Amazing Grace (11 page)

Why does the Bible call the Lord’s Supper “the breaking of
bread” (Acts 2:42; cf. v. 46, 20:7) and not “the drinking of the cup”? For in simply
referring to this Christian sacrament as the breaking of bread, the Bible is including
the aspect of the drinking of the cup. Indeed, Luke’s narrative in Acts 2 is
very much in keeping with the words of Jesus who had inaugurated this sacrament
which we today call the Lord’s Supper or Breaking Bread. For as He was eating
His last Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus did and said the following: He
“took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said,
Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to
them, saying, Drink
ye
all of it; for this is my blood
of the new covenant, which is poured out for many unto the remission of sins” (Matthew
26:26-28 mgn; cf. Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20). Bread represents the life of
Christ whereas the cup stands for the redemption of Christ. The cup was necessary
because of Adam’s fall. Bread, however, represents the life of the Lord, which
is God’s life which God wants to be the life of man. His primary purpose is therefore
centered on the bread and not on the cup. Though God certainly wants and needs the
cup, His central aim is not to be found in the cup; for the latter is only
remedial in nature; it is the bread that arrives at God’s purpose. That is why
the Lord’s Supper is also called “the breaking of bread” and not “the drinking
of the cup,” since the cup represents redemption whereas the bread represents
life—even God’s life.

The blood or cup is one facet of Christ’s death, while
the flesh is another important facet of His death. We have already mentioned
that this other facet of death is related to the release of God’s life. And such
release is symbolized in the Bible by the breaking of bread. We are sinners who
have our sins washed clean through the Lord’s blood. Why, then, during the observance
of the Lord’s Supper do we not drink the cup first? For in so many words are we
not first saved through the effect of what is meant by the drinking of the cup?
Yet God in His word instructs us to eat the bread first in celebrating the
Lord’s Supper together. This is to help us to realize what the purpose of God
is, which is for us to accept and take into ourselves the Lord’s life as our
life. Christ’s blood is considered secondary in the Lord’s Table observance, for
it is remedial in its aim. On the other hand, bread is considered primary in
the observance since it represents something higher than blood.

May we come to see clearly God’s purpose
here.
I sense that the greatest difficulty in our Christian
walk lies in the emphasis which too many of God’s children place upon
redemption as over against God’s original purpose. But redemption is only remedial
in character in redeeming us from sin but does not represent God’s original
will. For before God created man He had already had His purpose and plan in
mind. He was not simply intent on creating man but that after man’s creation He
in addition had desired man to possess His life. Hence in His spoken words to
His disciples the Lord Jesus made sure to speak of the bread first before He
mentioned the cup (see again Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20).
And the record of Paul’s writings has exhibited the same (see, e.g., I Corinthians
11:23-25). Since this is the way taught in the Bible, we ought to observe this
very emphasis in our Christian walk. On the one hand, many church leaders nowadays
are even unclear on the matter of redemption. They have drifted too far away. On
the other hand, it is also wrong for us only to emphasize redemption since the
latter itself, though certainly important, is not as important as having Christ
as our life.

Let us be clear that God’s original purpose finds its
realization in the flesh because having Christ’s flesh is having God’s life. We
believe we can approach God as soon as we are saved, since we are born of God
and now share in His life. Yet to receive glory and reward is dependent upon
our allowing God’s life to be lived out through us. Romans 3:23 declares all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. What is the glory of God? It is
God himself, His dwelling, and His presence; for the God of glory dwells in
glory. Since all have sinned and come short of God’s glory, none can dwell with
Him. Yet in referencing the mystery of the gospel the last clause in Colossians
1:27 declares: “which is Christ in you [that is, in the saints], the hope of
glory” (see also v. 26). Sinners cannot approach God but the saints of God, who
have Christ in them, can do so, for they have the hope of glory resident within
them.

Christ in us is the purpose of God. Hebrews 2:10 tells us
that God’s original purpose has always been to bring many sons to glory: “it
[was fitting for] him [God], for whom are all things, and through whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation
perfect through sufferings.” What is meant by the two phrases “for whom” and “through
whom” in the first part of that same verse? “For
whom
”
means that all things will return to God, and “through whom” signifies that all
things come from Him. Thus all things both come from and return to God. What,
then, is His purpose? First, God wants many sons; second, He wants these many
sons to enter into glory. And all of this is for the sake of “mak[ing] the
author [or, captain] of their salvation [Christ] perfect through sufferings”
(v. 10c).

And the following passage, verse 11, has these words: “For
both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which
cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Who is “he that sanctifieth”? It
is Christ. And who are “they that are sanctified”? These are the Christians.
Both the Sanctifier and the sanctified are one. In other words, Christ and the
church are one. This word one has reference to God. Christ comes from God, so also
is the church from God and therefore receives her life from God. Hence that
which becomes a sanctified church through Christ—that which is formed in and by
the life of Christ—comes from God. Consequently, Christ is not ashamed to call
us His brethren because both He and we come out from God. Accordingly, for
Christ to call us brethren is a manifestation of the purpose of God. His
eternal purpose is for Christ to have brethren and for God himself to have many
sons.

Now we can see clearly before God that His salvation is
full and complete; for He causes our sins to be forgiven through Jesus’ blood, causes
our old man to be crucified with Christ, and causes the resurrected Lord’s flesh
to be given to us to become our new life. Nevertheless, though all of us believers
may have God’s life already, for many of us that life has not been lived out;
hence, there continue to be defeats and weaknesses. Through death Christ’s
flesh becomes eatable. By eating His flesh we receive God’s life. Whereas the
Lord’s blood makes us alive once more, it is the Lord’s flesh that gives us
life. These are two different things. Before God we should die because of our
sin; however, by Christ shedding His blood as our substitute we need not die.
Originally we had no life but fallen Adam’s; but our taking of Christ’s flesh
gives us God’s life. The application of Christ’s shed blood has in view a negative
purpose, but the giving of His flesh is for a positive purpose. If we exercise living
faith, we can enjoy the benefit of all the work of Christ at Calvary. With
living faith we can have God’s life as our life.

In this connection there is a most interesting and
relevant statement which Jesus uttered halfway through a lengthy discourse on
the Bread of Life that is recorded in John’s Gospel chapter 6. And here I would
focus our attention on His words to be found in verses 47 to 58. Verse 47 is
Jesus’ relevant statement, whose truth He underscored with the opening words, “Verily,
verily I say unto you”—“he that believeth hath eternal life.” So by Jesus
declaring that whoever believes has eternal life we come to understand that the
one who believes immediately comes into possession of God’s eternal life and
that he will live forever without death.

Further on in this same John 6 passage we read of Jesus also
saying that if anyone eats the bread which comes down out of heaven he will live
forever. And His flesh, said Jesus, is this bread from heaven (v. 51c). Whoever
eats His flesh, Jesus went on to say, shall have eternal life (v. 54a). The
giving of His flesh is for giving people God’s life (v. 51c). Let us understand
that this word was not meant for sinners. Sinners need to be delivered from
death. All who are created by God but have not believed in His Son have only
created
life,
they do not have God’s uncreated life. But
now the Lord gives the heavenly bread to men to eat in order that they may have
God’s eternal life. And the bread is Jesus’ flesh. We must therefore pay as
much attention to Christ’s flesh as to His blood. I hope, in fact, that we will
not pay more attention to His blood than to His flesh as many of us have
previously done. For Jesus
himself
placed more
emphasis on the flesh. Indeed, He told us that His flesh is to be our life (vv.
47-51).

When the Jews heard this, they did not understand and argued
among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (v. 52) So
Jesus responded by saying: “Truly, truly, I say to you,
Except
you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in
yourselves” (see v. 53). Here we read of the Lord Jesus mentioning flesh before
mentioning blood just as was pointed out earlier He would do later when eating
His last Passover meal with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Table or
Breaking of Bread.

“Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he
also himself in like manner partook of the same” (Hebrews 2:14a). In this
passage in the original Greek manuscript flesh is again placed before blood by
the God-inspired writer of this New Testament book. God pays great attention to
making sure that the wording of the Scriptures is always accurate. And here He wants
us to see that flesh is what He especially places emphasis upon.

Let us consider again this verse from John 6: “Except ye
eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in
yourselves” (v. 53b). Here we notice that flesh and life are closely related.
People gain life through eating flesh. Yet without having their sins washed
away by the blood first, they are unable to receive life. Unless the problem of
sins is solved before God, there is no way to have God’s life resident within. In
His words here Jesus is heard placing flesh before blood to show us that
without eating His flesh we are not able to have God’s life. And in mentioning
His blood behind that of His flesh, He wants us to know that without the remedial
act of redemption through His shed blood, none can obtain His flesh. In the
preceding two verses in this lengthy John 6 passage the flesh alone is
mentioned. Now, though, both flesh and blood (and in
that
order) are brought into view together for the purpose of showing
us that Christ’s flesh is of primary importance, with the mention of His blood
following secondarily.

Why is it that Christians will be resurrected at the second
coming of the Lord Jesus while the unbelieving must wait till the time of the judgment
of the great white throne? It is because Christians have in themselves God’s
eternal life through Christ. All who have that life may enter into that life at
the coming again of the Lord Jesus. As soon as Christians hear God’s call, they
will arise and enter into His glory. But all who do not have God’s life shall
enter into death. The believing ones who had been buried in the earth’s graves are
able to rise up in resurrection and enter into God’s life and glory (see John
5:24-25, 28-29).
This is because all believers in Christ have
had His blood applied and have
eaten His flesh and hence, they are able
to rise up and be united with God in Christ on that day.

Many may be in Christ, yet they lack much in the
experiencing of Christ. The reason lies in their lack in exercising living
faith. For if you have received Christ with living faith, you ought to realize
that not only you are in Christ but Christ is also in you to be your life and
your all forever. A light bulb must be put in a lamp that is connected to an
electric power plant, and thus will it give forth light. Just so, our being in
Christ means that Christ’s life, power, light, and so forth should naturally
flow through us. Yet this experiencing of Christ is so greatly lacking in the
lives of many Christians today.

Ordinarily we say that we eat flesh but never say that we
eat blood, for blood—a liquid—is to be drunk. However, in several of these
Bible verses we have considered, we noticed that the Lord has put aside the
matter of drink, thus demonstrating that His intent is to emphasize eating, not
drinking. Eating the Lord’s flesh is eating the Lord, for flesh represents
himself. He who eats His flesh can live forever; otherwise, he will die.