The Lamb
By Stan Butler
In the 12th chapter of Exodus (KJV), God is instructing Moses and Aaron as to what to say to the nation of Israel concerning the preparation for the Passover. In verse #3, God speaks of the Passover lamb as “a lamb”, then in verse #4, God refers to it as “the lamb”, and in verse #5 He personalizes the reference to “your lamb”.
In Isaiah 53, Jesus is referred to as “a lamb” when Isaiah writes, “he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter”. In the gospel of John chapter 1, John the Baptist recognizes and refers to Jesus as “the Lamb” when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” Christians can take the phrase “a lamb” or “the lamb” and personalize it to “our lamb”, “your lamb”, and “my lamb”. It’s so easy to make this personal referral when you know the Lord’s Supper is not a mere memorial, but a covenant renewal between you and God.
In Exodus 12:14, while instituting the Passover; God commanded that “this day shall be unto you for a memorial.” Jesus however, while instituting Communion never once asked or commanded that His Table be made a memorial. Instead, Jesus says that it is covenant associated. Luke 22:20, Mark 14:24, Matt 26:28, and 1Cor 11:25 bears this out.
Mr. Zwingli, an excommunicated Catholic priest taught in effect that, “Jesus didn’t really mean what he said”. Zwingli taught that while holding the cup, Jesus meant to say “this is emblematic of my blood," or "this is symbolic of my body," or "this is representative of my blood." I have neither the intestinal fortitude nor the authority to add to or take away or change what Jesus said. Zwingli is the man responsible for turning the Lord’s Supper into a mere memorial and almost all the churches of the world have run with his teaching. The Lord’s Supper has for the most part become a ritual to go through on any given Sunday in these churches.
At almost every Passover meal that Jesus took part in, as He sat eating, He knew that one day He would become “the lamb”. At His table, on the first day of every week, we partake of our lamb. Jesus is that Lamb. While holding the bread, He said, “this is my body”, and while holding the cup, He also said “this is my blood”. (Matthew 26:26-27) Those that memorialize this meal do not believe Jesus meant what he said. They prefer the words of Zwingli.
As Christians, we must never be guilty of changing the words which Jesus spoke. Think of it like this: if you believe that the bread just represents His body and if the cup just represents His blood, then it would seem logical to feel that He is not the Way, He just represents the Way; He’s not the Truth, He is just symbolic of the Truth; and that He’s not the Life, but is just emblematic of the Life. Jesus said in John 14:6; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” I happen to believe Jesus.
I ask you to make three examinations the next time you observe the Lord’s Supper:
I ask you to carefully examine these words of Jesus. “this is my body”…”this is my blood”
Then carefully examine the words of Zwingli, “Jesus didn’t really mean what He said.”
Then do as the apostle Paul teaches and, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”
My thanks to Michael, a brother in Christ, who is my corrective grammarian.
By Stan Butler
In the 12th chapter of Exodus (KJV), God is instructing Moses and Aaron as to what to say to the nation of Israel concerning the preparation for the Passover. In verse #3, God speaks of the Passover lamb as “a lamb”, then in verse #4, God refers to it as “the lamb”, and in verse #5 He personalizes the reference to “your lamb”.
In Isaiah 53, Jesus is referred to as “a lamb” when Isaiah writes, “he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter”. In the gospel of John chapter 1, John the Baptist recognizes and refers to Jesus as “the Lamb” when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” Christians can take the phrase “a lamb” or “the lamb” and personalize it to “our lamb”, “your lamb”, and “my lamb”. It’s so easy to make this personal referral when you know the Lord’s Supper is not a mere memorial, but a covenant renewal between you and God.
In Exodus 12:14, while instituting the Passover; God commanded that “this day shall be unto you for a memorial.” Jesus however, while instituting Communion never once asked or commanded that His Table be made a memorial. Instead, Jesus says that it is covenant associated. Luke 22:20, Mark 14:24, Matt 26:28, and 1Cor 11:25 bears this out.
Mr. Zwingli, an excommunicated Catholic priest taught in effect that, “Jesus didn’t really mean what he said”. Zwingli taught that while holding the cup, Jesus meant to say “this is emblematic of my blood," or "this is symbolic of my body," or "this is representative of my blood." I have neither the intestinal fortitude nor the authority to add to or take away or change what Jesus said. Zwingli is the man responsible for turning the Lord’s Supper into a mere memorial and almost all the churches of the world have run with his teaching. The Lord’s Supper has for the most part become a ritual to go through on any given Sunday in these churches.
At almost every Passover meal that Jesus took part in, as He sat eating, He knew that one day He would become “the lamb”. At His table, on the first day of every week, we partake of our lamb. Jesus is that Lamb. While holding the bread, He said, “this is my body”, and while holding the cup, He also said “this is my blood”. (Matthew 26:26-27) Those that memorialize this meal do not believe Jesus meant what he said. They prefer the words of Zwingli.
As Christians, we must never be guilty of changing the words which Jesus spoke. Think of it like this: if you believe that the bread just represents His body and if the cup just represents His blood, then it would seem logical to feel that He is not the Way, He just represents the Way; He’s not the Truth, He is just symbolic of the Truth; and that He’s not the Life, but is just emblematic of the Life. Jesus said in John 14:6; “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” I happen to believe Jesus.
I ask you to make three examinations the next time you observe the Lord’s Supper:
I ask you to carefully examine these words of Jesus. “this is my body”…”this is my blood”
Then carefully examine the words of Zwingli, “Jesus didn’t really mean what He said.”
Then do as the apostle Paul teaches and, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”
My thanks to Michael, a brother in Christ, who is my corrective grammarian.
41 comments:
Just wanted to say Amen!
One of my favorite peeves is a statement of belief given by many churches today and I suppose that they don't believe in the rest of the Bible. My statement of belief is covered from Genesis to Revelations. Keep up the good faith!
Jerry Cartwright
The Lamb id indeed Jesus who bore the sins of the world like the Old Testament sacrificial Lamb. The price paid once and for all for all humankind.
Hi Stan,
Thanks for the informative and educative piece, These days I am not getting the mail intimation of new posts. Pl do check. Stan as you said in the piece, this is the case with most of the so called Christians, its really sad to note this, Thank God He revealed the truth to us people like you and me. Let us continue to pray for the majority to understand the real God and His words: Let them realize that His words are true and let them fully cling on to Him and His Words. Let me repeat your concluding word the quote of Apostle Paul: “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”
God Bless my dear Brother.
Keep up the good work
Continue to do the work of an Evangelist.
Phil
Ps. Stan pl remove the word verification, it irritate your visitors and go back from commenting
thanks
Yeah, that is a great chapter, really thought provoking.
Indeed the Sacrament, or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is a renewal of Covenants made at Baptism.
We all sin even after accepting Christ and being cleansed by Him, through the Spirit. Partaking of the Sacrament is the Commanded way that we repent and become cleansed again.
Elder Barnes,
http://foundationsofpeace.blogspot.com
The Roman Catholic Church insists that the bread and the wine becomes the literal Body and blood of Jesus Christ.
In the same sense then, we could say that he became a literal door when he said that I am the door of the sheep and that we are literal sheep.
But in Matthew 26:29 Jesus said that he would not drink of the fruit of the wine until he drinks it in his Father's kingdom. And that was after declaring that this same wine was his blood of the new covenant as given in verse 28. The drink was still wine after the blessing.
I think what Zwingli was doing was questioning the dogmas of the Catholic Church on the issue whether the "miracle" of the bread and wine turning into literal flesh and blood of Jesus, known as transubstantiation, was verifiable, as the two substances remained as they were after the blessing. He concluded that Jesus used these substances to symbolise the new covenant which takes effect after his crucifixion. It is at the Cross where his body is literally broken and his blood shed.
God bless,
Frank
I agree Stan, we must examine ourselves carefully before we partake of Jesus Body and Jesus blood.
We cannot ever, listen to another persons view of what Gods Word tells us. We will all be accountable for ourselves when we stand before God..there will be no excuses..we have a brain, we can read for ourselves, so we should listen to God the creator, not man. Well said my friend and I pray June is still improving...God loves you both.
Great post, i love it
Thanks for the follow &i invite. I'm a new follower :-)you
Taking praise & worship seriously is a matter of knowing what we are doing, to who and why, but has church been reduced to rituals done not knowing what we are doing, to who or why. I like your words:"the Lord’s Supper is not a mere memorial, but a covenant renewal between you and God." Isn't it time for churches to get back to basics of Christianity and learn and live the truth with a thirst to know and grow in faith with dedication, devotion and desire to & for the Lord? Great post!
Will follow your blog.
Stan-no debate here...Just another regulation that is man-made. Why can't we stick with the Word of God as it is? Do we really believe we can improve on divinely inspired? Such a waste of time!
I finally got a blog follower thing on the side of my blog. You can become a follower if you want now.
~Braelyn
Where did Zwingli say this? Is it one of his works that you are quoting from?
It is clear that the Lord Jesus used figures in His language, as we do: nobody thinks that He was literally "the Lamb of God". But we value what that conveys. "This is my body" is a use of figurative language.
@ David...thanks for your question. One can Google or Bing the words "Zwingly and Communion" and find that the stance Zwingly held on Communion I have stated is true.
I will include one such site in this comment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwinglian
Stan,
You have it as a direct quotation from Zwingli, "Jesus didn’t really mean what he said". Having Googled it I have seen it asserted by others that that is what he said: can I have evidence from you what documentary evidence you have that these are (in translation, of course), his actual words. You will appreciate that the question being one about the use of words it is vital to be accurate in the words we attribute to him.
@ David...I have added the words "in effect that" to the post hoping that it will clear up the "exact wording" issue.
and...thank you for your dilligance.
Hi,
Now following from TESHUVA. Blessings!
I finally had time to read some of your posts properly as I wanted to give them the attention they deserved. I have found them all thought provoking and this is the standout piece. It's left me with quite a lot of think about. Next time I partake in it, I shall keep the suggestions in mind. God bless.
Thank you for your kind invitation to join your blog site and of which I have already read some of your posts. In return, I too invite you to follow my weekly blog at www.thoughtof-theweek.blogspot.com where I post weekly devotional studies from God’s word.
Blessing!
Darryl Orrell
The teaching by way of metaphors and of parables is both techniques consistent with the style and manner in which Jesus taught during His earthly ministry. In order to take this passage of scripture in a literal context, would not the bread have become His body and the wine His blood - It would seem so. As you well know, the bible is a most complex book and one where context is everything. To illustrate my point let us look at what Jesus teaches in Matthew chapter 7 where He says,
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
If we take this passage in its literal context - all true believers should be walking on a physical narrow path seeking a physical narrow gate, but of course Jesus is speaking metaphorically. The narrow path represents the spiritual path we walk to become Christ-like through this journey we call – life, and He Himself represents the narrow gate through which we pass to receive eternal life.
In the Lord’s Supper, the bread is representative of His body being broken and the wine is representative of His blood being poured out – for the remission of our sin. Again, this is consistent with the style and manner in which Jesus taught.
Blessings!
Darryl Orrell
Thought of the Week Devotional
www.thoughtof-theweek.blogspot.com
1 Corinthians 10: 14-22
Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper
14 Therefore, my dear friends,(A) flee from idolatry.(B) 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break(C) a participation in the body of Christ?(D) 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,(E) for we all share the one loaf.
18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices(F) participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?(G) 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,(H) not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.(I) 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy?(J) Are we stronger than he?(K)
1 Corinthians 11: 17-34
Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper(Q)
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you,(R) for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions(S) among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.(T) 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.(U) As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God(V) by humiliating those who have nothing?(W) What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?(X) Certainly not in this matter!
23 For I received from the Lord(Y) what I also passed on to you:(Z) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body,(AA) which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant(AB) in my blood;(AC) do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.(AD)
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.(AE) 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves(AF) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.(AG) 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.(AH) 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined(AI) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.(AJ)
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry(AK) should eat something at home,(AL) so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come(AM) I will give further directions.
John 14:26
26 But the Advocate,(A) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,(B) will teach you all things(C) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.(D)
1 John 2:27
27 As for you, the anointing(A) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things(B) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.(C)
Your article as well as the other comments are though provoking!
In my own blog I called Communion a memorial-- the dictionary says memorial means:
me·mo·ri·al (m-môr-l, -mr-)
n.
1. Something, such as a monument or holiday, intended to celebrate or honor the memory of a person or an event.
2. A written statement of facts or a petition presented to a legislative body or an executive.
adj.
1. Serving as a remembrance of a person or an event; commemorative.
2. Of, relating to, or being in memory.
adj
1. serving to preserve the memory of the dead or a past event
2. of or involving memory
YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT:
Memorial Day History / Biblical Memorials
http://stuffyouadore.blogspot.com/
FROM THE MANUFACTURER’S HANDBOOK
Nice Post..Now i am regular visitor of your blog and i joined and enjoy to read
Thanks for following my blog! I am now following you!! If you ever need prayer feel free to e-mail me t hru my e-mail link on my profile!
Hey covenantkepper,
Great to hear from you again, praise GOD! I put up a followers thingy on my site, good idea thanks.
May GOD be with you amplified!
Signed, Edmund A Buley aka (thespiritualhobo) ROC HOLIDAY
http://flowerofhumanbeing.blogspot.com
http://edbuley.blogspot.com
God Bless You.
Thanks for fallowing my blog, now I am following you,
Receive my prayers for your life and family in Jesus name amen and amen.
Amen! So glad to be here. Gos bless you!!!
Just wanted to say that I completely agree with you ~ the Lord's Supper isn't just a symbol or memorial, but a covenant between us & the Lord...please continue blogging on the truth. Amen to this!
Hi thanks for stopping by my space, I also am a follower of your blog.
you have a nice week.
a hug.
Thanks for visiting on my blog so nice to find other Christians around with such meaningful pages full full of Gods words...
Interesting perspective. A few points in disagreement I would like to make here. 1) It appears that you take Zwingli's words, change them and then extrapolate much from them, implicating all who see the Lord's table as a memorial/symbolic. Ironically, then accusing those who see a memorial of doing the same with Jesus' words. 2) Jesus' blood and body were not yet offered when He instituted the communion observance. In English we often use the kind of phasing Jesus did. For example: we move an item on the dinner table and say, "This is my car" where the context obviously means that we are using symbolism. Since Jesus did not cut Himself and pour His blood in the cup or cut off a piece of skin, it isn't a misuse of what He said to take it as a metaphor. Paul stated that two women of the Old Testament were mountains. Did he really mean they were mountains? No they were actual women and the context and common sense about usage made it obvious he was using symbolism. 3) As for Jesus stating "I am the way, the truth and the life," your argument is hurt by the very words of clarification Jesus gives right after, "No man comes to the Father but by Me."
I respect your view and it is an orthodox one regarding communion. While I disagree with it, I leave open the possibility that you are right and I am wrong, though I do take issue with your characterization of a position that I hold. Thank you for posting this and allowing me to comment.
Greetings, friend! Thank you for following both Fire Away Sports, as well as my personal blog.
Just a thought on this topic:
Jesus wasn’t claiming to be a physical object when he declared that He was the Door, the vine, or the Water of life...so why make the mistake of thinking that Jesus is a loaf of bread?
To take Christ's statement literally is to literally eat and drink him. This is to crucify him again and again--which is outrageous. We partake in remembrance of his ONCE FOR ALL sacrifice. "It is finished."
Suffice it to say that I am Baptist, and would therefore hold to the views of Zwingli, Calvin, and the Protestants. :-)
All written in Christian brotherly love.
thank you for leaving a comment on my page and the reading or Gods word.
You're welcome Stan and thank you.
signed,
hobo
"He who does not eat of my flesh and drink of my blood has no part in me."
That was a hard saying then and it remains so now. The mystery of how the bread is at once his body and also yet still bread is a mystery of faith. But it is obvious from the liturgy that it is the Spirit who makes this possible.
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I believe The Lords Supper is a confirmation between us and God.
thanks for being our new friend is an honor to have them with us
God bless you and its impressively
PEACE
We're following your blog
we orkut
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thanks for being our new friend is an honor to have them with us
God bless you and its impressively
PEACE
We're following your blog
we orkut
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Thank you for posting these scriptures.
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