So We Partake In the Body Offered
When Jesus tells us to eat His flesh and drink His blood we are of course aware today that He is speaking of communion. However, He is talking of something far deeper than that according to the book of Leviticus:
Leviticus 6:14–18 (ESV) “And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”
In the laws concerning the offerings the grain offering is particularly significant. Grain is the raw material used for bread. It is stipulated that this grain will be mixed with oil and frankincense and burned. Then, the rest of it will be eaten unleavened and given as a portion to the priests of God. The notice the qualification: "whatever touches them shall become holy." The offering of grain, when touched makes one holy!
How impossible it is to NOT see Christ in this passage!
He is the one one who became flesh as an infant (grain) and grew to a man, was filled with the Holy Spirit (oil) and given the gift of frankincense when He arrived on Earth. He passed through the fire of affliction for us on the Cross as a sinless (unleavened) sacrifice. Then He is offered to the priests (the Church) for food. When we partake of His body, we declare that we have been made holy by His grace through faith!
Jesus would declare to the Jews:
John 6:55–56 (ESV) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
Leviticus 6:14–18 (ESV) “And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”
In the laws concerning the offerings the grain offering is particularly significant. Grain is the raw material used for bread. It is stipulated that this grain will be mixed with oil and frankincense and burned. Then, the rest of it will be eaten unleavened and given as a portion to the priests of God. The notice the qualification: "whatever touches them shall become holy." The offering of grain, when touched makes one holy!
How impossible it is to NOT see Christ in this passage!
He is the one one who became flesh as an infant (grain) and grew to a man, was filled with the Holy Spirit (oil) and given the gift of frankincense when He arrived on Earth. He passed through the fire of affliction for us on the Cross as a sinless (unleavened) sacrifice. Then He is offered to the priests (the Church) for food. When we partake of His body, we declare that we have been made holy by His grace through faith!
Jesus would declare to the Jews:
John 6:55–56 (ESV) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
He is the bread come down from heaven. We feed on Christ when we look at Him through the scriptures and understand His great loving care for us. His being in us is our provision and strength. Being away from Him is like not eating - it will leave you weak and empty. It is important to remember, this offering was the daily food for the priests... that is, it sustained their lives! How many Christians are weak because they do not regularly receive the Words of Christ. I find that whenever I hear the preached Word, I come away full. Whenever I read the written Word, it strengthens and upholds me.
John 6:63 (ESV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
We feed on Christ through His Word as the Spirit speaks it into the depths of our souls. Just as food must be chewed, swallowed and then digested, so must the Word of God come into our mouths and be rehearsed and swallowed. It may not feel at times like anything is happening, but the Word of God is always achieving it's intended purposes. We thankfully receive of His goodness every time we partake of the living Word of God.
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