Healing Through Communion Dr. Mike Fogerson January 9th, 2013
22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 1 Cor 11:22-26 (NASB)
A The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal, it’s symbolic for a “blood oath.”
1 Grew up watching The Lone Ranger, Indians would cut their hand & co-mingle blood to ratify friendship, two lives have merged.
a This exchange was for life, binding for generations
b 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 1 Sam 18:3 (NASB)
Similar situation / commitment
2 In the O.T. covenant is “berith” - means “to cut” & cut that binds.
a A blood covenant consisted of...
aa Two agreeing parties entering into an agreement
bb An animal was halved, separated and the blood soaked into the ground
cc The parties would then walk together through the blood, in between the halved animal
b The blood would be unavoidable on clothes, feet, hands
aa The blood is the substance that represents life
bb The binding / commitment represented a life long contract
cc And a fortifier of life for breaking covenant
c We are in this together!
B In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ blood is the substance we mingle with
1 We symbolically take in the body & blood because we are in covenant with Him
a His life becomes my life & my life becomes His life
b Refusing communion is a symptom of a spiritual problem
aa I don’t need it (Disobedience)
bb I don want to be in fellowship with You / church
cc I don’t want to get right (Sin)
c Answer: Stay away from them
2 Jesus called the Lord’s Supper the “New Covenant”
a New can mean two different things in the N.T.
aa Neos: New in time... like a new 2013 car.
(But God promised it before the world was!)
bb Kainos: New in quality
b Jesus used “Kainos” because the covenant was as old as Adam / Eve’s bloody clothing, Lamb slain by Abel, Bread / wine offered to Abraham / Melchizedek, offering of Isaac, temple sacrifices, day of Atonement, the Passover... All of these are shadows of Calvary!
aa The shadow became substance - Ritual became reality
bb The benefits released were supernatural
C The communion table has its own symbols
1 The wine & the bread
a The wine relates to our sin & their forgiveness through the blood of Jesus!
aa 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (NASB)
bb It pictures the life of Christ being taken into the life of the believer
b The body of Jesus (represented in the bread) has to do with our bodies.
aa 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well -being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 (NASB)
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross , so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)
bb Jesus was beaten by a trained punisher with a Roman cat -o- nine tails.
cc 39 blows from a whip with nine leather straps (glass, bone, stone) - 351 stripes
dd Stripes for our healing
2 Matzo bread has stripes, pierced, bruising
a 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men. Isaiah 52:14 (NASB)
b His body became unrecognizable for our healing
c His body broke the death grip of the law as well!
3 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep . 1 Cor 11:29-30 (NASB)
a In the Greek “unworthy” is not in the text
b “Judgement” is criminal guilt
aa His blood saved you!
bb His body heals you!
c When properly understood, healing is released in communion.
Conclusion
A In Corinth, because of a basic lack of understanding of communion people were sick, weak, dying
1 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep . 1 Cor 11:29-30 (NASB)
a Weak mean feeble, infirmity, impotent
b Sick means illness
c Sleep means death
d All Physical!
2 When we take communion, specifically the bread, we are taking in His life for our physical healing
a The blood ratifies what the bread released in the covenant with God
b Faith is the way / manner we take the blessing released through the meal that heals.
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
