![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() They are symbols of His living in us, His New Covenant with us and His sacrifice for us. In Christ’s symbolism the bread and wine became significant and holy and a special part of bringing Him into our lives. Unlike the showbread, which represented the 12 tribes, the bread of the Passover service represented Jesus’ body. Jesus Christ used these basic and common things that were already present at the Passover meal when He proclaimed their new meaning. Though the bread and the wine have deep symbolism, they were basic food items, readily available and eaten in society. Drink offerings were part of many other offerings (Exodus 29:40-41 Leviticus 23:13, 18, 37 etc.). The first recorded giving of a drink offering was Genesis 35:14, when Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. Grain offerings to God were unleavened (Leviticus 2:4-5, 11).ĭrink offerings were given in the Old Testament era as well. The temple showbread was symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel and was to be consumed by only the priests (Leviticus 24:5-9). Why did Jesus Christ use these symbols? Studying bread and wine in the Bible shows they had been used previously in different ways.īread and wine are mentioned as far back as Genesis 14, when Abraham and Melchizedek used them to celebrate Abraham’s victory over the kings. We do it annually to remind us of Him and what He did for us and the world. We take the bread and wine of the New Testament Passover as symbols of Christ being in us and of His covenant with His people. The importance of who He was and why He died is commemorated on this special annual occasion. Passover is not a holy day but a festival with a holy service, one that has high significance for believers in Christ. Paul’s instructions were from Christ Himself and were to set forward the proper meaning and symbolism for this holy observance. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). ![]() “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat this is My body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. The Corinthians were in danger of losing the very thing Christ told them to do! So he had to reestablish the true procedure as Christ had shown him. In the 1 Corinthians account, Paul had the difficult task of addressing those who were abusing the symbols of the Passover to the point that people were eating and drinking in excess at this observance. Paul included that instruction based on Jesus Christ’s personal instructions to him (1 Corinthians 11:23). In historical order, 1 Corinthians is believed to have been written before Luke’s Gospel. Now interestingly, “In remembrance of Me” only appears in Luke’s account in the Gospels, but we also see it in Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you do this in remembrance of Me’” (Luke 22:19). When Jesus introduced them, He didn’t say much beyond what they were and how we were to consume them, except He gave specific, simple instructions as to what they were for. And that is the bread and the wine we partake of at the Passover service. When Jesus Christ gave us the symbols of the New Testament Passover, why did He specifically say to remember Him, and why is it important?Īs we prepare for Passover, it is a good time to look at one of the key teachings that has to do specifically with Jesus Christ. ![]()
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