The Lord’s Supper

by Jannie

                           A possible message of The Lord’s Supper

Repent of the flesh[1] – change the way you talk, act, eat, drink and think[2]

Come up here[3], come back child[4] – Jesus was anointed to pay the way[5]

My Kingdom has come[6] – be mature[7], overcome[8], rule, eat and drink[9]

Remind yourselves and each other that I AM your Righteousness – the Way[10]

You are not meant to be lost, powerless, or sick or to die – listen to what I say![11]

Matthew 26:17-32; Mark 14:12-27; Luke 22:8-32; John 13:1-38

The seemingly different account of the apostle John (where Jesus plainly handed the piece of bread to Judas), is because of his observation as a believer, relating it to believers:  Jesus is the Bread given to us – if we take it (John 6:47-51,63).  Even John 3:3,16 means more [perfection] when read with John 11:26; 16:9; Rom 8:1-3; 1 Thess 5:22-24…   The fact remains that Judas had [physical] ears to hear [sound] but by his own choice and preferences, not the words [precepts] that Jesus was speaking [meaning, information parted], it did not enter Judas’ heart [mind] due to Judas’ own conceited and self-righteous falsity (Jn 12:4-6; 13:21).

The conversation was intimate[12], but one of them was probably over occupied with himself[13].  Probably trying to rationalize – in his mind – that Jesus would have the time to present His case before the Sanhedrin; or thinking with bitterness how he could have been the high official in charge of a people’s finances if Jesus had been the political leader he was hoping for.  The point is, he was hearing the Lord’s voice, but without having ears to hear.  When all the other disciples there were humble enough to wonder if they – including John[14] – was the guilty one, Judas the Iscariot was proud[15], even after revealing himself by his own lack of concentration of what Jesus was saying and so identified by his action as being the traitor! Judas just would not listen [let Jesus’ Words find entrance – Jn 8:43]; wouldn’t repent.  Jesus did certainly not make Judas a traitor! Jesus could just illustrate who was not paying attention.

The ones close to Jesus was asking who the traitor would be.  Jesus demonstrated that the one hearing His voice, but not taking His words at heart, will show himself to be the one who betrays the Son of God, Son of Man[16].  Jesus was probably continuing in the same gentle tone of voice[17] when He [essentially] said “See how this traitor gives himself away by doing something irrational:  he will dip his bread with me (“share”, take it from me) even though I clearly stated that this action [callousness, not heeding my warnings] will be what gives the traitor away” (Mt 11:15; Rom 10:17; Jn 15:1-5)!

Are you chaffed with yourself that you can hear the voice of God?  Be careful to not take His words at heart! John 14:1,6 with 1 Jn 2:4 has more to say, than we might think.  Today people are still more impressed by the law and the prophets [even false teachers, thieves and self-appointed men] than with Jesus Himself, ignoring information such as Heb 1:1-2.

See the paper entitled “Church part one” by the author, for a discussion on apostles and prophets and their role in church today.  That foundation has been laid 2 000 years ago (Heb 1:1-3; 1 Cor 3:10-11; 1 Tim 2:5).

Commemorating The Lord’s Supper

Also called communion.  Now carefully contemplate 1 Cor 11:17-34 first.

We will not now stall on the fact that they had “party-bashers” like vultures, that went to these church meetings simply to eat and drink for free because they were poor, or plain stingy, gluttons, and superficial; but we will look at a deeper insight to do with v 30.

In commemoration of the Lord’s Supper, we at the very least, remind ourselves of the following:

  • The Body of Jesus Christ broken for us. Refer to Jn 6:31-51,63; Eph 2:6. “Bethlehem” means “Place of bread”.  We should consume that Bread (Jn 1:1-4,14,17) so that He is inside of us permanently (Jn 17:15-24).
  • The Blood of Jesus Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God, once for all, consumed by us so that we can be transformed [born again from above, God] with His DNA (Jn 6:53-63;1 Pet 1:18; 2 Cor 5:7). Don’t freak out like the hearers of Jesus did (Jn 6:60,66) – we are talking of a Spirit (Jn 4:23-24)!…  Observe the word “taste” in Heb 6:4 and compare this to 1 Cor 11:26-31!…
  • Jesus Christ is our only Savior and true Sustenance (Col 1:17; Jn 1:4) and overcame death for us at His resurrection. Your death does not bring you eternal life, your faith in His sacrificial death and resurrection plus your following of His precepts does (even just Rom 10:9-10; Phil 3:9).  Jesus Christ is the Word of God, the Way, Life, Truth, and Love of God.
  • He will return in bodily form again (1 Thess 4:13-18; 5:5-11,23,28).

Note that The Bible has:

  • No age restriction on partaking in the Lord’s Supper
  • No time restriction on partaking in the Lord’s Supper

Is it necessary to use wine or grape juice or can it be water?  Does Mt 26:27; Mk 14:23; Lk 22:20 specify?  Probably not.  If you read around Mk 14:13; Lk 22:10 and then read that all these references only say He took a cup (not specifying the contents), it could very well have been water – Jn 1:13!!! Ponder this! It is more about us sustaining by not fading (Mt 17:20).

However, we read in Jn 13:4-5 that Jesus needed water after that supper to wash His disciple’s feet.  Jesus possibly used an analogy of wine and vineyards because it was perhaps easier for their culture to understand what He was trying to teach them.  Consider Jn 15:1-5; and then carefully Lk 13:6-10; followed by Mt 21:18-22-33-46 (keeping in mind 1 Cor 3:9; Is 61:1-3; Rom 9).  In Mt 3:20 John the Baptist declared that Jesus would cut out that dead [fig] tree (Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes) in His vineyard (Note Rom 9:6-8,24-33; 10:9-12 with Gal 3:22-29; 4:21-31; Eph 4:11-15).  Jesus’ message here is possibly quite simply that we (Jn 15:1-5) are to bear fruit (Mt 10:8; 1 Cor 4:20) and live and help others to continue to live just like “the fruit of the vine” compares to the blood in our veins and His body sacrificed as our righteousness (Jn 6:53 with Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; Jn 13:20) – if we want eternal, everlasting life until Jesus returns (Jn 11:26;1 Cor 15:51; I Thess 4:15; 5:23).  By remaining – continue living – is the only way we can prove that Jesus lives (Rom 8:2,11)!!!

Gal 6:7-8 is discussed with this view in “The Testimony”.  This author believes this is why Jesus has not returned yet, we are not living and not living His message – Heb 10:13; Mt 10:8; Jn 17:15-20)!!!

Who is Jerusalem? Consider Gal 4:24-31; Is 60:14b; Mt 5:14.

Who is the true Israel?  See Amos 8:2; Mt 21:43-45; Acts 10:35; Rom 2:28-29; 3:19-28; 6:14-17; 7:4,6,9,10; 9:7-9, 25,26; 10:1-4,12,13,17-21; Gal 2:4-6,13,14,16-19; 3:7-13; 4:21,30,31; 5:4,18,25; Eph 1:22-3:6,18-21; Rev 21; 1 Cor 3:9,16; and so on.

Were the words Jesus used [in Mt 26:26,28; Mk 14:22,24; Lk 22:19,21] literal or symbolical?  Did Jesus say, “This is a symbol of My Body broken….” or did He say, “This is My Body…”?  Contemplate Jn 6:53 and Jn 13:20 with Rom 8:2. Before outright rejecting a literal impossibility for us 2 000 years later, just consider the reality of the spiritual realm and what Jesus wanted us to believe [trust, act on] about oneness with Him.  Remember the reaction of Jesus’ hearers in Jn 6:60,66!  We should not be dull (Mt 5:13-16) and miss the point.

This author believes that Jesus as a perfect Teacher had this magnificent way to expose the play-acting and superficial parrot-like ramblings of the religious clinging to their perceptions of camouflaged self-righteousness, the Law-followers (Mt 15:6-9; 23:15).  They struggle with Mt 6:13 (Lk 17:1; Js 1:13); Lk 16:1-8; Is 45:7, etc. and miss the mark (Phil 3:9-10).  Similar to so-called “muscle memory” (muscles don’t have a memory, it is the brain that instructs the muscles), do us humans seem to program better with a tactile-mental connection and experience.  We can also see that Jesus Christ as the First (Jn 1:1-4; Col 1:17-20) best Teacher (Jn 3:2;13:13) reveals that age is no requirement for being one with Him because only faith is required (Mt 18:1-4;).  Only later when we are spiritually more mature, can we absorb more from Him as our Spiritual Teacher and Guide with daily Bread (Jn 14:26) and Living water (Jn 7:38) …

So, stop perpetually going to people and talk to Jesus Christ Himself!  The show must not go on!

See again the “taste” in Heb 6:4 and compare [Heb 6:1-12] with 1 Cor 11:26-31 (Jn 11:26)!!!  For a better understanding of what this could mean to us right now, see “The Testimony” by this author…

The only logical explanation why we are so splintered (Gal 5:4,18-20; Eph 4:5) and without spiritual authority as “Christians” on this earth – yes, because of what was [also] mentioned in Hos 4:4-10! Because the “church leaderships” are guilty of Rom 10:2-3; Mk 7:13; 12:24; is Eph 4:11 attempted without achieving God’s goal with it (Eph 4:12-22)!! We have the wrong idea about even God and the devil (Mt 7:21-23): the devil wants us dead (Jn 10:10; Mk 3:4; 1 Cor 5:5 is explained in the paper “The Testimony”)! God Triune wants us alive and well on earth (Gen 1:28; Dt 30:11-19; Jn 1:1-4; 3:16; 5:24,37-47; 6:32,48-51,57; 8:51; 11:26; 12:48-50; Rom 8:2,11,14)!!!

Contemplate 1 Cor 11:23, 30 with 1 Jn 2:4; Jn 14:6,9-12 and Mt 7:15-23! (What “greater things” can you do today than Jesus did then, except not have to lose your body??! Is this why we have Heb 9:27 that clearly means that Jesus had to die so that we can/may live (the word men there, is anthrōpǒs [444] and is from anēr [435], a primary word actually indicating an individual man, a husband!  Look it up in a Greek concordance).  Is this why we were given Jesus Christ’s instruction in Mt 10:8 (Jn 17:15-20; 1 Pet 2:24!)?  Hence 1 Cor 11:30 and Jn 3:16?!…  What a fantastic blunder if “The Church” have had it wrong since the very first “division” (Rev 2:4; 22:18-21?) because we have even our definition of faith wrong by our own admission (claiming to not “see” people remaining until Jesus’ return/second coming – 2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:1; Indeed, Paul [actually, 2 Tim 3:16-17], this author agrees… 1 Cor 15:26 (Heb 10:13) and 1 Thess 5:23 to us all!

This author therefore believes (hears) that God has given us two sacraments so that we should grasp and remember to (a) Follow Him and His teaching/precepts/Word only [have ourselves be baptized], hence Mk 16:16-20; and (b) communion, hence 1 Cor 11:23-31. The feasts were for a different reason for a different people in a different dispensation [time] – Rom 9:4-8,25-27 (see the papers by this author about Israel and mixing the old and new – Mt 9:16-17; Heb 8:13; 9:8,14).

God help us! (But God did offer His Help – Jn 3:15-21; 11:26; 14:26; Rom 8:11,14; Eph 1:3… it is us who stubbornly choose to ignore Scriptures such as Ps 118:8 and Hos 4:4-10)!!!

Amen.

[1] Rom 8:5-10

[2] 1 Cor 10:31; Dt 6:5,6; Mt 22:37-39

[3] Rev 1:1-7; 19:11

[4] Lk 12:32; 15:11-32; Mt 11:26-30

[5] Jn 12:27-50

[6] Lk 17:21 (Dt 26:11,12); Mt 6:10; 16:19; 18:3; 21:43; 23:13; 25:34 (Eph 2:10); Mk 1:15; 10:14; Jn 3:3,5; 18:36; 1 Cor 4:20; 15:24; Col 1:13,14

[7] Eph 4:12-16

[8] Rev 12:11

[9] Jn 6:50-58

[10] Jn 14:6

[11] Jn 14:6,16-17,26; 16:9; 11:25,26; Rom 8:1-3

[12] John 13:23-25

[13] Heb 4:12 – the Bible is the only [original] Book revealing the difference between what is God-centred (Spirit) and what is self-centred (soul: mind; intellect, emotion, will), silent, lacking, ignorant.

[14] Jn 13:23; 21:24; John received the Revelation of Jesus Christ at Patmos (then wrote the Gospel John)

[15] Mt 26:23; 1 Pet 5:5; 1 Jn 1:9,10; Js 1:13-16.  Judas the Iscariot chose not to repent by his own choice.

[16] Of John 14:6…  The three groups of liars of Rev 21:8, are 1 Jn 2:4,22; 2 Jn 1:7.  (Mt 7:20-24).

[17] 1 Kings 19:12.  Consider reading the paper “Hearing” by the author, as well.