The Eucharist (A deeper understanding)
What is the Eucharist? It is a sacrament and a sacrifice; a non-bloody sacrifice. Jesus was not just establishing a covenant, but He himself is the covenant. In the Old Testament, the covenants were all a preparation or a foreshadowing of THE covenant. Let us see how the covenants in the Old Testament were being fulfilled in Christ:
|
|
Old Testament
|
New Testament
|
|
1
|
Genesis 9: 12-17
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:
13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,
15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.
16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
|
Revelation 4: 3
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
|
|
2
|
Genesis 22
Abraham was offering his son to God at Mount Moriah, but was stop by an angel.
|
Gospel
Jesus was sacrifice for our sins at a mount call Calvary.
|
|
3
|
Exodus 24:8
8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
|
Mark 14: 22-24
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.
|
Why did Jesus say, “It is finished” at the cross? What is finished? The work of redemption? Not true because Jesus hasn’t been raised from the dead yet. Why did Jesus ask His Father to, “Take this cup away from …” Him? What is the connection?
First we have to understand the liturgy of the Passover meal. Why the Passover meal? Because we know from Luke 22:15 that the Last Supper is a Passover meal: 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
During a Passover meal, 4 cups of wine will be drunk. Each of these cups represents four distinct promises made by God:
1. Cup of Sanctification (I will bring you out of Egypt)
2. Cup of Deliverance (I will deliver you from Egyptian slavery)
3. Cup of Redemption (I will redeem you with My power)
Before the last cup is drunk, a psalm is being sung.
4. Cup of Restoration (I will take you as My people)
The third cup, the cup of redemption was drunk after grace is given. It is done in conjunction with the prayer spoken over the bread (Mark 14: 23-24): 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.
After this we know from verse 26 of Mark chapter 14 that they sung a hymn (the hallel psalm – Psalms 113-118): 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
What did Jesus at Mount Olives? (Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of Mount Olives) He prayed very earnestly to His Father. What did he pray? In verse 36 it writes, “36 “Abba,Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”” What is this cup that Christ talks about? Why does he refer to his death and suffering as a cup?
Now let’s move forward to John 19:28. 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” Don’t you think Jesus was thirsty before that? And Jesus says that he was thirsty in order to fulfil the scripture!
In verse 29 of John 19, “29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” The hyssop plant is used to sprinkle the lamb’s blood on the door post before the Angel of Death passes over. The 4thcup, the Cup of Restoration was drunk when Christ drank from the sponge. “It is finished” is the Passover meal. The sacrifice of the Passover Lamb of God occurs not at Calvary, but at the upper room.
So what is so important that it is a Passover meal? In the Old Testament, if you slain the lamb and sprinkle the blood on your door post, your first-born son will….
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Die! Why? Because you need to eat the lamb. Who do Jesus say he is? He is the bread of life. What should you do? You should eat Him, His flesh and drink his blood! Only then you will have life!
Story of the whale who ate everything
One day a small sized blue whale was swimming around the sea. He became very hungry and started to look for something yummy.
So hungry was the whale that he ate a rusty pail. And the whale got a little bit bigger.
So hungry was the whale that he ate his own mail. And the whale got a little bit bigger.
Then the whale went too far: He ate a jar, a guitar, a chocolate bar, and a bright red car. It was truly bizarre.
So the whale got bigger than any whale have ever been. He became so big that he couldn’t even swim. And become so terribly sad that he was lost his big whale grin.
Then one day an anchor was dragging by. And even though he had become so big, the whale thought, “I’ll give it a try”. But the anchor got stuck inside of the whale. He pulled and pulled and he started to fail. But it was too late, the boat put up its sail.
Then something real strange started to happen. The anchor had hooked all the thing within. And pulled up everything out from his head to his fin. Now that small blue whale swims in the sea just eating normal whale food such as algae. He finds it tasty and it makes him so happy.
Reflection
Sometimes we become too hungry with our own ambition, our own agenda, our own goals that we fill ourselves, our time with all these activities. Our minds are tired, our schedules are so packed that we don’t have time for God. The Eucharist is like the anchor the whale ate. It will help you order yourself to seek God first and this seeking of God first, you will find happiness. Like the whale 🙂
Reference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mj5OD2jDGU&list=FLyyraG1L3210SxO3iCzPNFQ&index=5