 |
The single loaf of unleavened bread of the Passover became a symbol of the body of the incarnate Son of God, or the promised Messiah (or Christ). In the text above, Christ is "that one Bread." This reminds us of these wonderful words of Christ, "the bread of life."
"Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " 32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give 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 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6: 30-35 nkjv)
As we learn from the new testament, the "body of Christ" has two significations. On the one hand it denotes 1) the physical body of Christ composed of his flesh, bones, and blood. On the other hand it denotes 2) the spiritual or mystical body of Christ, that group of all saved people who are united to him by faith. It is also synonymous with "the church" (ekklesia), the "called out assembly." In this respect the church body may also allude to one of two entities. First, it would be the same as "the family of God" and in this sense would include every believer who has existed from the foundation of the world, everyone who is elect and called. Second, it would refer to single assemblies, churches, as when Paul says "the churches of Christ salute you." (Rom. 16: 16) However, though "churches" are in the plural here, that does not mean that Christ has more than one body, for the new testament always speaks of "the body" of Christ as a singular entity. Perhaps it is better to say that each local congregation is a picture or miniature of that larger assembly. Each church is a living representation of the mystical body of Christ. The church or body of Christ as an entity that includes every saved person from the foundation of the world is seen in these words:
"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel." (Heb. 12: 22-24 nkjv)
That it is synonymous with the whole family of God, or redeemed of all the ages, is seen in Ephesians chapter five where Paul says "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it." (Vs. 25) It is seen also in these words: "...shepherd the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood." (Acts 20: 28 nkjv)
In the text at the head Paul says to the believers in the church at Corinth that they are "one body" and "one bread." Shortly we will speak more of this unity of believers. But, the text is very clear on identifying just who they are who are a part of this "one bread" and "one body." It is they who have partaken of Christ, the true bread. That is how they became part of this one great loaf of pure unleavened bread.
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body'" (Matt. 26: 26 nkjv)
In this text the "body" of Christ is his physical body of flesh and blood. But, as the new testament affirms, his body is also identified with that group of people who have believed in Christ, who have embraced him, and who have eaten his body (or flesh) and have drunk his blood. Eating his body is a metaphorical expression and not to be taken literally, even though those who heard him thought not so, for they said "how can this man give us his flesh to eat?" Other Christians also erringly began to take the words of Christ literally when they came up with the Catholic doctrine of "transubstantiation." They believe that when the bread is blessed by a priest that the bread goes through a metamorphoses and literally becomes the flesh of Christ (and the wine turning into the literal blood of Jesus). That is not what it means to partake of Christ, to eat him. It is a metaphor of a person who comes to understand the purpose of the incarnation, including the substitutionary and sacrificial nature of Christ's death, and who places his faith in that sacrifice.
"47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (vss. 47-58)
Commented Dr. John Gill on this text:
"saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat? which is to be understood, not physically, but as morally impossible and unlawful; since, with the Jews, it was not lawful to eat the flesh of any creature alive, and much less the flesh of man; for the Jews understood Christ of a corporeal eating of his flesh, being strangers to a figurative or spiritual eating of it by faith, in which sense he meant it." (Commentary)
This eating of the bread is not what literally occurs while eating of the bread and drinking the wine of the Lord's Supper (or "communion" or "eucharist"), although it is done in the mind as the participants think upon the sacrifice of Christ or on Calvary. Further, this partaking of the body and blood of the Lord is done daily as the soul muses upon the incarnation and sacrificial death of Christ. That is the literal fulfillment of the words of Christ. The symbolism of the Lord's Supper symbolizes that daily communion with Christ. So we read these words of the apostle Paul:
"Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (I Cor. 5: 6-8 nkjv)
Notice again how Christians are "a new lump," that is, a single loaf of unleavened bread. Notice also how the Lord and his mystical body are not only "one bread," but also the true Passover sacrifice. "Keeping the feast" is akin to eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ, for that body is a sacrificial body, and just as people of God under the law of Moses first sacrificed a lamb without spot or blemish and then ate of the burnt sacrifice, so too do the people of God in their thoughts feast upon the story of Christ and the good news of his victory over sin and death. Every time a believer enters into the story of Christ and rejoices in it he is fulfilling what is referred to by partaking of Christ the true bread and keeping the feast of his sacrifice.
Thinking upon the physical body of Christ we call to remembrance these words of holy scripture:
"Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me." (Heb. 10: 5 nkjv)
Notice that it is in connection with "sacrifice" that a body had been prepared for the Son of God. That was a body that the Son of God possessed when he descended from heaven and took up his residence in it and was joined to it. The context is about how the blood of sacrificial animals in the Mosaic ritual were pictures of the sacrifice of Christ, the antitype and how they "take away sins" through atonement (especially during "Yom Kippur"), through substitution and imputation.
This body must be of one who is perfect in every way, in body, soul, and spirit. Therefore it is only unleavened bread that may be used to represent that body. Leaven in the scriptures is a type of sin and depravity, of a fallen nature. It is also why a lamb or goat had to be without any defects to be an acceptable "burnt offering," and Christ was without sin, though his body was made "in the likeness of sinful flesh." (See II Cor. 5: 21; Heb. 4: 15; I John 3: 5; I Peter 2: 22; Rom. 8: 3-4) So Peter says that sinners were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (I Peter 1: 19) Further, it was through the virgin birth of the Son of God that this body was prepared and was without sin or any moral or physical defect.
In Genesis 2:23, Adam says, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
The phrase conveys the idea of a close and intimate relationship, such as a perfect union of oneness in heart, mind, purpose, and Spirit. The phrase can also be used to describe the affection and intimacy between Jesus Christ and his bride. So Paul writes: "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." (Eph. 5: 30 kjv) All who by faith are members of the body of Christ are not only one with Christ but one with every other member of that body. It makes little difference whether one is Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc. What is important is whether those in those churches actually have by faith placed their hopes and expectations for salvation by the sacrifice of Christ. The language of becoming one with the flesh and body, the blood and bones, of Christ is the same that is used to denote the union of a man and his wife. So we read:
"What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (I Cor. 6: 16-17 kjv)
This is an indissoluble union, a case where what God has joined together will not be put asunder. The question everyone needs to answer is "am I one with Christ the true bread?" The only way of escaping eternal death and obtaining eternal life and immortality is by putting faith and trust in Christ and in his sacrifice for sin. Where is your faith placed for escaping judgment for your sins?
We will complete our study of "the one bread" in part two coming next.
No comments:
Post a Comment