Matthew the apostle wrote, “Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, You have said”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse twenty-six of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus, “took bread, and blessed it … and said, Take, eat; this is my body” where we read:
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it,
and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
The verse reads, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, ...” Matthew began words, “and as they were eating” which means “and while the disciples were devouring and consuming the Passover meal”, “Jesus” which refers to “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation”, “took bread” which means “lay hold of bread with his hand” “and blessed it” or “and celebrated with praises, invoked blessing and consecrated the bread”. Matthew shared how Jesus took a particular loaf or piece of “bread” and “blessed” it in the view of the disciples.
The verse goes on to say, “... and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” Matthew continued with the words, “and brake it” which means “and tore it in two or more pieces”, “and gave it” or “and granted, bestowed, supplied and furnished the bread”, “to the disciples” which means “to Jesus' students, pupils and attendants”, “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “Take” which means “lay hold of, procure and take possession of the bread”, “eat” or “devour and consume”; “this is my body” or “the bread is Jesus' body”. Matthew shared how Jesus “broke” the bread He took, distributed it to His disciples and told them to “take” the bread and “eat” it because it represented His body.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we notice this is the initiation of what is known as “the Lord' Supper, Communion or the Eucharist”. Jesus specifically took the “bread, blessed and broke it” and then distributed it to His disciples. He declared the “bread” was His body, and we shall learn more of what He meant in the next few verses. For now, let those reading these words understand that Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of mankind, desired for His disciples to “receive” His body, and those who are wise shall make a practice of doing so as often as opportunity arises.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus, “took the cup … saying, drink you all of it”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
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