Let me state right at the very start that this is a controversial issue. Yet though it is controversial, it is also extremely important. The reason for its importance is because aside from salvation, health is the second-most important gift which Jesus paid for us to have. Without health, everything else falls flat. You could have a great family and wealth of every kind, but if you are sick and laid-up all of the time, you will never be able to enjoy any of it. And God does want us to enjoy life, both now in this present time and of-course in the future with Him in Heaven as well.
That’s why He has not left us helpless; He has not left us without provision. In-fact He has paid an extremely high price for us, for our complete salvation: spirit, soul and body. Yet many people are not experiencing this, due to the fact that many pastors and leaders are not teaching the complete message of what Jesus has paid to give us. Many leaders in the church shy away from what they perceive to be a false doctrine of health and prosperity – however the Bible does not make any attempt to hide the reality of what Christ has paid to give us, and how we are to receive it. And this is what we will be studying today… the complete picture of salvation that Christ has paid for us, spirit, soul and body.
So as we begin today, we will be examining the body and blood of Christ, what we have come to call Communion. Sadly, many believers only have a rudimentary understanding of what the body and blood of Jesus are for, and again this is because in churches today, the teaching never really extends beyond the now standard spiel where the pastor holds up a piece of Matzoh and says “You’ll notice that it has holes and stripes, which symbolize the piercing and stripes that Jesus suffered”, but they never go into any detail. And ironically many churches do not even truly believe in physical healing today, or that Jesus made that provision at the atonement.
However, those of you that are familiar with me, know that I love the details in the Bible, and especially in a topic so very important as this, it is vital to see the details in the provision of Christ for us.
Our first scripture today is going to be Exodus 12:2-13:
“This month shall be to you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Speak you to all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the entrails thereof.
And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.
And thus shall you eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
And the blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
This is the first Passover, so named because of the LORD “passing over” all those who had the blood on the door post. And the first thing for us to see here is right in verse 2… this is a time of new beginnings. This event is so important that God says, this is a beginning for you. God sees the Passover as a time for things to become new. Likewise, when we receive communion today, we also should think of it in the same way.. we are remembering what Jesus has done for us, and how He has indeed made all things new (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
In verses 3 and 4 we see something very interesting. One lamb for an entire house and that the lamb is never too small for a house. This is important because sometimes people have the idea that God’s provision is too little… they don’t really trust God entirely, or they feel like they have to help Him along. Yet here what we see is that the lamb is always enough, and the only proviso here is if the household is too small for the lamb! In other words, God’s provision in many cases will go above and beyond what we need – and in those cases, share it with your neighbor.
Next in verses 5 and 6, we see some interesting and important details here as well. The lamb shall be without blemish. Jesus likewise is also a lamb without blemish (1st Peter 1:19) in the very prime of life and innocence, and a male to typify the firstborn son. This sacrifice could either be from the sheep to show Christ’s innocence, or from the goats to show that all sin was imputed to Him (Isaiah 53:6-9). They are to kill the lamb in the evening, on the 14th day. And Likewise, Jesus died on the 14th day of the month – and He also died in the evening (which was a Jewish expression for the six to ninth hour, or noon to three).
Now in verses 7 through 11 we see the two components come into focus, the blood and body of the lamb. And take notice that each component is a part of the whole and yet still unique. I have asked believers many times, “what is the cup for when you receive communion?” and they say “it’s the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.” and then I say “Great! Now what is the bread for?” and they have no real answer. Or they say that it is also for the forgiveness of sins. This represents the absence of vital knowledge regarding the provision of Christ… so let’s examine this closer.
In verse 7 we see that they shall take the blood of the lamb and strike it on the two side door posts, and on the upper door post. Notice that the blood never goes on the floor. No-one is ever to cross over or step on the blood.
In verse 8 we see the flesh or the body of the lamb. It is to be eaten that same night, without delay. It is to be roasted with fire, and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Unleavened bread signifies Christ and the bitter herbs signify the bondage that the people are rescued from. For the Israelites it was the bondage of Egypt; for us it is the bondage of sin and death. Now this bondage is more detailed than just saving from hell to heaven. Of course that is the largest bondage, but there is more provision here… provision for this life as well. Remember that sin is defined as anything that falls short of the glory of God, anything that misses the mark of His divine perfection. Continue on to verse 9:
Again we see the direction: do not eat the lamb raw, do not cook or boil it in water, but roast it with fire. What is this about? Well this is very important, because the roasted lamb is a picture of the fire of God’s judgment. You know when pastors Hold up the Matzoh cracker and they recite the speech about the stripes and the holes, there is one detail that they always leave out, and that is the little burn marks on the cracker. Those represent the fire of the holy judgment of God. The roasted lamb signifies that all of the wrath and judgment and punishment for sin has fallen on the sacrifice… and so not on you! You have been spared! The lamb has suffered in your place, and you are set free! God wants you to receive the fullness of what this means, and so He goes on with verse 10:
Let nothing remain until the morning! Don’t be apathetic about the provisions of God for you! Jesus paid a huge price in order to make everything available!
Then we have verse 11, and this is a picture of what our mindset should be every time we receive communion. We should be prepared. The verse says to eat with our loins girded, shoes on our feet and our staff in our hand. The Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt, and God told them that when you eat this, be ready to leave your place of bondage. Likewise, we should not receive communion with a ho-hum, humdrum attitude – but we should be expecting to be set free from bondage!
Now what bondage is this? Again this is where many believers are missing it… look at verse 13:
“And the blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
God says that when He sees the blood… He will pass over, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you.
Now this was the first pass over, and I have made some claims that the blood is for forgiveness of sins, and the body of the lamb is for provision of health in your body. Some people shy away from this, thinking that this is some strange health and wealth doctrine. So turn with me to Psalms 105:36-38:
“He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell on them.”
Verse 36 makes it clear what event is being described here. Verse 37 tells us that God brought the Israelites out also with silver and gold. Now what is that? What would you call that? It’s wealth! Don’t be afraid to say it, it is the truth of God straight from the Bible! And the next part says: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. What is that? It’s not just normal health – it’s divine health! Not one single person feeble from the youngest to the oldest! And then verse 38, Egypt was glad when they left because fear fell on them. My friends there is both provision of wealth and provision of health where Jesus is concerned… it’s in your Bible, the truth is there, so the question is why fight it?
Some say “Well James, that was just for Israel back then! God doesn’t do that today!”
Okay then, let’s fast forward to the time when Jesus walked on the earth and let’s see what He has to say about His body. John 6:48-53:
“I am that bread of life.
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”
Now take a good look at verse 51 here. Jesus says that He is giving a new type of bread. This bread is His own flesh and that He will give it for the life of the world. World here is kosmos in Greek; all of mankind, not just the Israelites. And life there is zoe in Greek. And I know that many people think that zoe means eternal life. However, “eternal life” is always aiónios zoe… whereas just zoe by itself, means physical life. So what Jesus is saying here is that the bread which He is giving us now is His flesh and He is giving it for the physical life for all of mankind.
This is powerful stuff here, this is an amazing promise by the LORD. This is a wonderful provision. So why are so few people actually experiencing it? Why are so many believers sick, weak and dying today? Now we come to the main crux of our study today – and it is found in 1st Corinthians 11:23-32:
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do you, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come.
Why whoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
I specifically wanted you to read verses 23 through 25 because I wanted you to hear the words of Jesus, and how very personal they are. This is My body, broken for you. This cup is the New Covenant in My blood.
Now verse 27 is where people start getting tripped up. This is no small issue, and many pastors have perpetuated the lie, and regurgitated this false idea that if you partake of communion with sin in your life, that your are eating and drinking unworthily and you are guilty and you will fall sick and/or die as judgment from God. And my friend, that is a total lie and not at all what the scripture is saying!
Twice we see the word “unworthily”, first in verse 27 and again in verse 29. Both times it is an adverb; an adverb modifies the verb (action) and not the one performing the action. What we can learn from this is that these verses are not speaking about the person being unworthy to partake of communion, but the unworthy manner in which they were partaking.
Think about it, Jesus had communion with people. Were they free from sin? If not, He caused them to eat and drink unworthily. If the criteria for communion was being sinless, then no human could ever partake – only Jesus alone – because He is the only on without sin.
Yet look at what is being stated in verses 31 and 32: if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. In Luke 22:19-20, Jesus said to receive communion in remembrance of Him; and that is what is being spoken of here. If we would examine ourselves in remembrance of what Jesus Christ has done for us, how He has redeemed us, washed us and bought us back from sin, then we would see as the verse continues on to say that we should not be judged.
Now notice the two uses of the words “judge” and “judged” in verse 31. Our English translations have done us a disservice here, because in the original Greek text they are two separate words. The first word “judge” is diakrinō which means “to separate, discriminate or decide as an arbitrator”, and the second word “judged” is krinō which means “to condemn or punish”.
Do you see it? One small detail can make all the difference, and this is surely a wonderful difference. So to translate this verse properly in the light of what we have learned, it would read like this:
If we were to arbitrate and separate ourselves with regards to the finished work of Christ Jesus for us, we would see that we should not be condemned.
Now verse 32 is the other area of confusion so let’s proceed to study it. It says But when we are judged (krinō again) we are chastened (trained, lifted-up) by the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. So we can see that this explanation now makes sense with the understanding that we now have. When we are feeling condemned, God trains us and lifts us up through the knowledge of Christ that we should not be condemned with the world.
Remember now that this is all in the context of Communion. But we can see how the common wrong idea about communion has been robbing people by frightening them away from communion. The very people who are feeling condemned by their sins, are being turned-away from receiving the way out – because as we just read, when we are feeling condemned, God lifts us up through the knowledge of Christ that we should not be condemned with the world… and the purpose of communion is to remember Christ.
So now let’s examine the provision that comes with communion through the body of Christ given for us. Take another look at verses 29 and 30. The real unworthy manner to eat and drink is to not discern the LORD’s body, and unfortunately, through bad teaching over the years, many are doing exactly that today – let’s see what the result of that is in verse 30: For this cause, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
I wish the scripture didn’t say “many” here, but it does. There are many who are ignorant of this truth; they have been taught wrong all their lives, they’ve been religiously brainwashed instead of New Covenant taught. They have been conditioned to doubt the provision paid for by the body of Jesus Christ. And so they suffer needlessly. But friend, I encourage you today to see the complete provision which Jesus Christ made for you… His blood, for your complete spiritual redemption and securing you in the New Covenant of Grace; and also His body, broken, beaten and torn apart, so you can be whole, healed, and restored together with both His image and likeness. This is rightly discerning the body and blood of Christ for you.