His body, His blood

His body, His blood

Scripture:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:26-30

Observation:

As they were eating, the Lord suddenly takes the opportunity to establish the solemn ceremony of the Holy Communion. He first takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it and gives is to His disciples, telling them “take and eat, this is my body”. Likewise, he takes the cup, gives thanks and gives it to His disciples, asking all of them to drink from it. He further explains that this wine is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. He then further prophesies how He will not drink wine again until the day He drinks it anew with them in God the Father’s kingdom.

Application:

Consider the Lord’s body and the symbolism of bread. In the time of temptation in the desert, the Lord said that Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. In John 1, as it is written “in the beginning was the Word…“, Jesus is described as the Word. What does it mean to partake of the bread, of the Word of God, of Jesus’ body? The late T.L Osborn taught that when we take the bread, there is the Lord’s healing power, as based on Isaiah 53, by his stripes, we are healed. It was the Lord’s body that was wounded as He went to the cross, and it is by His wounded body that we are healed if we believe it! Therefore, when we partake of the bread, we remember that Jesus was wounded that we might be healed and be healthy and thank God for it.

In the same way, when we partake of the wine, the blood of Christ, we remember that we are forgiven and made righteous because of His death on the cross. While the bread has to do with the body, the flesh, the blood has to do with the spiritual.

When we remember Jesus, we are reminded that we have divine health in Him and divine forgiveness through Him. Both our physical and spiritual bodies are restored and regenerated in the Lord. And even as we remember the Lord’s death, we are also reminded of our own death in Him, death to our sinful desires but life to the Spirit. Even as we take of His body and His blood, so too His life becomes more and more real in us.

Therefore, let us encourage each other to take the Holy Communion often, not just in church, but even in our homes.

Prayer:

We praise You and thank You, Lord Jesus for Your great sacrifice for us. We thank You Lord, that You suffered in Your body for us, that we might be healed. We thank You Lord, that You gave Your life and blood that we might be forgiven. We thank You, Lord, that in You, our body, soul and spirit is renewed and regenerated in You. Help us remember, even as we partake, that we belong to You, that we have been saved so that we can die to sin, and live for righteousness. Let Your precious life become more and more real in us we pray. Let Your Holy Spirit stir greatly within our hearts, lead us Lord in the way everlasting. In Jesus name, Amen.