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● Matt 26:26-28 . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks
and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my
body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying:
Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
"the covenant" pertains to something new because the agreement that
Moses' people entered into with God per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy doesn't specify human sacrifices.
● Deut 4:2 . .You shall not add anything to what I command you or take
anything away from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God
that I enjoin upon you.
● Deut 5:29-30 . . Be careful, then, to do as the Lord your God has
commanded you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left: follow only the
path that the Lord your God has enjoined upon you
● Deut 27:26 . . Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this
law by carrying them out.
** Jesus no doubt partook of the bread and the lamb and the spicy dip
because Ex 12:1-20, Lev 23:5-8, and Num 9:1-14, requires it of all Jews; no
exceptions. However, the beverage was a later rabbinical supplement and
therefore not a covenanted requirement so Jesus and his guys could safely
opt out of the part of the seder if they wanted.
The purpose of Jesus' special ceremony is actually very simple. It serves as
a memorial to remind his followers, and to inform observers, that the
covenant he was sealing cost them nothing while costing him his life. In
other words: it's a mini sermon augmented with visual aids, and becomes a
profession of faith by one's personal involvement with the elements, a.k.a.
species.
● 1Cor 11:26 . . For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
The Christian baptism is an effective profession of faith, but Jesus' followers
go thru it only once and never again; whereas his memorial can be done
over and over again ad infinitum, i.e. "whenever"
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