Title: The Significance of the Eucharist
Contents
The sacrament observed on Sacrament Sunday like today is not simply a ceremony of eating bread and wine, but a holy ceremony containing the Lord's promises including the covenant. Paul said that this sacrament should be kept until the Lord comes, and Jesus said that whenever we celebrated the sacrament, we should remember me. The popularity and wealth of the world experienced by celebrities such as Bae Yong-joon, the protagonist of Winter Sonata, who enjoys the most popularity in Japan, is the envy of many people, but it is like a breeze and is temporary like a mirage. However, there is someone who does not disappoint us even if we believe and follow them forever, and will be a friend and guide on the rough road of life. He is Jesus Christ. Today, I would like to take a look at the sacrament he instituted and share his grace.
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I. The ceremony to commemorate the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:23~25)
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“What I gave to you was from the Lord, that he took bread on the night that the Lord Jesus was being arrested, 24 and after giving thanks and breaking it, he said, “This is my body for you; do this in remembrance of me.” This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
The Lord's Supper has more authority than anything in the world because it was instituted and administered by the Lord Himself. Today's era is an era of distrust, in which neither an engagement nor a marriage, nor a politician, nor a teacher, nor a parent can be trusted. However, the Lord's Supper is not instituted by unbelievers, it is a covenant and promise of Jesus that never changes and keeps what he promised once to the end. There are two sacraments in Christianity, baptism and the Lord's Supper, but in Roman Catholicism, 5 sacraments (confirmation, confession, marriage, laying on of hands, and consecration) are added and called seven sacraments.
In Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” and in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be saved. You will be condemned.” He tells them to baptize. Through the Eucharist, we participate in the sacrifice of Christ's atoning sacrifice and all its graces, which was accomplished once for all on the cross. Participation in the Lord's Supper means that we trust Jesus' suffering and death, and thus receive the promises of forgiveness and eternal life in a realistic way. Whenever we partake of the Lord's Supper, we must renew the promises of Jesus and live a life that repays His love and grace. Let us celebrate the Lord before the Lord's Supper. This should not be celebrated with the head alone. True remembrance is not remembering with the head, but experiencing with the body what the head knows. So, by eating bread and grape juice, we commemorate it in our body.
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Ⅱ. The ceremony of receiving the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:27,28)
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“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Through the Eucharist, we participate in the sacrifice of Christ's atoning sacrifice and all its graces, which was accomplished once for all on the cross. It is true that Jesus himself was incarnated and wanted to deliver the great and wonderful grace and blessings that he wanted to give to people through the Eucharist based on the Eucharist (sacred body, flesh and body) he taught. The Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus, is not merely a memorial, nor is it a day of remembrance of his Passion and death. It is the ritual of being cleansed by the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, the death of Jesus is the only and surest reason for the forgiveness of our sins. The first promise of the Lord's Supper is the promise of the forgiveness of sins. Man has sinned and deserves eternal punishment. But the Lord shed His blood for us and died on the cross. When we believe in Jesus, who died on the cross for us, our sins are forgiven and we become children of God. Let's give thanks and glory to Jesus, who died on our behalf without sin to forgive my sins at this time, and serve our Lord until the end of our lives.
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Ⅲ. The ceremony of gaining new life (John 6:53~55)
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“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. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
Jesus did not say these words to destroy the law, but only to reveal that He is the source of life. The law (Genesis 9:4) also says that blood is the seat of life, or life itself. To eat flesh and drink blood means to believe in Jesus in a spiritual sense. If we believe in Jesus, whose flesh was torn and shed His blood to save us, we will have new life and have eternal life. The believer's life is not just given. For there was the sacrifice of him who died for me in his body and blood.
God, who is the source of life, has given the power of life to his Son Jesus. Therefore, those who eat the bread of life, who believe in the Son of God, enjoy eternal life. Just as our bodies must eat food and water to live, so our souls must eat spiritual food to live. Those of us who receive new life must eat spiritual food. Those who eat this food will enjoy eternal life.
Saints! I hope that you will be healthy physically and physically by receiving and eating spiritual food through the Lord's Supper today, and enjoy eternal life with the Lord.(2004.11.28.)