WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY HIS DEMONSTRATION OF THE BREAD AND WINE AT THE LAST SUPPER?

WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY HIS DEMONSTRATION OF THE BREAD AND WINE AT THE LAST SUPPER?
Someone in the Bible quiz group in Facebook, "Bible Explorers" - asked, "What is holy communion? Should everyone partake of it?"
My reply: Christians differ on the subject - I mean their understanding of the subject in the Bible, and also as to how they choose to observe it. Personally, in light of the scriptures on this subject, I believe that Jesus was not referring to that habit of passing around pieces of bread and little drinks of wine or juice. He was instead saying, I believe, that whenever Christians met together to worship together, that they were to take care to be living well in obedience to God in daily life. To be sincerely living according to the gospel, is the same as figuratively - symbolically, "eating the body of Jesus, and drinking His blood." Which symbolically means - to be living according to God's Word, and letting God take full control in one's life - letting Him be fully lord of his life. And remember how the priests of Old Testament times, were allowed to eat the shewbread, and how usually no one but them were allowed to eat it? Christians, under the New Covenant, are regarded as priests - Revelation 5:10. While Jesus is said to be our new and better kind of high priest - Hebrews 7:27-28.
John 6:32-35
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.
KJV
And if any Christians fell away from Christ and were recognized by the church as having become willfully disobedient to God, churches were to not eat with them (New Testament churches had the habit of commonly eating together whenever worshipping God together, it sounds like).
1 Cor 5:11
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
KJV
And since not all willlful sin is obvious to the church, since Christians can choose to hide their sins from others - Christians are told to examine themselves before meeting (and possibly eating with) with other Christians for worship.
1 Cor 11:27-30
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.
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.
KJV
John 6:54-58
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
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.
KJV

At the last supper Christ was celebrating Passover.

God uses literal happenings to explain the spiritual to man. Passover is one of them. The first Passover happened at the time of Moses when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, so the Lord sent plagues to the land. One of the plagues was that all first born males would be killed by the angel of death. God told the Israelites to put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and the angel of death would not take their sons. It was an illustration of our being saved to life through the blood of Jesus. Through the blood of Jesus we are saved from death.

At the last supper Christ assured us that He was the blood of the lamb, and to eat the bread and wine in remembrance of Him. Today's church cancelled the Passover celebration, and there is communion service to replace it.

A full review of the subject may be read in this forum -

https://www.worthychristianforums.c...bstantiation-unsubstantiated-substantially-p/

Or also here -

https://www.christianforums.com/threads/transubstantiation-unsubstantiated-substantially-p.7912778/

It is a public confession of faith. Identifying that His body was broken for you and his blood shed to pay the price for your sins. Doing it on a regular basis forces you to keep confessing it. If one says, I remember it daily and so I do not need to observe this ritual, then they probably are not remembering it daily or they would not say that. It forces you to really think about it.

So you see, here, how the way men decided to celebrate Christ is better than the way God planned it. I wonder if it truly made the church better.

Scripture says why we do it, and scripture indicates that it is a real ritual.

Luke 22:19; "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."

1. "DO in remembrance of me". It is to be DONE and the reason is that it is a memorial.
2. "THIS DO ... " is a command to DO something.

In 1st Corinthians 11:30 we learn that Christians who DID it unworthily got sick and even died. It is very real.

Yes, I'm aware of the teachings the Catholics have about the eucharist, but I find them unbiblical. Never in God's Word, does it say that taking the Lord's supper, means that the items eaten, become the actual body of Jesus.
The Catholics teachings originate from the pagan teachings that originated with Nimrod. The book, "The Two Babylons" - by Hislop, explains about this. I also remember reading in the book, that they were in the habit of making the bread of the disk-shaped bread pieces, to have an imprint on top of Nimrod's name, I think it was. I've also read the book ('One hundred years in the Church of Rome")written by a formerly Catholic priest, Chiniquy. He mentioned how he came to see that the teachings of the eucharist were incorrect, in his process towards his becoming truly converted to Christ.

And the Lord's supper symbolism goes along with the symbolisms of the Passover. Jesus is our Passover Lamb. And those who are living in disobedience to God, are regarded as not keeping the figurative Passover feast correctly.

1 Cor 5:8

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
KJV

i respect your view, and I know your view of it is the most common one held by most Christian churches. Most are very sincere in their viewing it in this way. I just don't think they are correct. i don't see the practice of passing out the drinks and pieces of bread as a memorial of Jesus' death as being harmful. I just see that the correct view of it, is that Jesus wasn't telling them to commonly use this Lord's Supper ceremony that so many churches use. Jesus often used symbolisms in His teaching of things. I think that's what He was doing, in His demonstration at the Last Supper.

To me, it seems much more reasonable and beneficial, to see the worship gatherings of Christians - as being what both the Passover, and also Jesus' symbolic illustration pictured - which is our spiritual lives being wholly centered upon Christ, in our daily lives.

I have read the book, "The Two Babylons" - by Hislop. in that book, he said that the practice of the Catholic Eucharist, has pagan roots. And they used round wafers, because it was round like the sun, which they worshiped. Here's a link that explains more about the subject:

http://aliveinchrist040801.tripod.com/wafer_baal.htm

I too have Hyslop's book. And I too respect your view. I think that Hyslop was addressing what the Roman Church made it to be, not what our Lord instituted. The difficulty with your view is that the Lord's table will cease when He comes (1st Cor.11:26). That would mean all you hold above would cease too. I think you'll agree that our Lord's teachings, worship gatherings, our daily and spiritual lives centered on Christ will not cease when He comes. But if the ritual is no longer needed because Christ will be displayed to the whole world when He returns, a physical, literal and practical ritual ceasing would make sense.

Just to throw something in the pot, and which you do not have to answer (I don't want to derail your thread). Have you ever worked out why our Lord stopped the Passover, but will resume it when He returns to set up God's kingdom on earth? (Lk.22:15-16).

we have found/studied that the Scriptures tell us of this 'custom/Holy Day -
MATT. 26:17.
Now the first day of 'the feast of unleavened bread' the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto Him,
Where will You that we prepare for You to eat 'the Passover'?
26:26.
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said,
Take, eat; this is My Body. - 'this is the Passover Feast'. Jesus could not have changed it,
according to His own Words...
MATT. 5:17.
Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18.
For verily I say unto you,
Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.
DEU. 4:2.
You shall not add unto The Word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it,
that you may keep The Commandments of The LORD your God which I command you.

Jesus Christ certainly fulfilled the Passover Feast, He certainly did NOT do away with it,
for it is Yeshua's Eternal, Word...

I don't think there is any evidence in the book of Acts or in early church history that the gentile converts ever observed the ordinance of communion that Paul spoke about in 1 Cor 11 on the day of the Jewish Passover feast.

The consensus seems to be that they did this maybe as often as the first day of the week but others think less frequently maybe as a communal meal which may have been changed to the way we do it today because of the instructions given by Paul about their excesses in the communal meal setting.

There is no clear explanation as to how to do it other than to do it as often as they do in remembrance of Him.

The Jewish apostles and Christians continued to observe Jewish customs knowing that they did not justify them. If you know that they do not justify you then you know that you are still justified in Jesus if you do not observe them.

Any Jewish christian teacher who was found attempting to teach the gentiles that they must observe the Jewish Passover feast commemorating the Exodus would have been rebuked as a Judaizer who did not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ and would have been kicked out of the church if they insisted on such false teaching.

They taught that Jesus was the messiah and gentiles could be saved but only if they also converted to observe Jewish customs like circumcision and observing feasts and holidays. The devil was behind these false teachings. At that time it was Jews who were teaching these false teachings.

Today the same devils are still active and trying to get gentiles to teach the same false teachings. Does not even make sense for a gentile to teach another gentile that they must observe the holiday commemorating the Jews exodus out of Egypt but people fall for it anyway.

What they should be teaching is that we should observe this ordinance called the Lords Supper or the communion which commemorates not the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt but the Body of Christ broken for us and His blood shed for us and our faith that this appropriates to us for our salvation and justification so that God might be just and the justifier of those that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 22: 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” I think Jesus was speaking before He suffered on the cross and by being crucified He filled the Kingdom of God.

The church tells us that the new covenant cancelled our guidance to celebrate the feast at Christ did, but I don't think they are correct in that. The new covenant told us there was a new way that God gave us guidance to obeying His commands. Before we were guided by rituals, now by the Holy Spirit. The church is classing the feasts as a ritual that the Holy Spirit is replacing. The Holy Spirit replaced the guidance that cutting foreskin gave to belonging to God or that diet control guided to feeding our minds only what is clean, but I don't think the feasts are to guide us, they actually are celebrating Christ.

Christ honored them and Christ told us to follow Him.

What scripture tells you that the feasts are not what God wants of us but they are just a Jewish custom? It seems to me that celebrating Christ as Passover is wasn't a passing custom, but it is honoring Christ.

Thanks for taking the time to give your view. There is a difficulty. The Passover is part of the Law of Moses (e.g. Lev.23:5). And our Lord Jesus Himslef said in Matthew 5:18; "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Notice Luke 22:15-16;

15 "And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

Our Lord Jesus is a Man under Law. He is King of Israel. We know that HE fulfilled the Law. But the grammar does not say "... till I fulfill it ... ." It says, "... till IT be fulfilled ... ." That is, "IT" - the Law, must be fulfilled. And the Law was given to Israel and they, within 40 days, broke it when they built the Golden Calf. Israel carried their idols during the 40 years of wilderness. Except under David, the built high places and worshiped the Ashteroth and Molech. By the time our Lord came they refused miracles and murdered their Messiah. That is, Israel have NEVER fulfilled the Law.

I don't expect an answer as we will derail the thread, but I just wanted to point out the difficulties.

God well and God bless.

The last supper is the blood covenant.
"I will not drink it again, till I drink it anew with you in heaven"
"I go to prepare a place for you"
Those words were the words of the bridegroom to the bride at the jewish wedding betrothal.....covenant.

The church is 2000 years old and still does not know the meaning of the last supper and why we re enact it.

The "unworthy partaking" is a direct reference to the brides faithfulness.
"Some are sick and some die" is judgement on breaking the vow. Or being unfaithful to a blood covenant.

(The wife/ or betrothed gone a whoring)

That is what is happening in "communion"

It is like modern day "renewing of the vows"
If your eye wanders you are as a whore.
It is in fact a heart issue.

It is beyond words...the seriousness of being totally separated and divorced from this world.

I would say only about 5% of believers even know what Jesus was asking us to remember or re examine.

It ain't really about "making everything right"....partaking....and never receiving the changed heart.

That only ILLUSTRATES the heart of whoredom.
It is about understanding you are betrothed to another. Your eye remains totally fixed on the groom.

You eat,drink,sleep and are consumed with that person.

The best illustration would be a man about to marry tha perfect wife. She is EVERYTHING he could dream of. So wonderful.
Right before the wedding she says "oh,btw,I do have one little flaw....I must go with my old boyfriends once a year for a 2 day fling"

Nobody would marry her.
Yet we are that woman.

I concur with all you propose. How few Christians appreciate the ritual of the Lord's Table. How many of us are unfaithful to our Fiance (2nd Cor.11:2). How we have left our first (best) Love (Rev.2:4). And in death, Christ's side is opened with the release of His blood for the Bride (the fulfillment of what Eve typifies). We, the Church, are doubly a Bride of blood.

But is not the New Covenant with Israel, and one of Law - not marriage (Jer.31:31-33)?

My understanding is that all Covenants made with God must be RATIFIED in blood (Heb.9:15-20). And while that of Sinai was ratified by Moses in the blood of oxen (Ex.24:5, 8), the New Covenant, one of the same Law, and one made exclusively with Israel, is ratified in Christ's blood.

Christ's blood achieves at least four things:

1. It takes way the sin (singular) of the world (Jn.1:29)
2. It takes away the sins (plural) of the world (1st Jn.2:2)
3. It ratifies the New Covenant of Law made with Israel when they are united again (Jer.31:31-33)
4. It gives God the judicial right to lift the curse on the earth cause by Abel's blood (Heb.12:24)

I do not wish to derail the thread on the ritual of the Lord's Table, so an answer is not required. But I thought I would comment on the joining of the symbols of bread and wine with a Covenant.

Yes you are correct.

The blood shed is the covenant. The actual blood at the cross.

The communion table represents the betrothal of the bride.(engagement covenant)
It is as binding in faithfulness as the wedding.(wife)
The wife bleeds at consumation.

"I will drink it anew with you in my fathers kingdom."

We do not bleed at the marriage in heaven as a bride would on earth.
The wine is the blood.

IOW, we see it from the temporal perspective.

The actual eternal picture would be when the wife bleeds at consumation it is pointing to the marriage supper....the wine representing the blood covenant.

I think it was meant to be a literal thing, we are supposed to eat bread and drink "wine" to remember Jesus death and knowledge it. It can have power to renew ourselves from sinful behaviour, well at least that is the reason why the church i go to partakes in it.

Thanks for your response. Go well and God bless.

Wonderful analyzing, thanks so much.

I think that when scripture says under the law, it means that we are not saved by what Christ did for us but think we can be saved by the law. I don't understand what God did when he told us in Lev. 18:11 that we are only saved by blood and he has given that blood on the altar. I know Christ fulfilled that, but what that is, I think, beyond human understanding. But I don't think it includes that Christ was under the law.

Christ himself fulfilled the law when he was crucified.

When God threatened the Israel because they turned to the golden calf, Moses pleaded for mercy and the Lord repented. Exodus 32:14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.