Meditation

03/10/2022

“They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” (1^st Corinthians 10:3-4)

Just as baptism was the fulfillment of he meaning of the cloud and the sea of the old covenant, so the Lord’s Supper fulfills the meaning of God’s provision of the manna and the water in the wilderness. The bread and cup are spiritual food and drink in the new covenant, as the manna and water from the rock were in the old covenant. When Christ is called the “spiritual rock,” if simply means that the rock which gave them living water is a symbol of Christ who gives life to those who depend upon Him. Paul meant that Christ would always be present to nourish His people wherever and whenever we call upon Him.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, today we recognize the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry had effectively begun in earnest, and that John the Baptist’s ministry was to take a lesser role to that of Jesus’. John the Baptist had baptized people with water, and though Jesus’ disciples did the same, soon Jesus would step forth to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And day by day, the hope of God’s light will grow within us.” (Dieter F. Uchdorty

KNOWING GOD:

“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover was approaching, and he chief priests and the teachers of he Law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief Priests and the officers of he temple guard, and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over them them when no crown was present. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘God and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’ Where do yo want us to prepare for for it?’ He replied, ‘As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.’They left and found things just as Jesus So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’ And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new Covenant in my blood., which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him.’ They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. Also a dispute arose among them as to which of hem was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom. Just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ” (Luke 22:1-30)

Luke described the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the upper room with Jesus’ disciples on the night before His death in almost exactly the same words as Matthew and Mark. The only difference was that Luke described a cup before the bread as well as a cup after the break. Luke was emphasizing the fist cup as the cup of the Passover which they were celebrating on this evening, while he distinguished the bread and cup which followed as the new covenant in the body and blood of Jesus.

I AM:

“On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ He replied, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says my appointed time is near, I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.’ They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays he Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely not, Rabbi?’ Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’ While the others were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.’ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:17-30)

Jesus gave bread and cup to His disciples while they were celebrating the Passover. This makes it very clear that He intended this Supper to be a sign of he new covenant as the Passover had been the sign of he old covenant. When He took the bread, He was taking the most basic necessity of daily nourishment for our bodies. His body, offered for us on the cross, symbolized the absolute necessity for our spiritual nourishment as Christian disciples. “Gave thanks” (Greek – eucharisto) provides the name “Eucharist” by which many Christians designate the Lord’s Supper. The cup signifies the “blood of the covenant,’ a reference to the death of Jesus by which the new covenant was established. ‘Until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom’ draws our attention away from the past references to the Passover and forward and forward to the death, resurrection, and return of Christ. It concentrates on the future when Christ will come in victory and celebrate with His disciples in the Father’s kingdom.

2ND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many , are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Consider he people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? Do I mean then that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?” (1^st Corinthians 10:15-22)

The cup of thanksgiving is so called because Jesus gave thanks over the bread and cup at the Last Supper and because Christians were giving thanks for the body and blood of Christ offered from them. Paul was emphasizing the one cup and the one loaf of bread by which Christians participate symbolically in the one body of Christ. Paul used this powerful argument for unity in two ways: 1) It means that Christians must not be divided into factions because they are members of he one body of Christ. 2) Christians mus not participate in sacrificial meals in idol temples because that demonstrates participation symbolically with idols. It would be a foolish contradiction to participate in both the “Lords” table and the table of demons. I pray this is clear to everyone.