Let us keep the feast

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on November 8, 2009, at NLF-Vashi. Here’s hoping I haven't missed much. Happy reading!)


You know, the Lord has asked us to symbolically observe [keep/ follow] TWO things in the New Covenant – one, the water baptism and the other the Holy Communion. We've seen the essence of water-baptism. We recently had a water-baptism service; God made His presence manifest, just as I knew He would, during the service. Five young people in our church committed their life to Lord Jesus Christ. I trust in the following days too, these people experienced a close relation with Him. Because, when we take one step towards Him, He draws closer to us too. (Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you_James 4:8). After a person is baptized, he or she has the right to partake of the second ‘symbol’ in the New Covenant – the Holy Communion. And today I would like to speak on this subject.


I trust this message will guide those who partake of the Holy Communion for the first time and will also bring to remembrance, to others here, of what this ‘symbol’ signifies.


In the Old covenant, there were many ‘symbols’, ordinances and practices that one had to follow; many rituals had to be performed by the priest, many sacrifices by the people. Each of them had a purpose, spiritually, and by which people could draw near to God. The circumcision, for example, was a one-time event, by which one could enter into the covenant blessings of Abraham. There were other ordinances that were repetitive in nature, which, people performed, daily, weekly or year after year. But in the New Covenant, the equivalent symbol is the water-baptism-a one-time event in a believer's life, when, he could enter into all the covenant blessings. This is something wonderful in our life. No more a slave to sin and self. But living a life of ‘Christ in us the hope of glory’ (Col. 1:27).


In the same way, the Holy Communion we observe is the only other, repetitive, ‘symbol’ in the New Covenant; that was hidden in ‘Passover’ of the Old Covenant. This too is so significant in the believer's life. You see, when the people of Israel prepared themselves to come out of Egypt, they were told that this was going to be the beginning of months. And were instructed that on the 14th day, they would slaughter a lamb (without blemish), and put the lamb's blood on the door-posts of their homes. For the Angel of death would come out to kill the first-born, in every home, except those that had the lamb's blood on the door-posts! We can read about this in Exodus 12. So, the Angel of death ‘passed over’ the homes of the children of Israel, who had put the lamb's blood on the door-posts. To commemorate this, to celebrate this, the children of Israel kept the Passover year after year, in the first month on the 14th day of the month. And from 14th till the 21st of the month, they celebrated the ‘Feast of the Unleavened Bread’. They were instructed to purge out the old leaven (Exodus 12:19).

• What is the meaning of this Holy Communion?

We read in 1 Corinthians 5: 7, 8 says, “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”.


These verses speak to us that Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb – spotless, without blemish; sacrificed for our sins; for the sins of the whole world. His blood-put on the door-posts of our life, is now our protection from destruction. Therefore we can keep the feast; not just 7 days as in the Old covenant, but a perpetual celebration – all 365 / 366 days in the year.


The feast is the feast of unleavened bread. Leaven denotes sin. Paul is talking to the Corinthians in this chapter regarding the 'old leaven'-the sin of immorality; of fornication (1 Cor. 5:1). The verses here talks of malice (in our hearts) and wickedness (in our life) as ‘leaven’. ‘Therefore purge out the old leaven’ and the ‘leaven of malice and wickedness’ as you keep the feast – the Holy Communion. If we have any of these ‘leaven’ in our lives, we must not celebrate the feast. Rather, we must be sincere, truthful (unleavened) while partaking the bread and the cup.


In Luke 22:15 Jesus talks to His disciples: Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you , I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God”.
Here Jesus confirms that ‘Passover’ (of the old covenant) is fulfilled in Himself.


• Why must we follow this ‘symbol’?

Luke 22: 19, 20: 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”. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you”.


This is the establishment of the ‘symbol’ in the New Covenant; to ‘do in remembrance’ of the sacrifice of Jesus; the institution of the Lord’s Supper-the bread and the wine. The bread signifies His body, and the wine-His blood. We know in our hearts that we have been cleansed completely from our sins by the blood of Jesus. Our conscience is cleared from the guilt of sin; justified in the blood through faith. It means that God looks at us as if we had never sinned! God has MADE us righteous by the blood of Jesus.


“…redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Romans 3: 24, 25)


• What are we ’actually’ doing? How often and how many times? When? Where?

As we partake of the Holy Communion- the bread and the wine, we must be conscious of what we are doing. We are putting these 'emblems' into our mouths.


1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes”.


We must understand this in our hearts that we proclaim the Lord’s death. How often should we have the Holy Communion? The verse says, ‘as often as you eat this…’ In the early church, we see that they instituted the Lord’s supper, everyday. Because they had seen Jesus; they had been with Jesus; and it was all very REAL to them. And they wanted to remember and give thanks daily. And for how long should we continue with this ‘symbol’? Continue with the ‘symbol’ till He comes again. Whenever and wherever, people are gathered in the name of Jesus, we can institute the Lord's Supper and partake of the bread and the cup.


• What does the cup signify?

In the 2nd and 3rd century after Christ, the celebration was also called as Eucharist meaning thanksgiving. For the people in the early church and early times of Christianity, Jesus and His completed work was very real. Their hearts were filled with thanksgiving for God who sent His only begotten Son and the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They understood that the blood of Jesus cleanses and protects them. So in every gathering they commemorated the sacrifice of Jesus Christ with the Eucharist. This ‘symbol’ is filled with spiritual meaning. We are secure in His blood.


People in the old covenant looked forward to the work and sacrifice of Jesus. While they sacrificed animals, year after year, they knew the blood of animals only covered their sins but was not able to cleanse them of it (Hebrews 10). People in the new covenant, look back to the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross and are exempt, themselves, from offering any animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed ONCE and FOR ALL. (Rom. 6:10; Heb 10:10). The one-time sacrifice of Jesus is ALL sufficient to purge out the sins of the whole world, for all times. So we can remember, as we partake of the cup, that it is the blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sins.


• What does the bread signify?

1 Corinthians 10:17 says “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread”. We may come from different backgrounds, different regions, speak different languages; different social standing – some intellectuals, some illiterate; some rich, some poor. But as we come together as believers cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and partake of that ONE bread-Jesus Christ-the bread of Heaven, we proclaim that we are in fact ONE BODY – brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Spiritually it means that we ought to have a harmonious relation with one another (Remember to purge out the leaven).


• Who can take part in the Holy Communion?
 God has made a covenant. You know a ‘covenant’ is different from ‘agreement’ in some ways. You see, in an agreement, say to buy a house, we write down a whole lot of mutual agreements about facilities, payments, time and transfer on the paper, between the buyer and the seller; but we also put in some ‘exit’ clauses in case one does not comply or unwilling to proceed further. There may be losses on one or the sides, but we can still ‘nullify’ the agreement and make it void. But ‘covenant’ in a way is an agreement without any exit clauses. You see, marriage too is a covenant relationship for believers (till death us do part). Similarly, the Holy Communion too is for the covenant people of believers who say “Come what may, here or away, my life is only to Christ always”.


Even in the old covenant, the circumcision was the ‘symbol’ of making the covenant with God. And Passover was celebrated by people circumcised. No circumcision – No Passover. Similarly, we have now the water-baptism and Holy Communion. Holy Communion is for those who have committed their life to Jesus Christ and are water-baptized.


• We want to have Jesus too. But what about our life on this earth?

1 Corinthians 10:21 says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and the table of demons”.
That is the essence of it. You must have both feet secured in the kingdom of God. You cannot have a little of Jesus and the rest of the world and expect to come into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.


• But isn't that too much to ask? What about others then?

Nothing is too much to give to God. Think about it! God loving us so much that He sent His only begotten Son…to die for us; Jesus Christ-God's own Son, being sacrificed on the cross for our sins; on that cross, for a brief moment, God-the Father turning His face away from His own Son; and Jesus crying out “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). And to us, the same God-the Father saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Do you still think He will not care for you?


As a covenant partner with Jesus Christ, you inherit all the covenant blessings that Abraham was blessed with. God saying “I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:2)


For others, it may not mean anything. For the bread will remain as bread and the grape-juice will so remain. In a human way, repetitive actions too lose meaning, after some time. They may not attach any significance to it. But for those in the covenant, it has deep spiritual meaning; each time we partake – we remember our covenant relationship with God.


• What else?

The Communion is something solemn filled with meaning. Our covenant is for all the seven days of the week and every week in the year – and not just Sundays.
1 Corinthians 11:29, 30 says “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep”


Paul is writing to a church filled with divisions; some saying ‘I am of Paul”; others “I am of Apollos” and yet others “I am Christ’s”. Paul warns them to discern and partake in the Holy Communion in a worthy manner. We partake of the bread and the cup, signifying we have no enmity with one another; no divisions; that we have no bitterness with anybody. We testify “I am for peace and I have nothing against you, my brother / my sister”. Paul urges the church to examine their own selves in this regard, as many are weak and sick and some have died, drinking the cup in an ‘unworthy’ manner.


1 Corinthians 10:16 says that it is “cup of blessing”. The Holy Communion is a blessing in every sphere, in every realm; known and unknown. Jesus Christ became a ‘curse’ for us on the cross (Cursed is the man hanging on the tree_Gal 3:13) in order that we may inherit the blessings of God. We do hear testimonies of God healing people as they share in the bread and the cup.


Jesus Christ became the conqueror of sin and death. But He made us to be ‘more than conquerors’ through Him. If God is for us, who can be against us? God is on our side. God and you together is always a majority. No human number-counting matters.


We can rise up above all our problems – no problem is too big. From Monday to Saturday, we can get deeper into a fix; but on a Sunday, as we partake of His body and blood, we can mount up on wings like an eagle and soar above all the problems-that did seem ‘big’. You know, it just depends on the altitude. A pilot experiencing turbulence in the aircraft, will request for a higher altitude with the Air-Traffic-Controller. And as he climbs higher, the turbulence disappears. “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, shall mount up…." (Isa. 40:31).


In Ephesians 1, we see that we are seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places and all things are under our feet. In Revelations 3, God counsels us to buy gold from Him.


We can go on and on with the blessings. May God grant us a revelation about the significance of the bread and the cup. Shall we pray?


Thank you O God, for Jesus and all things that you have given us through Him. Bless us and make us a blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.