The Body and the Blood

Author: Joseph

Date: September 2, 2024

Yeshua reclined at the table with His disciples and as He ate the Passover meal, just as He had instructed them to prepare.

As they sat, the meal was eaten and sometime during the meal, Yeshua asked His disciples to do two things: to eat the unleavened bread as a symbol of His body and to drink the wine as a symbol of His blood. These representations of His own sacrifice to come held significant meaning.

First, the bread (unleavened bread) that was eaten among them was foreshadowed during Yeshua’s ministry:

“For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world…I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

John 6:33, 35

And then He spoke at the Passover meal:

“...[He] took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Matthew 26:26

“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Like 22:19

Yeshua’s body, represented by the bread, was the bread of life that God sent to give life to all who would receive Him. Whoever would believe Yeshua, that God had sent Him to give new life, and heed the message He proclaimed (repentance unto Salvation), would “eat” (accept) His bodily sacrifice to enter that new life.

But His sacrifice also had to be one made by the shedding of His blood, otherwise, sin would not be atoned for, and therefore no new life could be given.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”

Leviticus 17:11

To ensure the completeness of His sacrifice, He would shed His blood and so wanted His disciples to drink (accept) this atonement for their sins so that they would no longer be bound by death (the consequence of sin) and could instead receive the life that He was offering to them:

“And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

Matthew 26:27-28

“This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”Luke 22:20

The bread, His body, the cup, His blood. A perfect representation of His sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind.

And the memorial partaking of this bread and cup is not one to be taken in vain:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.”

1 Corinthians 11:26-29

"...this bread and cup is not one to be taken in vain."

If taken rightfully, the bread and cup proclaim Yeshua’s death and faith therein in Him – a memorial act of faith. If the bread and cup is taken in an unworthy manner, the action brings judgment upon the person who partakes of it, having taken His sacrifice in vain and not having the faith required to make such a proclamation. Therefore, we must examine ourselves before performing this memorial.

Whenever you partake of this memorial to Yeshua’s sacrificial death, how do you prepare yourself to partake of it? Has it become a common and routine thing for you that has been taken in an unworthy manner? DO not let this important memorial become insignificant in your sight. For by taking the bread and the cup, we proclaim the sacrifice that binds us to God and gives our faith life.

Matthew 26:26-29

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org