Do some people take it too far? Eucharist

[Filippus]

I agree with your narrative and the following came to mind.

Jews were also forbidden from eating of the sin offerings.

The Passover wasn't a sin offering, unlike the other festivals all adult males took part in the Passover.

It was the 1st of three National Feasts which required the adult males to be in Jerusalem. Ex23:17

It was the literal Passover meal that initiated the Old Covenant, a symbol of something better, the NEW Covenant.

Is Jesus an high priest? Or is it just a metaphor?

Jesus is literally our High Priest in the New Covenant.

Not being a Zadok priest according to the Law of Moses(being from Juda), but according to the order of Melchizedek. Heb 5:10; 7:10.

The shadow and pattern of the tabernacle was merely a symbol of His work as High Priest in the true tabernacle!

Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Heb 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. {are: or, be ye }

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus and the Word are symbols of each other and is interchangeable.

That doesn't mean that when I am holding the Bible in my hand, that I am holding Jesus in my hand, it's a book representing Jesus and what He stood for and commands respect.

Now for the best part.

John 6:53‭-‬58 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. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Now from above, we learn that when Jesus introduced the communion, the exact hour when the Passover was consumed, and Old Covenant celebrated.

He introduced the New Covenant with again a meal, which symbolizes His death.

Being present when He gave His disciples the communion, the communion when consumed represented your commitment and willingness to enter in to the New Covenant, dying to sin.

In my view the communion is the most important symbol or Eucharist, of the New Covenant.

Just my thoughts, hope it helps.

Shalom

 

[Filippus]

In fact, the Passover was not complete until the Jews ate the lamb.

Exactly, but that also means that we haven't become part of the New Covenant until we have eaten the Communion.

Shalom

 

[Valletta]

Exactly, but that also means that we haven't become part of the New Covenant until we have eaten the Communion.

Shalom

1 Cor 11:23-29
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Exactly, but that also means that we haven't become part of the New Covenant until we have eaten the Communion.

Shalom

Eastern Orthodox baptize, anoint and then communion infants.

 

[A_Thinker]

You interpret this as Jesus saying that His flesh profits nothing?
Well that whole "incarnation" thing was a waste of time then, wasn't it!

The sacrificial focus wasn't His flesh ... it was His blood ... and it was part of God's commands to the Israelites ... not to eat the blood of any sacrifice.

The LIFE is in the BLOOD ...

Leviticus 17

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eats. any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.

12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourns among you eat blood.

Even Peter, Paul, James, and John all agreed to instruct the early Gentile believers ... not to consume blood.

Acts 15

22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

 

[Filippus]

The sacrificial focus wasn't His flesh ... it was His blood ... and it was part of God's commands to the Israelites ... not to eat the blood of any sacrifice.

This does not agree with Scripture.

John 6:53‭-‬57 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.

Shalom