THE TABLE OF THE LORD "THIS IS MY BODY" Jesus does not say, "This is the emblem of my body," or "This stands for my body." He does not say, "This do in remembrance of my body," or "Consider my body when you eat this bread." Care must be taken not to superimpose upon Scripture the opinions and traditions of men. The power is in the words of Jesus, not their interpretation. This by no means is to be construed as a condemnation of exposition. It is to be seen as a statement of kingdom priority. It is the Word itself that is the Kingdom "Seed" (Luke 8:11). Our Lord Himself affirmed, "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). We do well, therefore, to consider them with both heart and mind. -- Tomorrow:
"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils" -- 1 Corinthians 10:21
In God's Kingdom, affirmation has more power than explanation. This is true because it is truth that is affirmed--ultimate reality. The "Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13) works powerfully with the truth itself, convicting the heart, enlightening the eyes of the understanding, and quickening the mind.
The people of God must zealously avoid the encroachment of unbelief when Jesus speaks. Some of His sayings are challenging to our intellect, yet capable of being grasped by the heart. In Christ, understanding always springs from faith -- faith never grows out of understanding.
Jesus spoke some particularly challenging words in association with the Lord's table. As we hear them, our first objective is to receive and believe them. They will not contradict any other inspired word. They will not conflict with any Scriptural teaching, nor will they thrust us into the realm of thoughtlessness and mysticism. These words are doorways into large vistas of sanctifying truth.
Here are the words of our Lord. "Take, eat; this is my body" (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22). "This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). "Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me" (1 Cor 11:24). The words are consistent in all major versions: "this is my body" (NASB, NRSV, NIV, LB, TEV, Phillips, NEB, Jerusalem, etc.).
Christ's body was "broken" for us! Remember, our Lord "broke" loaves to feed the people (Matt 14:19; 15:36). Our Lord also "broke" bread with the two He joined on the road to Emmaus. It was at that time, you will recall, that He was revealed to them (Luke 24:30-31). Here, however, we have a higher and more significant breaking of bread. Jesus gave Himself FOR us that He might give Himself TO us! Not only were the sins of the world carried in His body on the tree, they were carried away once and for all. Now, because of that glorious transaction, Jesus gives Himself to us. "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Cor 9:15).
Jesus summons His disciples beyond the perimeter of ritual. They are to use their hearts and minds to grasp something inaccessible to the natural man. They will do this while they engage in a bodily activity, ingesting bread that comes from the earth (Job 28:5). As believers take the bread in solemn, yet joyful remembrance, they are enabled by grace to participate in the very body of Christ. The broken body of Christ is as accessible to your spirit as the bread is to your body. You are to bring your mind and heart into accord with spiritual realities. While men haggle about whether the bread itself is the actual body of the Lord or not, those with "spiritual understanding" reach into the past and appropriate the benefits of Christ's broken body. They also extend themselves into heaven, where, in His glorified body, He ministers the benefits of the New Covenant.
Jesus is best remembered by recalling His "body," and the glorious things accomplished through it.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You through Jesus Christ for the offering of His body. I thank You that he bore our sins in His body on the tree, but rose from the dead having left them in the sea of Your forgetfulness.