Bread And Wine. Christ’s Body. Say "No" to Communion. Symbolism in God's Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

 

For Friday, 3rd. March, 2015.

Take the Bread and Wine in a Worthy Way

1 Corinthians 11:27-28

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

The bread and the wine of the New Testament Passover, representing Christ’s body and blood given in His complete sacrifice for our sins, are not something to take lightly. Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians give us a warning and advice about preparing for this meaningful memorial.

Baptized Christians are commanded to take the bread and wine, to recommit to our loving God and Savior. Examining ourselves will surely show how far we fall short of the perfection of our Savior, and how much we need His sacrifice and His help to overcome. We are not worthy and cannot make ourselves worthy.

Thankfully Paul is not talking about being worthy, but about approaching God in a respectful way. Seeking God’s forgiveness and help allows us to take these symbols in a humble, worthy way."

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Christ’s Body

Matthew 26:26

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

"The breaking of the unleavened bread at the New Testament Passover service is symbolic of Christ’s suffering in our place for our sins. It reminds us of our deserved punishment that fell on Jesus as His body was beaten and broken.

Eating the bread is also symbolic of our allowing Jesus Christ to live His life in us, and our need to live by every word of God (John 6:35; Galatians 2:20; Matthew 4:4). Just as physical food is essential to maintain physical life, living by the spiritual “bread” is essential for a healthy spiritual life."

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Say "No" to Communion

What's in a name? What did Jesus institute with the bread and wine?

Video: https://youtu.be/1Ltw8FUgtXo

Transcript: [Steve Myers] "Which one doesn’t belong – the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, Passover, Communion? Can you pick out the term that doesn’t belong?

Well, the one that doesn’t belong in that group is Passover. Passover doesn’t belong in that list, and it’s biblical. It’s biblical. Let’s notice what it says in Luke 22. Luke 22 focuses something interesting that Christ said when He instituted the New Testament Passover. It says, “He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise, He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood which is shed for you’” (Luke:22:19-20)

Now, the difference between what Christ was doing with the Passover and the Eucharist or Communion or the Lord’s Supper, and that list of other kinds of names for what Christ did goes on and on and on. You won’t find those other terms in the Bible, referring to what Christ was doing. He didn’t call it the Lord’s Supper. He didn’t call it the Eucharist. He didn’t say it was Communion. He didn’t give it that name because it takes away from the meaning of what Christ was doing.

In fact, if we go back just a little bit to verse 8 in Luke 22, Christ Himself names this service, this ceremony that He instituted in the New Testament. He said to Peter – verse 8 – and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat” (Luke:22:8). So Christ referred to it as the Passover. And it wasn’t just Christ. The New Testament church, the apostle Paul himself, called this ceremony “the Passover”.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, 1 Corinthians:5:7, the apostle Paul puts it on the line, and he says this: “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” So think about it. What’s in a name? Well, you could say no to Communion, or say no to the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper. If you really want to be biblical, check it out. There’s so much information in your Bible that points to the Passover and what Christ was all about. Be sure and check it out.

That’s BT Daily . We’ll see you next time."  From: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/gods-holy-days/say-no-communion

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Symbolism in God's Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

"God has given us two connected annual festivals in early spring (in the northern hemisphere) that we definitely are to observe as Christians, even as Jesus and the apostles did—Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Source: Tiago Gerken/Unsplash

Jesus died on the Passover day. For centuries this day had foreshadowed His dying for our sins as the sacrificed Lamb of God, and He commands His followers to keep the Passover as a remembrance or memorial of His sacrifice for us (Matthew:26:26-28;Luke:22:19-20; 1 Corinthians:11:23-26).

Three days later Jesus was resurrected during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. His resurrection is indeed a vital theme in the meaning of the festival—yet as part of a bigger picture. Consider what literally happened. Jesus was dead and buried in the ground for the first three days of this festival, was raised to life right in the midst of it and was then accepted as the firstfruits of God’s spiritual harvest, remaining alive to teach and direct His disciples thereafter. All of this is part of the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread, like the Passover, was revealed to the Israelites at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 12-13). Over the course of these days, the Israelites left the slavery of Egypt. And the removal and avoidance of leavening (an agent such as yeast that causes bread dough to rise in baking) was to symbolize our coming out of sin (see 1 Corinthians:5:6-8).

Eating unleavened bread instead symbolized taking in God’s righteousness—ultimately revealed to come in a lasting way only through Christ living in us to help us develop godly character.

We are to figuratively be crucified and die with Christ—our old, sinful self being put to death and buried with Him so that we can be figuratively raised with Him to walk in newness of life, as pictured in baptism (read Galatians:2:20, Romans 6, Colossians:3:1-10
and Philippians 3:10-11).

We may understand that the Days of Unleavened Bread represent our coming out of sin. But we must realize that our coming out of sin relies on the person we formerly were being figuratively put to death and buried with Christ and then, in effect, rising with Christ into a new way of living— His way."  More at: http://www.ucg.org/gods-holy-days/symbolism-gods-passover-and-feast-unleavened-bread/   article by Tom Robinson

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So we will be celebrating The Lord's Supper tonight.