Maundy Thursday

In Genesis 14:18, we read, "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God."  Jesus is compared to Melchizedek in Hebrews 7:11-28. Melchizedek and his actions were a "type" and a foreshadowing of Jesus.

At the Lord's command, the Israelites celebrated their first Passover on the night before their exodus from Egypt. Lambs without blemish were killed and prepared. With the lamb, the Israelites ate unleavened bread. The blood of the lamb, which was painted on the doorposts, was the sign that would spare the Israelites from the tenth plague to come upon Egypt, namely the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12).

The similarities between the Passover meal and Holy Communion are quite apparent: both are meals of commemoration in which bread is an indispensable component. The cup of wine which is drunk at the end of the Passover meal symbolizes the joy resulting from the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian captivity. The blood of the Passover lamb effected deliverance for the firstborn of the Israelites. This is a reference to Jesus Christ as the "Lamb of God" who was sacrificed: "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1: 29, 1 Peter 1: 19).

Bread is a symbol for human sustenance. Twelve loaves of the "Bread of the Presence" were placed on a table in front of the veil to the Most Holly Place. Each Sabbath, they were eaten by the priests and replaced. (Exodus 25:30). Bread proclaimed the actual presence of God, but this was before his incarnation.

"The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. -Leviticus 17:11-14

In Israel, wine was also a symbol of joy and of future salvation (Isaiah 55:1)

For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup

    with foaming wine, well mixed,

and he pours out from it,

    and all the wicked of the earth

    shall drain it down to the dregs. -Psalm 75:8

Your words were found, and I ate them, -Jeremiah 15:16

Jesus is the word made flesh (John 1:1)

Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.  They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” -Jeremiah 25:15-16

"[Jesus said], "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

"The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.

"When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”  But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?... After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him." -John 6:48-57, 60-61, 66

This also fulfilled the prophecy in Jeremiah 9:17, "Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women." Bread and wine, the elements of the Lords Supper in the new covenant which was established through Jesus blood of the covenant (mentioned earlier in 9:11), give joy (among other feelings) to Gods people, reminding them that the price has been paid for their sins. This is right after the prophecy that was fulfilled in Palm Sunday.

Jesus promised us his life. The life is in the blood. The way to get his life in us is by drinking his blood.  Bread is the symbol for all we need and what sustains us.  What better way to give us his body than through the bread. Isn't it awesome that he found a way to give us his body and blood in, with, and under bread and wine so that we are not cannibals?

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? -1 Corinthians 10:16 

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist. -2 John 1:7

There are three physical advents of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The first is when baby Jesus was born. The second is in the Eucharist. The third is when he will come again to judge the living and the dead.  Note that the last two verses use the present tense.The current advent is in the flesh.