The New Covenant
INDEX:
* Introduction
* The Sacred Agreement With IsraEl
* The Penalties
* Who Were Under the Old Sacred Agreement?
* The New Sacred Agreement
* The End of the Old Sacred Agreement
* The Inauguration of the New Sacred Agreement
* What Are the Laws of the New Sacred Agreement?
* The Law of Love
* The Deeds of True Christian Love
* The Agreement for Life in Heaven
* What Will They Do There?
* The Sacred Agreement of Salt
* Two Covenants?
* Why All Christians Should Partake
* Those Who Decline
* Who Are Party to the New Sacred Agreement?
* The Life-Giving DNA
* Who Should Not Partake of the Emblems
* How Should the ‘Lord’s Supper’ Be Observed?
* When Should the ‘Lord’s Supper’ be Observed?
* Was it Wine or Grape Juice?
* Was it Matzos?
* The Importance of a Proper Understanding
Introduction
There are few theological teachings that are less understood
by the majority of Christians than the subject of the New Sacred Agreement
(Covenant) that Jesus inaugurated with his Apostles during his ‘last supper,’
just before his death and later resurrection.
So, what we will discuss here
will start with the ‘type’ – the ‘Old Sacred Agreement’ – to show what it
involved and pictured, and then we will look at the ‘antitype’ – the ‘New
Sacred Agreement’ – to see how those prophecies are fulfilled in it, since the
first seems to have pictured the last.
The Sacred Agreement With IsraEl
At Exodus 19:5, 6 we read of were God made a Sacred
Agreement with the sons of IsraEl (or Jacob) while they were in captivity in
Egypt. There He promised them:
‘If you will listen to what I say and keep My Sacred
Agreement, you will be a special people to Me that will be higher than all
other nations.
And because the whole earth is Mine, you will become
My holy nation and a Kingdom of Priests.’
Then notice the blessing that would come to IsraEl if they
kept their part of that Agreement, as recorded at Exodus 23:24-33:
‘If you serve Jehovah your God, I will bless your bread,
your wine, and your water, and I will keep you from getting sick.
There won’t
be anyone in your land that is impotent or infertile, and you will live a full
life … all your enemies will run from you …
I will set your borders from the
Red Sea to the [Mediterranean] and from the desert to the great Euphrates River
…
I will hand over those that are living in the land and drive them away from
you. So, you are to make no treaties with them or their gods.’
We find the children of IsraEl agreeing to fulfill their
portion of the Agreement at Exodus 24:7, 8, where it says:
‘Next, [Moses] took the scroll of the Sacred Agreement and
read it to the people.
And they [again] said:
We will do and pay attention
to everything that Jehovah has said.
Then Moses took the blood [from the
bowls] and sprinkled it on the people, and he said:
{Look!} This is the
blood of the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah has made with you over the things to
which you’ve agreed.’
We read of the next extension to this Sacred Agreement at
Exodus 31:17, 18, where God gave the laws regarding the Sabbath and the Ten
Commandments.
So, all of God’s Laws to IsraEl (including the Ten Commandments)
were part of this Agreement.
The Penalties
We then read of the penalties that the IsraElites were to
pay if they broke their side of the Agreement at Leviticus 26:14-43:
‘However, if you choose not to listen to Me and obey My
rules … these are the things that I must do to you … your lives will be
shortened … the seeds in your ground won’t
produce …
I will send wild animals into the land and they will eat you and kill
your cattle. You will decrease in numbers, and your [land] will become empty …
I
will bring a famine of bread among you … you will have to eat the flesh of your
sons and daughters … I will destroy your cities … then I will scatter you among the nations.’
And no one can deny that all these terrible things truly happened to unfaithful IsraEl and to the Jews, not once, but twice; first at the hands of the Babylonians and then at the hands of the Romans.
But did you notice that this first Sacred Agreement with
IsraEl didn’t promise an afterlife? It just promised that if the people were
faithful they would be blest, and if they weren’t faithful they would be
cursed.
So, while it is true that the IsraElites believed in a hereafter, they had nothing in writing
that promised them anything more.
Therefore, the faithful simply trusted
that God had something better in mind for them after they died.
Who Were Under the Old Sacred Agreement?
Who were under the Old Sacred Agreement?
The answer to this
question is one that seems to elude many Christians today.
Obviously, God made
His Agreement of ‘the Old Law’ with descendants of AbraHam, and specifically
with the IsraElites, not with any other nation of mankind.
So although the Ten
Commandments in particular state God’s views on many matters, these were never
given as part of an agreement with mankind in general.
Therefore, people of the
nations (gentiles) had no God-given laws or agreements until after the
formation of the Christian Congregation, when many accepted the New Sacred Agreement.
And as Paul
then explained; trying to follow the Old Law was wrong for Christians, because
they had come under a new Law, that of Love.
However, the Old Law and Sacred Agreement did apply to those Gentiles (or people
of the nations) that lived prior to the time of Jesus and that chose to join
IsraEl in the worship of their God Jehovah.
Notice, for example, what was said
about this at Numbers 15:15, 16:
‘There must be just one law for you and for the aliens who
live among you …
Both you and the aliens that live among you must follow the
same laws and regulations.’
So, all the people in ancient IsraEl – the priests, the native peoples, and the non-IsraElite converts – had to follow the same rules and promises.
It has, however, been argued that those non-IsraElite
converts that lived in the Promised Land and that worshiped their God were never
considered to be part of IsraEl.
But if they were never considered IsraElites,
then we must assume that Salmon (who married the CanaAnite prostitute RaHab)
and his son Boaz (who married the Moabite woman Ruth) were Law breakers, since
God forbade the taking of non-IsraElite women as wives (See Exodus 34:16).
Yet, notice that God gave
these men (and their non-IsraElite wives) the privilege of becoming ancestors
of David, his line of kings, and of Jesus.
So we would have to assume that these women, by accepting
Jehovah as their God, actually became IsraElites.
However, even the Gentiles that
chose to live among them and serve their God Jehovah had to:
· Follow the rules of circumcision
· Follow the same laws
· Offer the same sacrifices
· Observe the same festivals.
The New Sacred Agreement
But then, it was during the time of the Prophet IsaiAh that
God mentioned a New Sacred Agreement that would eventually supersede the Old
Agreement.
Why?
Because His people had failed to keep their side of the
bargain.
Note what He said as recorded at Isaiah 55:3-5:
‘I’ll proclaim an Agreement with him (Jesus) through the
age
For the sacred, trusted things of [King] David.
{Look!} I’ll seat him as a proof to the nations…
As a ruler and signal to the peoples.
{Look!} Nations you don’t know will call upon him…
Those you don’t know will seek refuge in him,
Because of Jehovah, your God…
Because of IsraEl’s Most Holy One;
For, He will then glorify you.’
Then we read at Jeremiah 31:31, 32:
‘Look… the days are coming, says Jehovah,
When I’ll make an arrangement with IsraEl’s house,
As well as with the houses of Judah.
I’ll conclude a New Sacred Agreement
That’s unlike the one that I made with their fathers
In the day that I took hold of their hands
To lead them from Egypt’s land.
But, because they wouldn’t keep My Sacred Agreement,
I had to let them go, says Jehovah.’
As you can see, even before Jerusalem was destroyed and her people were led away to Babylon as captives, God saw the need for a New Sacred Agreement with His people.
What was going to be different about this Agreement? Notice
what we are told at Jeremiah 31:33, 34:
‘So, this is My [New] Sacred Agreement
That I will conclude with IsraEl then, said Jehovah:
I will put My Laws in their minds,
And into their hearts, I will write them.
Then, they’ll be My people and I’ll be their God.
‘There’s no way they’ll then teach their neighbors and brothers
That they must learn of Jehovah;
For, all will know Me from the least to the great.
And when it comes to their errors and sins…
I will kindly forget them!
So according to this scripture, the key differences between the Old Sacred Agreement and the New Sacred Agreement are:
· The Law of this New Sacred Agreement was to be written on hearts, not on stone or paper
· Those that are involved in the New Sacred Agreement will enjoy a special relationship with God and have a personal knowledge of Him
· Their sins will be forgiven.
However, this prophecy wasn’t fulfilled until more than
six-hundred years later, with the death of Jesus.
And like the Old Sacred
Agreement, it had to be sealed with blood… the blood of the truly ‘perfect lamb.’
The End of the Old Sacred Agreement
Notice that in the words that immediately follow the
terms of the New Sacred Agreement as laid out in the Bible book of Jeremiah, that
the end to the Old Agreement was described in amazing detail. For we are told at Jeremiah 31:35-37:
‘Yet, this is what Jehovah [then said] …
‘If these Laws should [be voided] before Me,
Then the race of IsraEl will no longer stand
As a nation before Me
Throughout the rest of the days.
‘Jehovah says:
If the skies can be raised even higher
And the floor of the ground can be lowered,
I can reject the race of IsraEl, says Jehovah,
For all the things that they’ve done.’
So, when did the (old) Laws cease to be? At Colossians 2:13,
14, Paul wrote:
‘Then he kindly forgave all our errors and wiped away the
handwritten Law that held us down and oppressed us. He lifted it out of the way
and nailed it on the pole.’
Therefore, when they murdered God’s Son, the ‘race of IsraEl’
was rejected ‘for all the things that they’ve done,’ just as it was prophesied.
And the Old Laws also ‘ceased to be’ with the death of Jesus… these Laws were
spoken of as being nailed to his (impaling) pole.
That this rejection of IsraEl with its Sacred Agreement and
its Laws came about, is undeniable!
For with the destruction of Jerusalem in
70-CE, the people ceased to be a nation, and their entire form of worship was
destroyed with no hope of repair.
In fact; their Temple is now gone, and what stands
in its place today is a Moslem mosque.
Also, there is no more Priesthood, because no one knows
which tribe they are from; and because of this, they can no longer be described
as ‘the twelve tribes of IsraEl.’
Thus, their prophesied rejection is total and
irreversible.
The Inauguration of the New Sacred Agreement
Because God put the evenings before mornings in His ‘days’
of creation in the First Chapter of Genesis, the Jews started their days at
sundown.
Therefore, by the ways that the Jews started counting their days, Jesus
inaugurated this New Sacred Agreement with his eleven faithful Apostles on the same day that he was to be sacrificed.
He did this when he and his Apostles met to celebrate the Passover in the year 33-CE, and he used the same yeast-free bread and wine that was part of the traditional Passover meal, when doing this.
Notice what Jesus said and did at that time (Matthew 26:26-28):
‘As they ate, Jesus took a loaf, and after giving thanks, he
broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying, Take some and eat it, because
this is my body.
He also took a cup [of wine], and after giving thanks,
gave it to them saying,
All of you drink out of it; because, this is my
blood of the New Sacred Agreement, which will be poured out for many to
forgive [their] sins.’
We read the same account at Luke 22:19, 20, which says:
‘Then he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks, broke it, and
gave it to them saying,
This is my body, which is being handed over for you.
Keep doing this in memory of me.
And he did the same thing with the cup
after supper, saying,
This cup is the New Sacred Agreement of my blood, which
is being poured out for you.’
So when the sacrificial blood of Jesus was actually poured
out on that following afternoon, God’s Old Sacred Agreement with IsraEl, as
well as its Laws, became null and void.
And that’s when the New Sacred
Agreement with its Law of Love began.
We can see how this was proven by the startling and
miraculous thing that happened immediately as Jesus was dying. For the account
at Luke 23:44-46 tells us:
‘Well, it was already about the sixth hour… and then the
whole land became covered by a darkness [that lasted] until the ninth hour, for
the sunlight had failed.
Then the Temple curtain split down the middle,
and Jesus called out in a loud voice, saying:
Father, I entrust my breath to Your hands.
And after saying that, he died.’
Yes, the sacred curtain that separated the Temple’s Most Holy (which pictured the presence of God) was ripped in two by an earthquake, and at that, something new began.
However, notice once again that this New Sacred Agreement offered
no promise of a hereafter or of going to heaven!
And surely, if such an
important thing was to be (as most ‘Christian’ religions claim), it had to de
mentioned as part of the contract or Agreement!
However, all that was promised in the prophecy of Jeremiah (which is the only place where we find the terms of this New Sacred Agreement) is that God will put His Laws into their hearts, they will become His people, they will all then know God, and He will forgive their sins.
It is interesting to notice that in many Bibles, the word New
is missing in the account found at Matthew 26:26, when speaking of the Sacred
Agreement that Jesus inaugurated at the time.
However, this appears to be a
copying or translating mistake. For the famous Lamsa translation and the Younan
Bible both use the words New Covenant, as does the Shem
Tov, the Dutillon, and the Munster Matthew (which are all Hebrew translations).
And of course, Luke mentioned the New Sacred Agreement in his account of
Jesus’ words (Luke 22:19, 20).
What Are the Laws of the New Sacred Agreement?
As you can see (and as Paul pointed out several times in his
writings), the Old Law just showed men what sin was, and it condemned them to
death whenever they in their imperfection violated it.
And though the Old
Sacred Agreement promised better things, these were never realized, because
nobody (except Jesus) could live up to the Law’s requirements.
Also note that, as was true of the Old Sacred Agreement, the
New Sacred Agreement wasn’t just a promise like the one God gave to
Noah.
Rather, it was a two-sided arrangement; for God indicated that He
would require something from those that wished to participate in it.
However,
exactly what the requirements would be weren’t specified at the time when this
Sacred Agreement was first mentioned in Isaiah and Jeremiah.
All we were told
is that these laws or requirements would thereafter be written in our hearts.
So, what kind of a law could be written in hearts?
Consider
Jesus’ reply, when he was asked which commandment of the Law was the greatest
(as found at Matthew 22:36-40):
‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart,
life, and mind.
This is the first and the greatest commandment.
The second,
like it, is:
You must love your neighbor as yourself.
These two
commandments are the basis of the whole Law and the Prophets.’
Then notice that on the night before his death, Jesus said
this to his followers (at recorded at John 13:34, 35):
‘Therefore, now I’m giving you a new commandment… to love
each other! Yes, love each other just as I’ve loved you. For this is how they
will know that you are my disciples:
By the love that you have for each other.’
Also, Paul later said (as recorded at Romans 13:10):
‘Love is the Law’s fulfillment.’
The Law of Love
Notice that at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul gave a
comprehensive description of what this Law of love involves. He wrote:
‘Love is kind and patient. Love isn’t envious, it doesn’t
brag, it isn’t conceited, it doesn’t scheme, it doesn’t just watch out for
itself, it doesn’t stir things up, it doesn’t hold grudges, it doesn’t rejoice
over unrighteous things.
Rather, it rejoices over things that are true.
It
covers everything, believes everything, hopes everything, and endures everything.
Love never fails.’
So, the new Law that God was to write in the hearts of those
that are under the New Sacred Agreement is that of love… love of each other and love
of God.
And if we are really obeying this Law (it doesn’t come automatically),
it will govern us better than any written code of laws.
Yes, if we will
actually work at and practice love, we will prove ourselves to be Jesus’ true
disciples and under God’s New Sacred Agreement.
Notice that Paul linked love with several other positive
qualities such as kindness, patience, forgiveness, belief, hope, and endurance.
However, three of these qualities especially stand out in his conclusion at 1
Corinthians 13:13. He said:
‘So, we now have these three things: faith, hope, and
love.
And the greatest of these is love.’
Therefore, while this new law involves other internal
things, such as faith and hope (which must also be written in our hearts), the
greatest portion of it is still love.
For love encompasses all of these other
requirements and it serves as an identifying mark that can make us stand out as
true worshipers of God.
Yet, while many Christians claim to have it, this isn’t always very observable.
The Deeds of True Christian Love
We would be hard-pressed to find any Christian that would
admit that he or she doesn’t already have this special type of love that marks
them as true followers of Jesus and as being under the New Sacred Agreement.
Nevertheless, we challenge all to tell us how their love is any different from
that of others that may not be Christians.
For though they all claim that they
have love, the world is still filled with hatred, violence, and war, much of
which is being perpetrated by these same ones that claim that they have the love
of which Jesus and Paul spoke.
So, something is clearly missing, since casual
observers would be hesitant to say that they can see any outstanding love among
members of Christian religions!
And while it is true that Christians are no longer bound by
any oppressive set of rules, this doesn’t mean that we are free to do whatever
we wish.
For notice that when the Apostles and elders in the Jerusalem
congregation were faced with the question of circumcision, they stated that
there were still certain ‘necessary things’ which all Christians had to
observe, namely:
they had to ‘stay away from things that are sacrificed to
idols, from blood, from things that are strangled, and from sexual immorality’
(Acts 15:29).
Paul also wrote of many other bad things that men do… things
that a Christian conscience would forbid. And he said that people that do such
things ‘won’t inherit God’s Kingdom.’
You can find them listed at 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
The Agreement for Life in Heaven
However (as we pointed out earlier), the New Sacred
Agreement never promised a resurrection or heavenly life, for no scripture
speaks of such a hope being offered in either the New or Old Sacred Agreements.
And if such a thing were truly part of these sacred contracts, it surely had to
be included somewhere.
So we must conclude that just as the promise of the First Sacred Agreement with IsraEl was that they would become an earthly nation of kings and priests, the same thing is implied in the Second, because no such changes are mentioned by IsaiAh or JeremiAh.
But notice that after Jesus offered the sacred bread and
wine to his Apostles as symbols of his flesh and blood to inaugurate the New
Sacred Agreement, he then made a promise to his faithful friends there
that seems to have offered them the hope of life in heaven.
This promise was only given to that select few, and
he didn’t say that it was an addendum to the New Sacred Agreement (which
required something of all the parties involved).
It was just a promise that he
gave to those whom he said, ‘stuck with me during my trials.’
In fact, Matthew’s
account indicates that Jesus actually spoke of this agreement to his Apostles on
another (earlier) occasion (see Matthew
19:28).
What he promised to his eleven faithful Apostles on the eve
of his death (and perhaps on another occasion) was ‘a Kingdom,’ or an
appointment to be kings.
We read of this at Luke 22:28-30, where Jesus said:
‘Now, because you’re the ones that have stuck with me during
my trials, I’m giving this appointment to you as my Father has given the
appointment to me, for a Kingdom:
In my Kingdom, you’ll eat and drink at my
table, and you’ll sit on thrones, from which you’ll judge the twelve tribes of
IsraEl.’
What Will They Do There?
Notice that this promise that Jesus gave to his Apostles is
the only one that seems to have promised life in heaven.
You can see from
the words, ‘you’ll eat and drink at my table and you’ll sit on thrones,’ seem
to imply being in heaven with Jesus; for if you look at the methods of the
rulership of ancient Hebrew Kings such as David and Solomon, you’ll see that
those who were invited to sit at the king’s table were his closest friends and
advisors, who were also his primary governors.
Therefore, when Jesus
told his Apostles that they would eat and drink at his (the king’s) table, it
appears as though he was saying that they would be where he was, in heaven, and
that they would also be kings or rulers.
In addition, when Jesus promised his eleven faithful Apostles that they would ‘sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of IsraEl,’ he was saying that they were to judge those that comprise the rest of the arrangement for serving God… those that also claim to be under the New Sacred Agreement, but that may not have been offered life in heaven (for more information about what judging the twelve tribes of IsraEl means, see the linked document, ‘Jerusalem and the IsraEl of God’).
But wasn’t Jesus saying that the ‘kings’ would all be taken
to heaven?
Not necessarily!
Notice that in the ‘type’ (the Sacred Agreement with fleshly IsraEl) there were two priesthoods. There were those of the family lines of Aaron and Moses who could serve at the Altar and enter the Holy Place (picturing heaven), and these ‘Priests’ were separate from those of the rest of the priestly tribe of Levi, whose primary job was that of living among, teaching, and judging IsraEl.
So could this arrangement that God established with ancient
IsraEl have pictured the coming of two priestly groups (heavenly and earthly)?
(For further discussion, see subheading ‘Priests
that May Have Been Types of Heavenly Life, in the linked document, ‘God’s
Promise of an Inheritance’).
The Sacred Agreement of Salt
Notice that God had made another special Agreement with
Aaron and Moses, and their sons. It was that they would not receive an
inheritance of land in IsraEl, since He was to be their inheritance (see Numbers 18:20).
So, rather than working
fields or herding cattle, they were to handle the most sacred priestly duties
within the Tent or Temple. And as their income, they were to receive all their
provisions from among the holy sacrifices that the IsraElites were to bring to
God (see Numbers 18:7-10).
Notice that this
agreement was termed The Sacred Agreement of Salt (see Numbers 18:19).
Why was it called The Sacred Agreement of Salt?
Because salt was to be offered with each sacrifice (see Leviticus 2:13).
And the salt that they
offered appears to have symbolized their special position of holiness before
Him, which was a position that they were to maintain throughout the rest of
their lives.
It is interesting that some manuscripts of the Bible book of
Mark, where Jesus was discussing the need for his disciples to have salt within
them, adds the words (found here in bold type at Mark 9:49 and 50):
‘You will
all be salted with fire, as a sacrifice is [offered with] salt.
And
though salt is good; if it loses its salty flavor, how can it be used for
seasoning?
So have salt in yourselves and stay at peace with each other.’
Therefore, from what Jesus was saying to them about retaining their salt; he seems to make the point that having ‘salt’ has to do with maintaining integrity.
Two Covenants?
It became obvious to us when translating, that the New
Sacred Agreement and Jesus’ promise of a Kingdom are two different
things.
And although most Bibles speak of ‘Covenants’ being made between Jesus
and his Apostles at Luke 22:20 and Luke 22:29, notice that there are two
different Greek words that they translated as covenant.
For example;
the Greek word used at Luke 22:20 is diatheke, which suggests a will
that is left by a person that is about to die… a disposition of property or a
last will and testament.
This was the two-way Sacred Agreement that Jesus
inaugurated before he died.
Then notice (in verse 29) that the Greek word other Bibles
also translate as covenant, is diatithemai, which means to
make a promise.
This was the personal promise that Jesus gave to his
Apostles, which seems to have included the hope of ruling as kings with him in
the heavens.
However, if the New Sacred Agreement had already offered them life
in heaven, this promise would have been totally unnecessary!
Why All Christians Should Partake
Remember that the first Passover was part of the tenth
plague on the land of Egypt, which provided salvation and a way out to God’s
people.
So, all that wanted their firstborn to live – regardless of whether they
were Egyptians, IsraElites, or others – needed to carry out the instructions
that were given to Moses.
And as the result, large numbers of Egyptians and
other aliens did just that and left Egypt along with the IsraElites (see Exodus 12:38).
And thereafter, if we look at the instruction in the Mosaic
Law on how the Passover was to be observed, we find that ALL were to partake of
the Passover sacrifices, including the ‘Anointed’ Priests, the Levite Priests,
the rest of the IsraElites, and the ‘aliens’ that lived among them (Exodus
12:19), for God didn’t give different laws to each of these groups.
Rather, He
said that there would be ‘just one Law,’ and it would apply to both ‘the native
residents and the converts that come to live among’ them (see Exodus 12:49).
Notice that participation in the first Passover was a
requirement for everyone that wanted the lives of their firstborn to be spared.
And by continuing to celebrate the Passover thereafter, all the people were expressing
their desire to be a part of the Old Sacred Agreement that God made with His
people.
Likewise, we all express our desire to be a part of the New Sacred
Agreement if we ‘keep on doing this’ (partaking of the bread and wine in memory
of Jesus’ death) until he returns (see Luke 22:17-20).
So since that time, all true Christians that wish to have
their sins forgiven, to have a true relationship with God and Jesus, and to
receive the ‘life’ that God promised, must be baptized and agree to cultivate
the New Sacred Agreement’s law of love in their hearts, by partaking of the
emblematic flesh and blood (bread and wine).
They are also agreeing to leave
behind the Old Law and the Old Sacred Agreement; for if they choose to hang on
to it and its Laws, this would be indicating that they have not accepted the
New Sacred Agreement and its superior law of love.
Recognize that anytime we find ourselves quoting the Old Law
(including its ‘Ten Commandments’) to make a point that something is right or
wrong, we are demonstrating our belief that the Old Sacred Agreement and its
Old Law are still superior to the New Law of Love and the New Sacred Agreement.
For if a rule isn’t covered by love or by something that was said by Jesus or
his Apostles, it probably has no place in the life of a Christian.
Those Who Decline
But, what of those that decline the offer to be a part of
this New Sacred Agreement and refuse to partake of the emblematic wine and
unleavened bread?
While refusing to do so because of a religious misunderstanding
doesn’t preclude the hope of a resurrection (the Bible says that even ‘the
unrighteous’ receive that), they are really saying that they don’t want
God’s Laws written in their hearts; they don’t want to be His people; and they
don’t want their mistakes and sins to be forgiven.
Who Are Party to the New Sacred Agreement?
If we go back to the Sacred Agreement that was given through
Moses, we find that the entire nation of IsraEl had to agree to fulfill their part
of the bargain.
So when do those that are offered the opportunity to be a part
of the New Sacred Agreement signify that they accept it today?
Unfortunately,
this isn’t spelled out in the Bible.
It could happen when they are baptized…
which is possibly when their names are written in ‘the Scroll of Life.’
However, until we each partake of the symbolic blood and flesh of Jesus, we haven’t really agreed to be party to the New Sacred Agreement.
So it
appears as though becoming party to the New Sacred Agreement requires us to be
baptized and to partake of the emblems, and these two acts seem to be
interconnected. Notice how Paul pointed this out at Romans 6:3-5:
‘Are you
ignorant of the fact that all that were baptized into the Anointed Jesus were
also baptized into his death?
Therefore, we were buried with him by our
baptism into the death, so that just as the Anointed One was raised from among
the dead by the glory of the Father, we should be walking in a new way of life.
And if we’ve been buried with him into the same type of death; then [like him],
we will also be resurrected.’
But does this Agreement include everyone that is baptized,
regardless of which ‘Christian’ religion they were baptized into?
Perhaps, for
Jesus indicated that all that are baptized and partake of the emblems of the
New Sacred Agreement become IsraEl.
And these appear to be ‘the twelve tribes
if IsraEl’ whom he said his chosen Holy Ones will judge (at Luke 22:30),
because many will fail!
As Paul wrote at 2 Timothy 3:1-4:
‘The last days
will bring fierce times. People will love themselves and money. They
will be braggers, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to their parents,
unthankful, and disloyal. They won’t love their families or be willing
to agree on anything.
They will be slanderers that don’t have any self-control.
They will be wild and won’t love anything that is good. They will be betrayers
that are headstrong and proud. They will prefer pleasures more than they care
about God.
They will have some form of religion, but they won’t follow it.’
Notice that Paul doesn’t seem to indicate that he was
speaking of these conditions happening among the world in general in the
Last Days, for people of the world have always acted like that.
Rather, Paul
was saying that many who are baptized and partake of the emblems (thus claiming
to be under the New Sacred Agreement) will in fact prove unfaithful and
will be judged as such.
Then Jesus will say to them,
‘I never knew you! Get
away from me you lawbreakers’ (Matthew 7:23)!
The Life-Giving DNA
Perhaps the meaning of these things can best be explained by
pointing out what is obvious… we all share the DNA of Adam, which because of
its imperfection, can only result in death.
What is needed to continue living
is the perfect DNA of the one who gave his life in our behalf, the greater
Adam, Jesus the Anointed.
And the only way we can receive it is by partaking of
his flesh and his blood… which doesn’t necessarily qualify us for heaven,
because flesh and blood are earthly things.
Yet, notice how Jesus pointed out the vital need for all
Christians to partake of the sacred bread and wine (his body and blood) at John
6:53-56. He said there:
‘I tell you the truth; if you don’t eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood, you won’t have life in yourselves.
For
those that chew on my flesh and drink my blood will have age-long life, and then
I will resurrect them on the Last Day, because my flesh is truly food and my
blood is truly drink.
Those that chew on my flesh and drink my blood remain in
me, and I in them.’
As you can see; in order to ‘have life in [ourselves],’ to receive ‘age-long life,’ and to be resurrected ‘on the Last Day,’ we must all partake of the sacred emblems… so this is a life-and-death matter.
Remembering the Death of Jesus
Who Should Not Partake of the Emblems
Again, going back to the original Passover; God directed
that ‘No stranger may eat (the Passover bread),’ and ‘aliens and people you
hire can’t eat it’ until they are circumcised.
‘Then they will be treated as
residents in the land’ (Exodus 12:43-49).
So, although fleshly circumcision is no longer a requirement
for servants of God, Paul indicated that there are still standards, which
Christians that desire to partake of the bread and wine of the Lord’s Evening
Meal must meet. Notice his words at 1 Corinthians 11:27-29:
‘Whoever eats the loaf and drinks the cup of the Lord
unworthily will be held responsible to the Lord’s body and blood.
So, each
man should prove what he is first, then he can eat from the loaf and drink
from the cup.
For those that eat and drink, eat and drink judgment upon
themselves if they don’t judge [the worthiness of] their bodies.’
So, notice that Paul told us that each person must ‘prove what he
is’ and ‘judge himself,’ so that we aren’t condemned along with the world when
we partake.
Therefore, a little self-examination is in order for each person before
they partake of the emblems, so as to make sure that the way they are living makes
them worthy of accepting the body and blood of Jesus into themselves.
For
simply partaking of the emblems of the New Sacred Agreement doesn’t really mean
‘life,’ unless it is accompanied by righteous actions!
Also, Paul indicated that there are requirements for our
literal bodies.
For if we should partake just to satisfy our hunger or while we
are intoxicated, this shows a lack of respect for the arrangement (1
Corinthians 11:21, 22).
And as he said; those that do this are ‘eating and
drinking judgment on themselves,’ since their actions are really displaying a
lack of respect for God, Jesus, and the privilege of being part of the New
Sacred Agreement.
In other words: This is a serious occasion and a time for
introspection.
How Should the ‘Lord’s Supper’ Be Observed?
The scriptures give us very little direction when it comes
to how the Lord’s Supper or Evening Meal should be observed, and historical
records are likewise inconclusive, so we warn against establishing dogmatic
guidelines.
Nevertheless, some things can be established about the gatherings
of early Christian congregations and the way the Bible tells us that they
observed this ‘Supper.’
The original Passover was celebrated as a full meal; and
after Jesus’ death, members of Christian congregations apparently met regularly
for loving fellowship meals that were known as ‘agape’ or ‘love feasts’ (see Jude
12), during which (according to 1 Corinthians 11:20, 21) they usually ate the
‘Lord’s Supper.’
But since Paul condemned some of the things they were doing
then, many have concluded that a regular meal has no place in the observance.
Rather, they believe (as Paul said) that Christians should ‘eat at home’ before
meeting with the congregation.
However, based on Paul’s words, the argument could also be
made that the problem Paul was speaking of was actually the manner in
which they ate together.
Notice what he specifically condemned. He said:
‘So, who knows who’s still hungry and who has already
had too much to drink? Don’t you have houses where you can eat and
drink?
Or do you condemn the congregation of God and shame those that are poor?’
Then notice his concluding words on the matter at 1
Corinthians 11:33, 34:
‘So, my brothers; When you come together to eat, wait for
each other.
And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so you
don’t meet for judgment.’
Since congregational meals and Love Feasts appear to have continued as a practice long after this counsel was given (see Jude 12 And 2 Peter 2:13), it doesn’t seem as though Paul was condemning the inclusion of meals as a part of their meetings, but he was addressing specific problems when it came to remembering the sacredness of the ‘Lord’s Supper.’
From what Paul said, it looks like the problem was that some
were bringing food, not for the congregation to share, but for themselves only.
They were also overindulging in wine, so that when the time for the observance
of the ‘Lord’s Supper’ arrived, they were stuffed and sleepy from overeating
and drinking, while the poor ones were likely eating the bread and wine
greedily out of hunger.
And if so, no wonder Paul gave them this strong
council!
Then, what can we conclude is the proper way to observe the
‘Lord’s Supper?’
Since Paul told the Corinthians to ‘wait for each other,’ it
is clear that we should celebrate the occasion (if possible) with a whole group
of fellow Christians.
We must also be sober, and we should partake of the
emblems not out of hunger, but with deep appreciation for the New Sacred
Agreement and the sacrifice provided by our God and His son Jesus.
When Should the ‘Lord’s Supper’ be Observed?
We don’t actually know when or how often the early
Christians observed the ‘Lord’s Supper,’ other than that it likely took place
during their ‘love feasts.’
So, some have concluded from this that it was held
regularly on several occasions during the year, which may be true.
In fact,
notice what Paul wrote was happening in early Christian congregations, at 1
Corinthians 11:20:
‘Now, when you meet together in one place, isn’t it to
eat the Lord’s Supper?’
So, the conclusion might be reached that every gathering of Christians included a meal and eating the sacred emblems of the Lord’s Supper.
However, notice that this sacred meal was inaugurated on the Day of Preparation during the week-long
Jewish feast of Passover. This is significant, because that festival represents
the saving of IsraEl’s firstborn, and the lamb (as well as the yeast-free bread
and the wine) pictured Jesus’ flesh and blood.
So, the Passover pictured Jesus’
sacrifice and his inauguration of the New Sacred Agreement.
For that reason, it
appears as though the most important time to celebrate this sacred meal is on
the Day of Preparation for the Passover, which starts after sundown (when the
14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan begins), as it would be
calculated in the skies over JeruSalem (Nisan starts on the new moon closest to
the Spring Equinox, and the 14th day is the time of the full moon).
Was it Wine or Grape Juice?
We realize that to many, the thought of Jesus drinking and
offering an alcoholic beverage to others there in a Christian gathering is
unthinkable.
So among some religions, only unfermented grape juice is used in
their services. For as they point out; the words for wine and grape juice are
the same in the Bible.
Therefore, they say that Jesus and his Apostles didn’t
really drink alcoholic wine.
Yet, consider the fact that Passover comes in March/April,
and grapes don’t ripen until mid-summer.
Therefore, it would have been
difficult (and expensive) to maintain grape juice throughout the year without
it turning into wine or vinegar.
Also consider the fact that ancient wine presses could never
be considered as sterile by modern standards, and that the grapes were squashed
by foot.
So some alcohol was needed to sterilize the drink.
On the other hand, there doesn’t appear to be any problem with Christians using grape juice in religious services, as long as it is pasteurized so that it contains no natural yeast; because, the amount of alcohol content doesn’t seem to be the issue.
However, it is likely that Jesus drank alcoholic wine, since
that is what the Jews have traditionally used in their Passover services, and
there is no record in any of the four Gospel accounts of the Apostles
purchasing special (unfermented) wine.
Also, notice what type of wine Jesus was
clearly speaking of at Luke 5:37-39:
‘And they don’t put new wine in old wineskins.
For the new wine will burst the old skins,
Breaking the skins and spilling the wine.
‘So, new wine is put in new wineskins.
And all that have tasted old wine,
Don’t want the new, anyhow;
For they say, The old [wine] is better!’
Was it Matzos?
Jewish tradition has created many laws about how the
Passover bread was to be prepared, requiring that it must be baked within just
so many minutes of preparation (to keep yeast from settling on it and
contaminating it), which has resulted in the common use of a prepared
cracker-like bread called matzos.
Yet, other religious groups have set their
own laws for the bread, saying that matzos (because they aren’t made with
whole-grain wheat) shouldn’t be used, and that each person, family, or group
should prepare their own yeast-free flat bread.
Which is true?
Well, notice what the account of the original Passover tells
us (at Exodus 12:39):
‘Then they baked the dough that they brought from Egypt into
fermentation-free loaves (there was still no fermentation in the dough),
because the Egyptians wouldn’t allow them to stay, and they had [virtually]
thrown them out, so they didn’t have time to make provisions for their
journey.’
As you can see, the first Passover bread didn’t necessarily meet the modern, strict laws of Jewish tradition. It was simply a hastily-prepared bread.
Yes, it was likely whole-grain, but would they have used
filtered and bleached flour if it had been available?
Probably.
Was the bread truly made out of wheat, as current Jewish
tradition strictly dictates?
Well, the Passover comes during the barley
harvest, and the wheat harvest didn’t come until Pentecost, some fifty days
later.
So the original Passover bread in Egypt could well have been made of or
included barley flour, for the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us
what grain is to be used.
And modern Jewish tradition (as in other
matters) is a poor indicator of what must be done.
Notice, for example, these words in the book of John, where
is speaks of Jesus feeding of the multitudes (John 6:4, 5,):
‘It was close to the time of the Jewish Passover festival;
so when Jesus looked up and noticed the huge crowd coming, he asked Philip,
Where
should we buy bread for everyone to eat?’
Then in verses eight and nine we read:
‘And one of his disciples (Andrew the brother of Simon
Peter) said to him:
Here’s a little boy that has five loaves of barley
bread and two small fish.’
So yes; barley bread was commonly eaten during that time of
year.
In fact, it could be argued that the barley that was sacrificed during
Passover represented Jesus’ body, and the wheat that was sacrificed on Pentecost
represented the lives of his faithful followers.
However, the Bible simply
makes no such distinction.
But if a person wishes to get technical and make up some
rule about the process, note that God’s Law on the matter said (at Exodus
12:19):
‘Fermentation must not be found in your homes during
those seven days, and whoever eats anything with fermentation [in it] will
have his life cut off from the gathering of IsraEl.
This applies to the native
residents of the land, as well as to those that are just staying there.’
So, must all yeast (and yeast products) then be removed from
the home where the bread is prepared?
Possibly.
But if we go back and start
strictly following Pharisee-inspired Jewish traditions or the dictates of
modern religious Pharisees, aren’t we forsaking the New Sacred Agreement?
For
the Bible tells us that Christians are now under a New Law, which doesn’t
require the following of Old Law rituals.
And the point of eating yeast-free
bread and drinking yeast-free wine is not about bread or wine, it’s a symbol of
something that was free from contamination.
So, whether the bread is hard and crunchy like a cracker, or softer and more chewy; or whether it is made of barley, whole-wheat, or bleached flour; the point is that it should just be reasonably fermentation free.
Also note that the original ‘unleavened bread’ was probably made with flour, water, oil, and salt (salt was required with all sacrifices).
The Importance of a Proper Understanding
On the other hand, some say that partaking or not partaking
of the sacred emblems, as we’ve discussed above, really isn’t that important a
matter, because God will make a way for those that don’t understand.
But let’s
be reminded of a Bible story about two men, one of whom saw the significance of
something sacred with God, and the other that didn’t… one was a spiritual man,
and the other wasn’t. These men were the brothers, Jacob and Esau.
Now, we likely all remember how Esau sold his birthright as firstborn to his brother Jacob for a meal of stew; but have you ever thought about what Jacob had actually purchased with his stew?
Though the right of firstborn meant that he was to receive twice as
much of the inheritance of his father’s belongings; Jacob willingly left all
that inheritance behind to his elder brother when he fled the land.
For the
important (sacred) thing to him was his father’s blessing and the promises of
the Sacred Agreements that were made with his father IsaAc and his grandfather
AbraHam.
He saw the spiritual, while his brother only saw the carnal,
so he was the one that became IsraEl.
Therefore, whose path do those that don’t see the importance of properly observing God’s New Sacred Agreement following, that of Esau or Jacob?
Realize that all the sacred agreements with God were life-or-death matters (especially for IsraEl), and though the ones with whom these agreements were made didn’t live to see the benefits, these promises of God meant everything to them.
So, should any religious group tell their members that they are no part of the New Sacred
Agreement, when all Christians should be;
Or that they should not partake of the sacred emblems, when all Christians
should do so;
And that their resurrection will not be one of life, but as ‘the rest of the dead’
of unrighteous mankind;
These millions could be literally being robbed of their hope of:
· God’s Law being written in their hearts
· Having a personal knowledge of God
· Having their sins forgiven.
Therefore, this should be a most serious matter to all spiritual people!
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