THE LORD’S SUPPER

THE PASSOVER

The Jews celebrate Passover in their homes every year in memory of their liberation from bondage of the Egyptians. This night the Israelites began their long walk back to the Promised Land. God commanded every Householder to stay home and sacrifice a lamb, splashing its blood on their doorposts, lest their first-born also die. This changed a slave with no identity into a PRIEST, PROVIDER and PROTECTOR of his Household. Splashing the blood on his doorpost also ordained him to be a PROCLAIMER of his faith to the world outside. Keeping the bowl of blood inside his premises would not have saved him. The angel of death passed-over the houses that had the blood mark, while the firstborn of all the Egyptians, both man and beast, died (Exo. 12). 

Significantly, the proclamation was made from Households and not from any sacred buildings. You need to check whether you are functioning as a PRIEST, PROVIDER and PROTECTOR of your family. Your Household is also ordained as a PROCLAIMER of his sacrifice, to the world outside, lest Hell’s angels enter homes of your neighbors, colleagues and claim them. Keeping the good news of salvation for yourself and not sharing it with the lost will make you unworthy  of taking the Lord’s Supper (1Cor. 11:26,27). 

THE PASSOVER MEAL BECOMES THE LORD’S SUPPER

Messianic Jews, while celebrating the Passover, have three loaves of bread, wrapped in linen cloth, symbolizing Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They break only the middle loaf calling it afikomen meaning “I came”. Parents hide one half of the afikomen, symbolizing Yeshua in the grave, which their family must find and eat.

Yeshua served His disciples roast lamb, bitter herbs (bitter experience as slaves), Matzah (unleavened bread, leaven being sign of corruption and decay) to eat, and wine to drink. His Body being sinless hence it did not see any corruption or decay even in the grave (Acts 2:27,31). 

“He took bread; 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. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” The Lord’s Supper is a full meal of which bread and wine are the emblems of His Body and Blood, to be served in homes, not in sacred buildings by holy people (1 Cor. 11:23-25; Matt. 26:18).

BREAKING BREAD IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF WORSHIP

Just as when Aaron was sprinkled with blood at the time of his consecration, our sealing with blood is an important part of our consecration as priests (Lev. 8:22-24; Rev.5:10). Broken bread represents the “rent veil of separation”, which is His Body, and the blood which gives life to the Body, is given for our atonement, prepares us to enter the Holy of Holies to dwell in the presence of the Lord (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 10:19-21). Since we cannot yet enter this place physically, but only in spirit, we must “worship in spirit and truth.” No professional priest or special day is required, nor musical instruments nor altar nor sacred place (v. 21). OT priests offered animal sacrifices, whereas Yeshua offered Himself as a sacrifice. God did not say that the temple is to be a place of worship but a place of sacrifice (2Chron. 7:12). Now as priests of the New Testament, like our Lord, we also must first offer ourselves and then others as living sacrifice as part of worship (Rom. 12:1-2; 15:16).

WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH REQUIRES MAKING AN OFFERING

1. We offer praise with our mouth by declaring His glory, among the Gentiles (Heb. 13:13-15; Psa. 51:15; 96:3, 10).
2. We glorify God by bringing abundant fruit (saved souls) and become His disciples (John 15:8, 16).
3. The Father is glorified when we make disciples in every place who diffuse the fragrance of the Messiah’s knowledge among the perishing (2 Cor. 2:14-16).
4. We 0offer reasonable service (latreia = worship) God by offering our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1, 2).
5. We worship God by offering Gentiles, well pleasing and a pleasant aroma to God (Rom. 15:16).
6. We worship God by offering broken and contrite hearts (Psa. 51:17; 1 Cor 14:24-25).
7. We offer the sacrifice of “good works” (Heb. 13:16; 10:24-25).
8. We offer gifts to soul winners as a sweet-smelling aroma (Phil 4:17-19; 2 Cor. 2:15,16).
9. We turn a sinner back from the error of his ways, and thus save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins. (James 5:20)
10. Wise shall shine as the brightness of the sky; and those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever. (Dan. 12:3)

NONE SHALL APPEAR EMPTY HANDED BEFORE ME

Jews went to the temple to offer themselves as a sacrifice. Their offering of animals was only a proxy. Saving unbelievers is an integral part of worship, because that is our sweet-smelling offering to the Father. Otherwise, worship is a sounding brass and clanging symbols. Offering the sacrifice of our lips is no problem. offering the lost remains a challenge. Coming to worship empty handed is strictly prohibited (Exo. 23:15; Heb. 13:15; Rom. 15:16; 1 Cor. 14:24; Deut. 16:16).

SHE GOT IT

Significantly, Yeshua did not discuss the theology of worship with devotees of the temple or with dogma-bound religious scholars, but with a despised Samaritan woman (John 4:20-24). She immediately praised Him, “I perceive You are prophet” (v. 19), offered herself as a living sacrifice, walked back to her village to witness (vs. 28-29), and brought that entire Gentile village to His feet, a sweet-smelling aroma. The Samaritans then accepted the Lordship of Yeshua (v. 42), and then offered hospitality to Yeshua who stayed with them for two days, making disciples of them (v. 43). Finally, the Ekklesia of Samaria was planted when Philip came, followed later by Peter and John, (vs. 39-42; Acts 8:5). Thus, this sinful woman fulfilled all the requirements of true worship without singing a single chorus, strumming a musical instrument, or speaking in tongues.

The 120 disciples prayed for ten days with one accord and changed Pentecost, the Feast of agricultural harvest into harvest of souls by baptizing three thousand souls. They set up a disciple-making chain through which they saturated Jerusalem and beyond. Paul and Silas worshipped in jail, discipled the jailor and planted an Ekklesia at the prison. The Book of Acts is a record of events that resulted in addition of new souls and multiplication of disciples and the Ekklesia every day (Acts 2:47; 6:1,7;16:5). What churches are offering today is spurious worship because there is neither.

MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF SACRIFICE

Significantly God did not call the Jerusalem temple a “house of worship,” but a “house of sacrifice” (2 Chron. 7:12). Yeshua said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Mark 11:17). Prayer was offered at the temple on the altar of incense inside the Holy Place. A priest would bring in burning ambers from the Altar where a sacrifice had been offered and pour incense on it. He would then stretch forth his hand and pray. 

David sang, “Come and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; bring an offering and then come into His courts” (Psa. 96:8-9). Entry into the open Outer court was through the bronze altar, where an animal sacrifice had to be made. A Jew had to offer sacrifices at least three times a year. No one could come to the temple empty-handed (Deut. 16:16). Everyone had to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. The Hebrew word halel means “praise” or “sacrifice” (Psa. 100:4). God was worshipped through the offering of sacrifices, prayer and the declaration of His glory among the nations, and His wonders among the people. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah and others worshipped God by offering sacrifices out in the open.

Worship did not take place in the Holy Place with covered roof of the temple where only Levites could enter, but in the open court where 22,000 bulls and 120,000 sheep were offered in sacrifice when the temple was consecrated. Peter opened his account with 3000 baptisms. With all the resources we have, how come our churches remain so barren? Because we have mistakenly equated worship with singing, dancing and praising God with our lips. Because God does not want anyone to perish, he would love nothing more than lost souls being saved and offered up as worship (2 Chron. 7:5, 12).

The first time the word “worship” appears in the Bible is when Abraham took his son Isaac to be sacrificed at Mount Moriah. He told his servants to take care of the donkeys while he and his son went up to worship. On hearing the word ‘worship’, Isaac asked his father, “We have the fire and the knife but where is the sacrifice?” Even as a lad, Isaac knew that worship requires fire, sword, and sacrifice (Gen. 22:5-7).

In the Mosaic Tabernacle, worship consisted of an animal being slaughtered with a steel knife and then offered on the Altar of fire. On the Day of Pentecost,

• The steel knife was replaced by the double-edged sword which is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).
• The wood fire on the Altar was replaced by the Holy Spirit which came down like the tongues of fire Acts 2:1-3, 41).
• And the animal sacrifice was replaced with 3000 repentant souls being offered as living sacrifice (Heb. 4:12).

MUSIC AND DANCING ARE NOT WORSHIP, SACRIFICE IS

David was a musician who loved music and had a huge choir (1 Chron. 25). There are several examples of David dancing and singing. When David brought the Ark of Covenant from the house of Obededom to Jerusalem, a distance of about seven miles, he worshipped God by offering a bull and a calf every six steps and then danced happily before the Lord (2 Sam. 6:12-17). He said, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: bring an offering and come into His courts” (Psa. 100:4; 96:8). Thanksgiving here means a minchah usually a bloodless sacrifice. So next time you enter the gates of your church, remember His house is a “place of sacrifice” and you are to worship Him by offering lost souls as bloodless sacrifice. 

NOT THE SERMON BUT SACRIFICE IS CENTRAL TO WORSHIP

Ekklesia is an altar, and all believers are priests. Everyone has to offer sacrifices (Num. 7:1-53; Rom. 15:16; Isa. 66:20). Offering up people of other faiths as spiritual offerings results in the growth of the Ekklesia. The breaking of bread means the breaking of His body, the Ekklesia, which results in multiplication. The focal point of the gathering of the assembly for corporate worship is not the sermon, but the edification of the Body of Messiah (1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 4:12-16). God is not going ask you how many sermons you gave or heard, but how many lost souls you offered as sacrifice. For 1500 years, the breaking of bread was the central part of worship. The Catholics call it “mass” or dismission (dismissal), which is celebrated at the end of the Eucharist service. In 16th century, Luther put the Communion Table behind and raised the pulpit up front. This was done to give centrality to sermons (sola scriptura), which was unscriptural. Searching the Scriptures together daily, reasoning and persuading from house to house, are scriptural (Acts 17:2, 11; 19:8-9; 20:20).

DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE AN OVEN?

The Lord’s Supper in the NT times was vastly different from the way we celebrate it nowadays. Believers usually brought their food, met in homes, and ate together, which they called the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-21). “Every day, breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart” (Acts 2:46). Even in the Synagogue, after the reading of the Torah and other rituals, a Sabbath meal was served that included bread, wine and shallet, a well-buttered pudding-dish with a rich pie taste. As Jews were not allowed to do any servile work on that day, including cooking, the dish was prepared earlier and kept warm overnight in the synagogue’s oven. With religious formalities over, the next few hours were spent holding informal discussion, discourses and other activities, whereby the real spiritual growth of the people took place.

The early house Assemblies continued with some of these traditions. The Lord’s Supper was also called an agape meal or “love feast” (Jude 12-13; 2 Pet. 2:13-16; 1 Cor 11:21-22). An ordinary meal, when shared together, was known as the Lord’s Supper. Wherever two or three are gathered in His name, they may take the Lord’s Supper, for it is not necessary to have a professional priest.

BREADCRUMBS AND A SIP OF WINE ARE NOT THE LORD’S SUPPER

The instant Yeshua died on His cross, the Spirit of God tore through the veil, left the Holy of Holies and made of us temples of the Holy Spirit, having direct access to God (1 Cor. 3:16). The Levites were thereby disenfranchised, and the Temple would soon become desolate. The offering of animals to cover our sins came to end as the offering of lost sinners became the new norm (Jam. 5:20). Now, every believer is a royal priest and a temple of the living God. Recreating a barrier between professional priests and laymen totally negates the sacrifice of Yeshua (Luke 13:34-35; 1 Pet. 2:9).

Today the Lord’s Supper has deteriorated into a ritual, whereby the members, with somber faces, come before the holy altar and take holy crumbs of bread and holy sips of wine from holy cups, in a holy place, kneeling on holy knees in front of a holy man. This practice recreates the veil of separation and nullifies the sacrifice of Yeshua on His cross. The whole environment appears to be a funeral service. In the NT, they shared a simple meal with seekers with joy and gladness. This resulted in the Lord adding to their numbers daily. 

“DO THIS AS OFT”

Astonishingly, there were no longer any needy in the early Ekklesia (Acts 4:32-34). Obviously, this was because they held regular fellowship meals, resulting in the poor getting at least one decent meal almost every day. The well off brought money, food, clothes and other surplus things they had at home. Ritualizing this practice as mere symbolism with a wafer and a sip of wine occasionally, robs the poor of their needs. Making it a religious event deepens the clergy-laymen cleavage. Eating together strengthens the covenant people of God, both the rich and the poor, Jews and Gentiles. The communal meal is powerful time for proclaiming the death of Yeshua and assuring that He is alive and coming back soon to judge the world. We are to do this until He comes (Acts 2:42; 20:7; Luke 24:30, 35; John 15:8).

One of the Corinthian sins was not sharing the meal with their poor brethren (1 Cor. 11:20-23). By ritualizing the common meal, and not inviting our poor and lost brothers and sisters into our homes, we are denying them an opportunity to covenant with Yeshua. All royal priests have been commanded to “do this often in remembrance of Him until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:25-26). Celebrating sporadically, under the leadership of a professional priest, in a church building, excluding the lost, is not the Lord’s idea of a supper.

MOST CHURCHES ARE UNWORTHY TO TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER

If anybody partakes of the bread and the wine unworthily, he will be guilty of the Blood and Body of Messiah (1 Cor. 11:27). There were divisions and factions in the church of Corinth (1 Cor. 11:1819). The rich used to eat and drink ahead of others, and even got drunk and disorderly, whereas many poor people remained hungry (1 Cor. 11:21-22). One important condition is that whoever eats the Lord’s Supper must be willing to share his food and proclaim His death and resurrection. The night the Israelites slaves with no identity sacrificed the lamb and splattered its blood on the door posts, they became priests of their Households. Serving the Lord’s Supper ordains you a priest.

All those present and willing to become members of the Household of God should be invited to partake of the meal, even if they are not yet baptized, for they are seekers of the truth. Disciple-making must follow, and the Lord will add to His numbers. If we partake of the meal once a week and just go back to regular secular life the next day, then we are taking it unworthily. Paul went back to his secular life in the tent-making shop in the marketplace and reasoning with Jews and Gentiles, persuading them about The Way. We must also proclaim His death and resurrection daily in our secular work place (1 Cor. 11:26, 28, 32).

TRANS-SUBSTANTIATION

Catholics believe that the prayer of a priest, the wine turns into blood and the bread is trans-substantiated into flesh. Many churches also believe in this, even though it has no solid scriptural basis. Yeshua died once and for all, as a full and final sacrifice, so He does not have to die every time we eat the Supper (Heb. 9:28; 10:12).

NOT THE WINE BUT THE CUP IS THE SIGN OF THE NEW COVENANT

After the meal, the wine was shared from a single cup. Drinking from little cups may be good for hygienic reasons but a single cup signifies the unity of the blood covenant. Yeshua blessed the cup and only indirectly its content (1 Cor.10:16-17; 11:25-26). It is not necessary to have wine. Any substitute serves to symbolize His blood (Matt. 26:26- 28). Since the Jews grew grapes, wine was readily available.

THREE GENERATIONS REPRESENTED IN THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Past. The first cup is called the cup of Redemption of Israel from the slavery of Egypt. The second cup represents the cup of Plagues that the Jews do not drink but dip their fingers in and sprinkle on a napkin, reciting the ten plagues of the Egyptians. These two cups relate to Israel.

The Present. After supper, Yeshua got up and washed the feet of His disciples. He then took the third cup, calling it the cup of New Covenant, written in human hearts (Luke 22:20; Jer. 31:31-34). This cup remains in Christian communion to this day.

The Future. Yeshua declined to drink of the fourth cup, saying he would drink of it anew in the Kingdom. So, this cup relates to a future generation when the saints (soul savers) will be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Matt. 26:29; Rev. 19:7-9).

Many churches have so sanctified communion that they do not break bread for months, whereas it should be served ‘as oft as you meet’. Paul broke bread at least three times in a same meeting. First when Sabbath ended in the evening and the first day of the week began. Second time he took at midnight after Eutychus was revived after falling dead from a window. And presumably the third time, early in the morning just before boarding a ship (Acts 20:7-11).

THE EKKLESIA IS THE LOAF OF BREAD THAT MUST BREAK

The real significance of the breaking of the loaf of bread into small pieces is that the Body of Messiah, which is the Ekklesia, is to be broken into smaller gatherings, giving birth and life to many new gatherings. This way, the body reaches every human habitation reaching. In the West, leavened bread is cut with a knife, whereas in the East, unleavened flat bread is broken and used for scooping up food. The serving of tiny wafers defeats the deep meaning behind the breaking of bread. Understanding the implications of breaking the bread is crucial, because in it lies the entire strategy of multiplication for reaching the unreached of this world. A loaf of bread, which is not broken and consumed, becomes stale and moldy. Similarly, an Ekklesia, the Body of Messiah, which is not multiplying constantly becomes useless.

PROCLAIM DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND PROVE WORTHY

The Lord commanded us, “Go preach this Gospel of the kingdom to the whole world as a witness to all the nations” (Matt. 24:14). Simply put, gospel means “go and spell” it out clearly. We must find out where the lost people are and proclaim among them that the King of kings, the Lord of lords is coming to judge everyone (Rev. 22:12). He has commanded us, not only to preach or to heal, but also to make disciples of all nations. This remains a humongous task, not the prerogative of any individual, church, or organization, but the responsibility of every believer who makes a blood-and-flesh covenant with Yeshua. 

Blood kept in the bowl in the house would not have saved the Israelites in Egypt, it had to be splashed outside by each family, similarly without splashing the news of death and resurrection of Yeshua outside by every believer will not save you. The priest in the Tabernacle after sacrificing the animal would splash the blood on all the four horns of the Altar symbolizing that the sacrifice of Yeshua will be splashed to the four corners of the earth (Lev. 8:15). Witnessing is an integral part of the holy sacrament. If we take part in a ritual yet do not proclaim Yeshua others, then we are dishonoring a blood covenant (1 Cor. 11:26).

ROYAL PRIESTS ARE ORDAINED TO SERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER

The Lord served the last Supper in a home, not in the temple or a synagogue (Luke 22:7-13). Through this, he was sending an important signal that this should take place in the homes of ordinary people, just as the Passover meal is celebrated in every Jewish home without the help of a professional priest, affirming the priesthood of the head of Household. Every believer is a royal priest (1 Pet. 2:5, 9), “ordained” by the Lord Himself for celebrating the ordinances of baptism and of the Lord’s Supper (John 15:16; 1 Pet. 2:5). The Lord’s command to “do this as often” (1 Cor. 11:25-26) must be practiced in every home.

It is God’s desire that this covenant meal be shared in every home, so that lost people will also have an opportunity to covenant with Him. Eating at the Lord’s Table should lead to the adding of new believers to the Ekklesia. Therefore, whenever we gather, this sacrament is a central part of worship. “The disciples broke bread from house to house, and praising God, ate their meals with gladness and simplicity. And the Lord added those who were being saved to the Ekklesia daily.” The benchmark is not how edifying or wonderful your Holy Communion service is, but whether new souls are being added to your church or not. 

MAKE DISCIPLES OF THE NATIONS AT YOUR DINING TABLE

The Jewish dining table is called benshem, meaning “son of the Name.” It is a kind of family altar where Sabbath meals and other special Feasts including the Passover are celebrated.” Because the Jews were a farming community that grew grapes, grains, fruits and kept animals, the Jewish table normally had bread, wine, milk, butter, cheese, olive oil, eggs, baked fish, salt and fresh fruits etc. Hence, the breaking of bread from house to house was no hassle, since all the Jewish benshem had round-the-clock dining facilities. All seekers were taken straight to the dining tables, where the entire city of Jerusalem was discipled. “And the Lord added to their numbers daily”. The dining table is still the best place for making disciples of the nations, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God (1Cor. 10:31).” Like Martha, we must not waste time on making chicken curry. Just serve whatever is readily available, so that, like Mary, we can spend quality time in disciple-making (Acts 2:46-47; Luke 10:7).

IS YOUR TABLE READY? FOR THE LORD IS COMING FOR SUPPER!

Yeshua is knocking. If you open the door, then He will come in and eat supper with you. He may not come as a handsome bearded man with long hair but as a hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, sick or a prisoner, an orphan, a widow, a persecuted believer, a person of another faith etc. Those who take up their cross and follow Him will sit and eat with Him at His table. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. What a feast it will be! (Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 3:20; 19:9).

WAKE UP CALL

The Devil no longer enters our churches as a dangerous serpent anymore, but as Tsetse flies whose bite results in sleeping sickness. You can see this sickness in any Sunday church service. Some even snore sonorously. In contrast, our Lord was consumed with zeal, passion, and fervor for His Father’s house. He took up a whip and cleansed the house of Canaanites, the greedy merchants (Zech. 14:21) who had usurped the Gentile section of the Temple precinct for commercial activity. Gentiles had no place left to worship in the Temple. If you are bitten by the tsetse fly, then enjoy your well-deserved weekly slumber, but beware of its fatal consequences. However, if you are consumed with passion for the house of the Lord, then take a whip and remove all that is commercial and extrabiblical in your church, so that the Gentiles will have free access to the Saviour (Psa. 69:9; John 2:17; Mark 11: 17).

SIX TYPES OF SACRIFICES FOR WORSHIP

1. Jews worshipped God in the Temple by offering burnt offering for their atonement (Lev. 1:1-10) followed by Peace offering to make peace with God (Lev. 3:3) and then a Thanksgiving offering, for thanking God for restoring their relationship with Him (Lev. 7:15). 
2. Vow offering – At the fulfilment of whatever vow the person or the family taken (Deut. 12:11).
3. Because Yeshua offered His body as the full and final sacrifice, we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices (Hebrew 10:10).
4. We now offer our bodies and minds as reasonable service (latreia, worship) (Rom. 12:1-2).
5. As priests of the New Covenant, we offer Gentiles as living sacrifices (Rom. 15:16; Jam. 5:20).
6. We offer sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips (Heb. 13:15).

GEMS:

• Lord’s supper is a shared meal eaten together in remembrance of breaking of His Body and the shedding of His blood on the cross and then to declare until he returns to judge the world, that Christ died for the sins of His people. 
• The Passover meal was eaten in Jewish homes, not in the temple or a synagogue. Yeshua ate the Last Supper with His disciples in a house.
• Jews and Gentiles, believers and non-believers, baptized and non-baptized, rich and poor, widows and orphans eating together was a giant leap forward in the early Ekklesia (Luke 10:5-8; Acts 2:46,47; 6:1; Gal. 2:11-13). Eating together is the most powerful weapon for breaking down caste, race, culture, class, gender and religious barriers resulting in building loving relationships with each other leading to exponential growth of the church (Acts 16:5). 
• Sacrificing the Passover lamb catapulted the Jewish slaves in Egypt into PRIESTS, PROVIDERS AND PROTECTORS of their Households and PROCLAIMERS of their faith to the world outside. Denying ordinary believers of their freedom to serve the Lord’s Supper, robs them of their royal priesthood.
• The breaking of bread must be followed by the breaking of His Body (congregations) into many bodies gathering under many roofs, lest you be breaking it unworthily.
• Location: “From sunrise to sunset Incense (prayer) and pure offering (repentant souls) will be offered in His name in Gentile homes” (Malachi. 1:11; Mark 11:17).

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Victor Choudhrie

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