Untitled Sermon (2)

The first communion

Because today is communion, I want to tell the story of the first time that we had participated in this ritual.

The first time was when we were still slaves, before God rescued us.

The first time that ate this unleavened bread

The first time that we were saved by the blood of the lamb

However the first time that we did this ritual it was very different to how we do it today

The first time that

However the first time that we did this ritual

We had only been slaves for 400 years before God acted with a mighty hand to rescue the Israelites from bondage

ate the unleavened bread

ate the unleavened bread

The first time that we ate this unleavened bread was partly out of convenience because they had to be ready to escape at a moments notice

drank from this cup

The first time, the blood of a lamb saved them when they put it on their doorposts

Our situation was different, because at that time we were slaves, before God rescued us

However when Jesus engaged in this ritual, He added much more meaning to the ritual, making a spare ritual, spiritual.

Jesus in the Passover

Flesh

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Jesus came in the flesh

- Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

Jesus said that the unleavened bread of passover represented His body, His flesh.

Think on that, Jesus, the person that we believe

Now this is actually quite powerful in that the unleavened bread has huge symbolic meanings in the bible.

Now this is actually quite powerful in that the unleavened bread has huge symbolic meanings in the bible.

Think of it

Firstly lets look at the definition of Yeast

noun. a substance, as yeast or baking powder, that causes fermentation and expansion of dough or batter. fermented dough reserved for producing fermentation in a new batch of dough. an element that produces an altering or transforming influence.

As we see yeast represents the old and corrupted and when added to something uncorrupted, it corrupts the uncorrupted.

Because of this in the bible yeast is nearly always used to refer to sin and evil.

Therefore when Jesus takes the unleavened bread in his hand and says this is my body, it directly implies that Jesus body was uncorrupted with Sin.

Jesus the transcendent God, that has always existed and that created everything with his words came down into the corrupt world but was not corrupted by the world. Jesus was like the unleavened bread in that he had no sin.

Furthermore the reason for eating unleavened bread in the passover was because they had to be ready to leave at a moments notice

This fits into the story of Jesus at the last supper because this was the last meal that Jesus had eaten before His death. Just like the Israelites Jesus was ready to leave on a moments notice.

English Standard Version Chapter 6

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

3. Despite Jesus being prepared to leave this world, in Jesus calls himself the bread of life and promises that the bread that He provides will not perish and that you will not hunger again.

Jesus calls himself the bread of life in

This fits into the story of Jesus at the last supper because this was the last meal that Jesus had eaten before His death. Just like the Israelites Jesus was ready to leave on a moments notice.

Jesus promises us that despite the fact that He is soon leaving, he will remain with us because we will never hunger again. He is the bread of life. This can be further understood by looking at the next area of the communion.

Jesus was ready to

Jesus blood gives us life

27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

It is interesting to note that when Jesus says the the wine was representative of His blood this was very confronting to the Jews.

The Torah strictly forbids Jews from drinking blood and even the meat they ate had to be drained of its blood. The reason for this was that the life was in the blood.

Therefore when Jesus offers His blood to his disciples, he is offering them his life, he is offering them the opportunity to partake in His life.

The Hebrews believed there was life in the blood

The blood represented more than life though, it meant protection from death.

In the passover the blood of the lamb was put on the door posts and it protected the people inside from the angel of Death.

In the same way The blood of Jesus protects us from death.

Jesus blood is represented by wine which is interesting because as against alcohol we can be, alcohol is amazing to use medically. There is a reason why we have alcohol swabs when we cut ourselves.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

I was even told by Ben Yesterday that even non-alcoholic wine still has healing properties.

The take away message from both the wine and the bread is the bread represents the fact that the almighty God came down and took on our humanity and then sacrificed himself for us. The unleavened bread reminds us of his perfect and uncorrupted sacrifice.

But it is the blood that represents life, particularly the life that God wants us to partake in. There is life in the blood, there is power in the blood and there is love in the blood. The blood symbolizes how Jesus heals us and makes us whole, how he keeps us whole by protecting us and how we can share a life with Jesus for all eternity.

We dont

is that there is life in the blood,

Jesus giving himself

But there is a final part of this that I want to talk about, for me this is the most powerful aspect of our communion service, its the act that helps us humble ourselves before each other in christ like love. We read this story in John 13

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.