The Meal That Heals

The Meal That Heals

out. Was Jesus encouraging cannibalism? Were His words to be taken literally? On one occasion, Christ spoke of destroying this Temple and in three days He would build it again (Matthew 26:61). Religious critics twisted the intent of Christ’s statement and rumored that He wanted to destroy Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. Christ was referring to His physical body and not the man-made Temple in Jerusalem. At times, Christ taught in parables and mysteries that needed further explanation: “But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.” Mark 9:32 It would be much later, at Christ’s final Passover supper, that the disciples would understand the full meaning of Christ’s message about His blood and His body. That night, as Jesus held up the cup that represented the ancient Passover, He introduced the cup with a new meaning: the cup of His blood of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28). As Christ broke the unleavened bread representing the haste out of which the Hebrews fled Egyptian bondage, Christ spoke of this bread representing His body: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for l say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:17-20 The disciples were aware of what the cup and the bread represented. Each year at the feast of Passover, the Jews would remember the time they came out of Egyptian slavery (Leviticus 23:5-8). There was no time to place leaven in the bread; therefore, the bread was baked without the leaven. During the Passover meal, the

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