higher level
than just our carnal mind. It must be done so spiritually.
Let’s
begin in Matthew and Luke.
Matthew
4:4 KJV - But he answered and said, It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God. [Emphasis added
are mine]
Luke
4:4 KJV -
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. [Emphasis
added are mine]
When
Jesus rebuked Satan during his hour of temptation (40 days) Jesus quoted Himself
from the Old Covenant, specifically from Deuteronomy chapter 8.
Deuteronomy
8:1-3 KJV - All
the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye
may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto
your fathers. (2) And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led
thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and
to prove thee, to know what was
in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. (3) And he
humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou
knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man
doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deuteronomy
8:6 KJV -
Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his
ways, and to fear him.
Deuteronomy
8:18 KJV - But
thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it
is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his
covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it
is this day.
If we read all of chapter 8, we find that this
chapter is one of tremendous exhortation to hearken to the word of God and DO
IT. God led the Israelites 40 years in the wilderness and purposely allowed them
to suffer hunger to see if they would keep His word (commandments). But he used
that situation to teach something for all generations:
Man should live by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
1Co 15:46 -
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and
afterward that which is spiritual.
Countless of times the Lord teaches us something
spiritual, but first through the natural. The Old Covenant is a perfect example
of this. Many natural types were seen, but they represented something far
greater and more important in the spirit.
The manna (bread) was the natural illustration used to
represent the more important spiritual principle.
The
whole chapter is a reminder to us to keep His word and He will be faithful to us
and “do
thee good at thy latter end” (v.
16). The true people of God are to be fed by His word (manna-bread). We will be
sustained by His word, healed by His word, nourished by His word, kept clean by
His word, strengthened by His word and so on. This is confirmed by v. 4, and all
that we read of in the scriptures, when it says, “Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither
did thy foot swell, these forty years”.
This reference is given to us to show us the
power/ability of His word to care for all of our natural needs, but this also
holds true for our spiritual needs.
The
word of God is given to feed the people of God. Psalms also speaks of this.
Psalms
81:10-11 KJV - I am
the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the
land
of
Egypt
:
open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
(11) But my people would not hearken
to my voice; and
Israel
would none of
me. [Emphasis added are mine]
God
desired to fill His people with His words. He desired that they would open their
mouth wide and be filled, but they would not hearken to His voice – His word.
They would not be filled with His word. They rejected His word and subsequently
rejected Him.
John
1:1, 4 KJV - In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
These scriptures, along with
Rev. 19:13,
identify Jesus as the manifest Word of God. When Jesus came in the flesh, He
expected the Jews to hearken to His voice (eating His manna), just as He
expected the Israelites to do in the O.C. By doing so, they would receive the
blessings and promises of God.
However, He came unto His own and His own received Him not (John 1:11). In other words they rejected Him, just as
Psalms 81 said the Israelites rejected Him.
Now,
continuing on through John, in chapters 6 & 7, keep this aforementioned
information as our interpretive base and apply it to what we read Jesus said:
John
6:26-27 KJV -
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not
because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were
filled. (27) Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:
for him hath God the Father sealed. [Emphasis
added are mine]
Jesus had just fed 5 thousand people with bread
and fish and they came after Him the next day for more food, but He rebuked them
that they should not seek after bread ("a food" naturally speaking) but rather
the “meat” that endures to everlasting life (“a food” spiritually speaking).
However, this “meat” Jesus spoke of is not
natural meat. Natural meat perishes. He was speaking about spiritual “meat”. Let
us keep reading and find out what He really was referencing.
John 6:29-38 KJV
- Jesus answered and said unto them,
This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (30)
They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and
believe thee? what dost thou work? (31) Our fathers did eat manna in the
desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. (32) Then Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread
from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the
bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life
unto the world. (34) Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh
to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(36) But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. (37) All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in
no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will,
but the will of him that sent me.
[Emphasis added are mine]
Jesus here identifies Himself as the bread of God
- the bread of life that comes down from heaven to give life. Those who “come to
Him” will never hunger. Those who believe on Him will never thirst. These
statements indicate to us that we “come to Him” by believing on Him and in doing
so we will not hunger or thirst.
Remember the John 1 scriptures, Jesus was
identified previously as the Word of God. In the New Covenant the same principle
found in Deuteronomy 8 is still expected – to hearken (to eat - believe,
receive, trust) the word(s) of God (the bread of heaven).
What was the meat though? Let’s go back just a
little bit to find out what He was referring to when He spoke of “meat”.
John
4:31
-34, 39-42 KJV
- In the mean while his disciples prayed him,
saying, Master, eat. (32)
But he said unto them, I have meat
to eat that ye know not of. (33)
Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought
to eat? (34)
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his
work.
(39)
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of
the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
(40) So when the Samaritans
were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he
abode there two days. (41)
And many more believed because of his own word;
(42) And said unto the woman,
Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him
ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
[Emphasis added are mine]
Labouring for the meat which endures to
everlasting life
leads us to do the will of God!
Chapter 4 exemplifies exactly what He spoke of in
chapter 6. The “meat” is to do the will of God. You do the will of God by
hearkening to His word. This is no different then what we read in the Old
Covenant account of eating (hearkening, believing, receiving, trusting) the
manna (the word of God).
The result of hearkening to His voice caused
people to believe on Him, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
John 5:30 KJV
- I can of mine own self do nothing: as
I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own
will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
This
verse here confirms again, that we are here to hear and obey the word of God,
thereby doing His will and not our own.
Jesus said the Son of man would give this meat to
his disciples.
What would happen to them? (see
Eph. 1:13, 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:21,22)
– they would be sealed with the seal of God, just as Jesus was sealed (John
6:27).
Now,
going back to chapter 6:
John
6:47-58 KJV -
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
believeth on me hath everlasting life. (48)
I am that bread of life. (49)
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
(50) This is the bread which
cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
(51)
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh,
which I will give for the life of the world. [Emphasis added are mine]
When Jesus speaks of this bread that he will give, which is His flesh for the
life of the world, He is referring to the sacrifice on the cross for the sins of
the world (Gal. 1:4; I John 2;2).
But notice Jesus uses terms He has previously used in the Old Covenant to get
his message across. He’s using bread to symbolize His flesh, but from
Deuteronomy we have seen what this bread truly represented.
(52)
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give
us his flesh to eat?
The
Jews were confounded at this because they could not see that He was speaking
spiritually using natural terms to natural men. They interpreted His words
naturally and therefore were confused and could not understand what He was truly
saying. This should tell us that the words Jesus spoke in this context are not
to be interpreted naturally, but otherwise - spiritually.
(53)
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 have no life in you.
(54) Whoso eateth my flesh,
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last
day. [Emphasis added are mine]
Jesus,
knowing their confusion, continued to push this issue by telling them that they
must eat of His flesh and drink His blood or else they will not have life in
them. To the natural man, this sounds so bizarre and cannibalistic when you
interpret it naturally and this is exactly how the Jews thought.
His
words are true, but we must discern them spiritually. This is a perfect example
of natural man (Jews) being unable to receive the things of the Spirit of God
(His words) because they are complete and utter foolishness to him. The words of
God MUST be spiritually discerned.
(55)
For my flesh is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed.
(56) He
that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
(57) As the living Father
hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live
by me. (58)
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers
did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for
ever. [Emphasis added are mine]
Since
we realize that these words are not to be interpreted naturally, then we must
seek spiritual understanding. It isn’t that they should not be taken
literally. They should be taken literally, but with the spiritual understanding
or interpretation.
Jesus
here emphasizes the literalness of His “flesh” being “meat indeed” and
the literalness of His “blood” being “drink indeed”. We have addressed
above that the “meat” referred to doing the will of the Father. The
“blood” is akin to His Spirit, but I will expound on this later.
Let’s
look closely at this phrase “dwelleth
in me, and I in him.”
Jesus
said whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood would dwell in Him and He would
dwell in them. The next time Jesus uses this phrase is in John chapter 10 where
He says, “But
if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and
believe, that the Father is in
me, and I in him.” Jesus told the
Jews that if they believed the works that He did, they would know and believe
that the Father was in Him and He was in the Father.
If
we eat of His flesh (hear and obey His words) others will know that the Father
is in us and we are in the Father. Jesus spoke of this again when He spoke of
the vine and the branches in John chapter 15.
If
we abide in Him and He abides in us, we will bring forth much fruit. This just
another analogy, like the eating of His flesh is an analogy, of hearing and
obeying His word. We abide in Him and He in us when we hear and obey His words.
Without Him (His Spirit) we can do nothing.
Jesus
used this same type of reference when He spoke as the Almighty Alpha and Omega
in Revelation, “Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
We feed off of His words, and He lives His life through us as we obey Him, as we
yield ourselves to His Spirit. You can’t be disobedient to His word and be
walking according to His Spirit. It’s impossible!
John,
the apostle, speaks of walking in the light as He is in the light. In Psalms,
the word is represented as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We
need to walk in the light of the word. That is simply done by hearing and
obeying the word of God.
Psalms
119:105-107 KJV - NUN.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
(106) I have sworn, and I
will perform it, that I will
keep thy righteous judgments. (107)
I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.
The
eating of His flesh and the drinking of His blood was a hard saying to accept,
but Jesus continues, relentlessly…
John
6:61-64 KJV - When
Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth
this offend you? (62)
What and if ye shall see
the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
(63) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life.
(64)
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. [Emphasis
added are mine]
Here
Jesus solidifies this spiritual interpretation of His words by saying it is the
Spirit that gives life. He even goes so far as to say, the flesh profits
nothing. Seemingly contradictory to what He just said previously that you must
eat His flesh.
All
along He was speaking spiritually to them, but because they interpreted what He
said naturally they could not understand. Jesus said,
“The
WORDS that I SPEAK unto you, THEY are SPIRIT, and THEY are LIFE.”
And then to finish off the thought He says, “There
are some you that believe not.” In
other words, some of you are not eating.
Just
like the Israelites of the Old Covenant who would not open their mouths wide to
be filled, nor hearken to His voice and chose to have nothing to do with Him, so
were the Jews who listened to the words of Jesus. From that moment, the
scriptures say, “Many
of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
They did not believe. They would not eat of His words.
We
must ask, observing these events and occurrences, how then do we eat this
spiritual bread?
John
7:16-18 KJV -
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
(17) If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether
I speak of myself. (18)
He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but
he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no
unrighteousness is in him. [Emphasis
added are mine]
By
doing His will and seeking His glory.
Luke
8:11
KJV
- Now the parable is this: The seed is the
word of God.
Luke
8:21 KJV
-
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which
hear the word of God, and do it.
1
John 2:5 KJV
-
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:
For all of this above, I believe that when Jesus
spoke of eating His “bread” or His “flesh” in these passages, He was spiritually
speaking of hearing, believing, receiving and doing His word.
Since
this is so, what did the blood or wine represent?
We
will start in Leviticus.
Leviticus
17:11,14 KJV - For the life of the flesh is
in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for
your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
For
it is the life of all flesh; the
blood of it is for the life
thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of
no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is
the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
Naturally speaking, the life of flesh is in our blood. When the blood of someone
or some animal was shed it referred to the taking of its life, because naturally
speaking the life of all flesh is in the blood.
James speaks of this, but uses this analogy:
Jam
2:26
KJV - For as
the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Spiritually, the life of the body
is our spirit.
Since the blood is representative of life for the flesh, let us look and see
what is said of the “the Spirit”.
John,
the apostle, wrote of the man Jesus Christ that, “In him was life; and the life was the light
of men.”
What
was life or what was the life that was in Him?
Do
you think it was referring to His blood?
Remember
it is the “spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profits nothing.” The spirit of
a man is his life and the same was true for the man Jesus Christ. We all know
that the spirit that gave Him life was the very Spirit of God - “God was in
Christ” and “God is a spirit.”
Romans
8:10
KJV
- And if Christ be
in you, the body is dead because
of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness.
2
Corinthians 3:6 KJV - Who
also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of
the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Galatians
6:8 KJV - For
he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
The Spirit is life, gives life, and sowing to the
Spirit reaps eternal life.
Let’s
look at what Jesus said when He told the listeners to come unto Him and drink.
John
7:37-39 KJV - In
the last day, that great day of
the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto
me, and drink. (38)
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water. (39)
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Remember
when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan women in John chapter 4?
He
also spoke of living water (John
4:10). Jesus used the same terms in John chapter 4
that He did in chapter 7 and expounded further by stating that the water that He
would give would become a well springing up to everlasting life within a person.
These terms (water, fountain, life) were not
introduced in the scriptures at this point for the first time.
Psalms
36:7-9 KJV - How
excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put
their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
(8) They shall be abundantly
satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of
the river of thy pleasures. (9)
For with thee is
the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. [Emphasis added are mine]
Jeremiah
2:13 KJV - For
my people have committed two evils; they
have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and
hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. [Emphasis
added are mine]
Jeremiah
17:13 KJV - O
LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and
they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have
forsaken the LORD, the fountain of
living waters. [Emphasis
added are mine]
Jesus
quoted Himself again from the Old Covenant (just like He quoted Himself in
reference to the manna-bread-flesh) and was bringing these terms into the light.
The living waters He spoke of referred to the “gift of God” (John
4:10), the blessing of Abraham (Gal.
3:14),
the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4,
2:33) a.k.a. the Spirit of God – the Holy Ghost.
Since
Jesus said “come
unto me and drink” in John 7 and we
have seen in the previous chapter that Jesus kept referring to drinking His
blood (John 6:53-54),
then I don’t think it a stretch at all to believe that when Jesus referred to
drinking His blood, He was spiritually referring to His Spirit, not naturally
referring to His flesh’s blood.
It
is also said of Jesus that He was “The
true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
Jesus was the true light because in Him there was no darkness, no sin. Perfect
and pure without spot blemish or wrinkle, He was the true light. Not only is He
the light of the world (John 1:8,9;
8:12
;
12:35
,36,46; 2 Cor. 4:6; Eph.
5:14 ; Rev.
21:23), but He says we are the light
of the world.
Our spirit is the
candle or light.
Proverbs
20:27 KJV - The
spirit of man is the candle of
the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
[Emphasis
added are mine]
Matthew
5:14-16 KJV - Ye
are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(15) Neither do men light a
candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light
unto all that are in the house. (16)
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
[Emphasis
added are mine]
The
light also refers to our good works, that we may glorify the Father. We can’t
show good works without hearing and obeying His word. As Jesus said, “doing
His will”.
Matthew
6:22-23 KJV - The
light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body
shall be full of light. (23)
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If
therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is
that darkness!
Our
“eye” is our spirit. And this verse says, that our spirit must be
“single” or singly devoted to light (good works) rather than darkness. The
good works are those that follow in the footsteps of the true Light, Jesus
Christ - our God who is Light (1 John 1:5).
John
12:35-36 KJV - Then
Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye
have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness
knoweth not whither he goeth. (36)
While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of
light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
[Emphasis
added are mine]
Remember
light also refers to His word. He speaks of walking in the light as He is in the
light. The word is regarded as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
We need to walk in the light of the word. That is simply done by hearing and
obeying the word of God.
Psalms
119:105-107 KJV - NUN.
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
(106) I have sworn, and I
will perform it, that I will
keep thy righteous judgments. (107)
I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.
What does Jesus say about the new wine in
Matthew?
Matthew
9:17 KJV -
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the
wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new
bottles, and both are preserved.
To receive the new wine (the Holy Spirit), we
must become new bottles (repentant ready/holy vessels) in order to receive the
Spirit of God.
We are told by Paul that we have been made to “drink”
into one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV
- (13) For by
one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we
be Jews or Gentiles, whether we
be bond or free; and have been
all made to drink into one Spirit.
When
did that happen? When we were baptized into one body through the born again
experience of Acts
2:38
.
When Jesus spoke of drinking His “blood”, He was
spiritually referring to receiving His Spirit.
What does this all have to do with Communion?
Since
the manna-bread-flesh was referring to Jesus words and since the blood-wine was
referring to Jesus’ Spirit then apply this interpretation to the following
passages referring to the Last Supper:
Mat 26:26-29 -
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and blessed it,
and broke it,
and gave it
to the disciples, and said, Take,
eat;
this
is
my
body.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and
gave it
to them, saying, Drink
ye
all
of
it; For
this
is
my
blood
of
the
new
testament,
which is shed
for
many
for
the
remission
of
sins. But
I
say
unto
you,
I
will
not
drink
henceforth
of
this
fruit
of
the
vine,
until
that
day
when
I
drink
it
new
with
you
in
my
Father's
kingdom.
Mar 14:22-25 -
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and
blessed, and broke it,
and gave to them, and said, Take,
eat:
this
is
my
body.
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke
it, and gave
to them, and said, Take,
eat:
this
is
my
body.
And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave
it to them:
and they all drank of it. And he said unto them,
This
is
my
blood
of
the
new
testament,
which is shed
for
many. Verily
I
say
unto
you,
I
will
drink
no
more
of
the
fruit
of
the
vine,
until
that
day
that
I
drink
it
new
in
the
kingdom
of
God.
Luk 22:14-20 -
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and
the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them,
With
desire
I
have
desired
to
eat
this
passover
with
you
before
I
suffer: For
I
say
unto
you,
I will
not
any more
eat
thereof,
until
it be
fulfilled
in
the
kingdom
of
God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said,
Take
this,
and
divide
it
among
yourselves: For
I
say
unto
you,
I will
not
drink
of
the
fruit
of
the
vine,
until
the
kingdom
of
God
shall
come.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke
it, and gave
unto them, saying, This
is
my
body
which is given
for
you:
this
do
in
remembrance
of
me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying,
This
cup is
the
new
testament
in
my
blood,
which is shed
for
you.
Look
at John 13-17.
Parallel passages – different gospels speaking of and recording the same event.
It has
been said that,
“When
Jesus didn't want the multitudes to understand he spoke in parables. Jesus did
not do this when he spoke about his body and blood. He said ‘This is.’ He said
the wine in the cup was the blood of the new covenant.”
John 16:25 KJV
- These things have I spoken unto you in
proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in
proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
The
Greek word for “proverb” here is as follows (Strong’s):
G3942
paroimia
par-oy-mee'-ah
specifically an enigmatical or
fictitious illustration: - parable, proverb.
It is
also the same word translated in John 10:6 as parable.
G3942
paroimia
Thayer Definition:
1) a saying out of the usual
course or deviating from the usual manner of speaking
2) any dark saying which
shadows forth some didactic truth
2a) especially a symbolic or
figurative saying
2b) speech or discourse in
which a thing is illustrated by the use of similes and comparisons
2c) an allegory
2c1) extended and elaborate
metaphor
Jesus
said in John 16 that He spoke to them in proverbs “parables”. This contradicts
the quote above because Jesus explicitly stated in John 16 that He did speak to
them in parables. This statement referred to many things from John 13 to John
16, and probably further back.
Matthew, Mark, Luke are the only gospels that speak of the actual Lord’s Supper.
But Luke’s is the only account that says, “Do
this in remembrance of me.”
Do I
believe this was a life and death command? In other words is our salvation
dependent upon this literal interpretation to eat bread and drink wine?
No, I
don’t believe so.
We are
to simply partake of this “in remembrance” of him, like the Israelites took part
in the Passover in remembrance of God passing over the people of God and killing
all other first born’s during their bondage in Egypt.
Some
have said,
“I
do believe in taking literal communion. I believe that Jesus was setting up a
ritual for the church.”
I
agree to an extent. However, I don’t agree with others that say this is a
“salvational” issue. It was simply to be done in remembrance of Him, His
sacrifice, and His work of the cross.
This
reminds me of a study by Bro. Mike
Blume, entitled Phylacteries
of Hell. He notes that the Jews literally tied themselves up with leather
straps on their forehead and arm.
The
natural interpretation of what God was saying in Exodus 13:1-16, Deuteronomy
6:4-9 and
11:18
-21 led them to do that. Bro. Blume noted that what it
ended up doing was exalting self, which is what I see happening with the natural
and literal interpretation of communion.
However,
if we partake of the communion with the spiritual understanding – the
understanding that was shown of eating the “manna/bread/flesh” (His words)
and drinking the “blood/wine” (His Spirit) then it does become a salvational
issue.
Remembering
His sacrifice and having that be our motivation to hear Him and obey and be led
by His Spirit is supremely important.
I
think we would all agree that if we don’t hear and obey His word, if we
don’t walk in the Spirit, His light, His revelation, that given enough time
and disobedience, it could very well lead to our death, both physical and
spiritual.
But
simply eating or not eating natural bread that perishes and drinking natural
wine is not going to save or kill you.
Let
us not be as natural men (the Israelites of the O.C.), but spiritual men
discerning His word spiritually. If we simply eat bread and drink wine, we miss
the greater spiritual significance of eating His word and drinking His Spirit.
Looking at what Paul said regarding communion, he even quoted Luke by saying
when the bread is eaten and the wine is drunk, do it “in
remembrance” of Him.
1
Corinthians 11:20-34 KJV - (20)
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
(21) For in eating every
one taketh before other his own
supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
(22) What? have ye not houses
to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the
church
of
God
, and shame
them that have not? What shall I say to
you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you
not. [Emphasis
added are mine]
The
issue is NOT about partaking of the Lord’s Supper for one’s continued
salvation.
(23)
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the
Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
(24) And when he had given
thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for
you: this do in remembrance of me. (25)
After the same manner also he
took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament
in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it,
in remembrance of me. (26)
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye
do shew the Lord's death till he come.
(27) Wherefore whosoever
shall eat this bread, and drink this
cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
(28) But let a man examine
himself, and so let him eat of that
bread, and drink of that cup.
This is the issue Paul was addressing to correct.
(29)
For
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (30)
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Again,
the issue here is not the taking of the bread and the wine for one’s
salvation. Paul was using the story of the Lord’s Passover to explain a
spiritual principal. Paul, like Jesus, wanted them to spiritually discern what
they were doing or were supposed to be doing. They were not discerning the
Lord’s body – their brethren. They were not loving one another. They were
not caring for each other.
Some brethren were shaming others who had not.
Were
they taking of the bread and the wine naturally? Yes, but so what!
When
the Corinthians came to meet together some were already full (drunken) and
others arrived hungry in need! And for this reason many of the brethren were
weak and sick, and had slept. This is the true issue Paul was dealing with –
the lack of love for one another.
In
John’s record of events of the night of the Last Supper (chapters 13-18),
notice John makes no mention of the bread and the wine. However,
there are repeated references to His Spirit (“the wine”) coming and the
necessity to love one another (“the bread”):
The
Spirit references –
John
14:15-17 KJV - If
ye love me, keep my commandments. (16)
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
(17) Even the Spirit
of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither
knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you. [Emphasis
added are mine]
Remember
we previously touched upon this phrase “dwelleth
in me, and I in him”?
This
passage, in John 14:15-17, supports the understanding that for this to take
place we must keep His commandments and receive His Spirit.
More
references of the Spirit in John 13-17:
John
14:26-28 KJV - But
the Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and
bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
(27) Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
(28) Ye have heard how I said
unto you, I go away, and come again
unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the
Father: for my Father is greater than
I.
[Emphasis
added are mine]
John
15:26-27 KJV - But
when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even
the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
(27) And ye also shall bear
witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. [Emphasis
added are mine]
John
16:6-16 KJV - But
because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
(7) Nevertheless I tell
you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
(8) And when he is come, he
will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
(9) Of sin, because they
believe not on me; (10)
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
(11) Of judgment, because the
prince of this world is judged. (12)
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
(13) Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that
shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
(14) He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it
unto you. (15)
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall
take of mine, and shall shew it
unto you. (16)
A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and
ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. [Emphasis
added are mine]
The
blood of the cup is His Spirit. Even though John didn’t mention the bread and
the wine in his gospel account, these chapters above are expounding on the
references to the wine mentioned in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s account of the
Last Supper.
Well,
what’s love got to do with anything?
Love
references –
John
13:6-17 KJV - Then
cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my
feet? (7)
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but
thou shalt know hereafter. (8)
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him,
If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
(9) Simon Peter saith unto
him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my
hands and my head.
(10) Jesus saith to him, He
that is washed needeth not save to wash his
feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
(11) For he knew who should
betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
(12) So after he had washed
their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto
them, Know ye what I have done to you? (13)
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so
I am. (14)
If I then, your Lord and
Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
(15) For I have given you an
example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
(16) Verily, verily, I say
unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent
greater than he that sent him. (17)
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Do
we really believe that God came in the flesh to tell us simply to wash each
other’s feet in the natural?
Think
spiritually! Wasn’t Jesus using this natural example to teach us to love one
another as He loved us and allow our love for one another to cleanse each
another? Peter speaks of this by saying, “…for
charity shall cover the multitude of sins”
(I Peter 4:8).
If
you continue reading the chapters 13-17 of John, this is elaborated and
encouraged by Jesus Himself.
John
13:34-35 KJV - A
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. (35)
By this shall all men
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. [Emphasis
added are mine]
John
15:7-17 KJV - If
ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you. (8)
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my
disciples. (9)
As the Father hath loved me, so
have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (10)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have
kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
(11) These things
have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that
your joy might be full. (12)
This is my commandment, That ye
love one another, as I have loved you. (13)
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. (14)
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
(15) Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called
you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known
unto you. (16)
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it you. (17)
These things I command you, that
ye love one another. [Emphasis added are mine]
John
16:27 KJV -
For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have
believed that I came out from God.
John
17:23,26 KJV - I
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved
me…
And
I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it:
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
[Emphasis added are mine]
In
these passages, as they culminate into what we read in chapter 17, the love of
God is primary. The love of God is manifested through us as we hear and obey
Him. Therefore love and truth are two sides of the same coin.
Romans
5:5 KJV -
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost. We NOW have the capacity to love others with the very love of
God.
Our love for one another does not cover each
other’s sin by being “lovey-dovey” with each other.
James
5:19-20 KJV -
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
(20) Let him know, that he
which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from
death, and shall hide a multitude of
sins. [Emphasis added are mine]
Paul
spoke to the Galatians to walk in this kind of love for each other:
Galatians
6:1-2 KJV -
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such
an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted. (2)
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
[Emphasis added are mine]
We
cover one another’s sins - we wash each others feet - when we help our
brethren who stumble, get lost along the way, AND when we carry their burdens as
our own. We save each other’s souls from death. That is how our love for one
another cover’s a multitude of sins.
How
do we partake of the spiritual bread and wine?
Revelation
2:7 KJV - He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is
in the midst of the paradise of God. [Emphasis
added are mine]
Revelation
22:17
KJV -
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely. [Emphasis
added are mine]
You
eat from the tree of life and drink from the Spirit of God – hear the Word of
God, do it, and be led by the Spirit.
These
references above I believe are true communion with Jesus Christ.
1
Corinthians
10:16
KJV
- (16) The cup of blessing which we bless, is
it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not
the communion of the body of Christ?
The Greek word for “communion” is as follows:
G2842
koinonia
Thayer
Definition:
1)
fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse
1a)
the share which one has in anything, participation
1b)
intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
1b1)
the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic
office)
1c)
a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an
embodiment and proof of fellowship
Part
of Speech: noun feminine
A
Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from
G2844
Citing
in TDNT: 3:797, 447
We
have true communion, fellowship, joint participation, intercourse (if you will),
and intimacy with Jesus when we hear and obey His word (eating His
flesh-bread-manna) and partake of His Spirit (drinking His
blood-wine).
We
have fellowship, association, community, and joint participation with each other
when we love one another according to His commandment, by His Spirit.
We
don’t have that because we simply eat bread and drink wine together.
It’s
just a natural illustration of what God is looking for amidst His people
spiritually – love and obedience – toward God and each other.
The true communion is truly about the first and second commandment of the Lord.
Mat 22:37-40
Jesus said unto him,
Thou
shalt
love
the
Lord
thy
God
with
all
thy
heart,
and
with
all
thy
soul,
and
with
all
thy
mind. This
is
the
first
and
great
commandment. And
the
second
is
like unto
it,
Thou
shalt
love
thy
neighbor
as
thyself. On
these
two
commandments
hang
all
the
law
and
the
prophets.
Questions
Comments?
[ Hearken!!! ] [ Feeding the Multitude ] [ The True Communion ] [ The Necessity of Renewal ] [ Kingdom Ministry of Father to Son ] [ Purpose ] [ The Buffet of Christianity ] [ El Buffet del Cristianismo ] [ Riches ] [ The Demanding Love of God ]
©
copyright 2003 Jesus M. Ruiz