Bible Foundations: Communion – Lesson 22 (Continued)

 

Bible Foundations: Communion – Lesson 22 (Continued)

The two outstanding features of the Communion Service are the Blood and Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. To have an understanding, we will consider the blood and the body in that order.

THE BLOOD: The blood of our Lord Jesus has two basic functions.

1. First - To establish a new contract.
   
   1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same manner Jesus also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

We remember the Abrahamic covenant was established by the blood of animals, however God required something very personal from Abraham.

Genesis 15: So God said to Abraham, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.  On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land —

Genesis 17;1-11 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.  And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. "Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 

I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant,  And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.  This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;  and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 

(Abraham was required to shed his blood by circumcision as part of the old covenant with God.)

Jesus was the substitute of God's and man's shed blood for the New Covenant. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross, it was no longer the blood of an animal substitute, it was the very blood of God.

Acts 20:28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

His blood was also the blood of man, as Jesus was the Son of man. Thus the contract was sealed by both parties, God and man's in one sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The Blood was to cleanse away sin. Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

   The blood of Jesus removes sin and delivers us from the judgment of sin.

1 John 1:7,9 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Ephesians 1:7 In Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

The blood of the Passover Lamb was the only means of salvation from the judgment of death. The blood had to be applied over the top and sides of the door and the people were to remain inside their homes. Jesus' blood was shed, and He is the door, and the only safe place is in the Lord Christ Jesus.

Let us also consider, THE BODY of Christ:

The body of the Lord Jesus Christ is also a provision for us as the body of the Passover Lamb was for Israel. We must discern or understand the body of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:29-30 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. (die prematurely)

John 6;48-58 I am the bread of life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (The people were thinking literally, but Jesus was using symbols and pictures as we consider the emblems of bread and fruit of the vine at the Lord's table.)

The children of Israel were to partake of the Passover Lamb as we are to be partakers of the body of Jesus, our Passover Lamb. Eating the flesh of the Lamb did not prevent the death Angel, because it was the blood that protected them. However, the flesh was digested and became a part of their flesh, of their bone, and skin. There is much lack of understanding of the body of Christ and has caused many Christians to be weak, sick and die prematurely.   Sin, sickness and premature death are Satan's weapons to kill and destroy God's creation. Salvation from sin and healing for sickness are God's means provided by Jesus' sacrifice to meet the spiritual, mental and physical healing in mankind.

The wounds or stripes of Jesus are for our healing, both spiritual, mental and physical. The body of Christ makes us whole. Isaiah 53: 5-6 and 1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

There is another truth to understand and that is that we are also the Body of Christ, and we are to love one another, minister to one another and accept the ministry of another as part of that body.

1 Corinthians 12:25 That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.