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Additional considerations (Continued from Part 5)
One last biblical type to consider is this: the totality of the Old Testament Passover was itself a prefigurement of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in New Testament times, and the two taken together fulfill the requirements of “an ordinance forever”, which is quoted above. In other words, Christ transferred the fulfillment of the requirements of Exodus 12 from the old Jewish Passover, which He would no longer accept (Malachi 1: 10-11), to the New Covenant Sacrifice – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The New Testament counterpart of Exodus 12: 14, 17 & 24, is: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke: 22:19). The Catholic Church, through the Mass, continues the perpetual remembrance of Exodus 12:14, 17, 24, but in a more perfect way.
Just as the Jewish Passover was a re-presentation of the original Passover, done in remembrance of the night before the Jews left Egypt, so too the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and is done, as He requested, in remembrance of His redemptive actions on Calvary (Luke 22: 19). But the Mass is also so much more. It is the means by which the merits gained on Calvary are brought to us; it is the method Christ gives us to fulfill the requirements of John 6:53-59.
It should be noted that Paul links this requirement of John 6: 53-54 to the last supper. Again in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Paul states: “Christ is the Paschal Lamb who has been sacrificed…” But then notice that Paul adds an additional requirement to Christ’s sacrifice – “Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (As a side note – Communion hosts are made from unleavened bread).
So how do we keep the feast? We must eat the Lamb, the Real Lamb – Christ in the Eucharist. Here, Paul is restating the requirements of Exodus 12:8 (the Paschal lamb had to be eaten) and showing its connection to 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. In other words 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, John 6: 53-54, and the three accounts of the institution of the Holy Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; and Luke 22:19-20), are the New Testament fulfillment of Exodus 12:8
As was stated above in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, Paul, gives a stern warning against receiving the Eucharist unworthily - reception by a non-believer, or by a person who is in a state of serious sin. His warning is very significant here, because it proves that the Eucharist is truly the Body of Christ. If that were not the case and the Eucharist is just a piece of ordinary bread, just a symbol as Protestants claim, how then could someone be “guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” just for eating a piece of bread, eating a symbol? If the Eucharist is just a symbol, it wouldn’t matter what state a person’s soul was in, or what the person believes. If it is only a symbol, then Paul’s statement here is pointless and has no meaning. Obviously, scripture is not pointless, so the only way his statement has any meaning is if the Eucharist is truly the Body of Christ. Paul’s warning here also ties in with John 20: 19-23.
Continued in part 7
One last biblical type to consider is this: the totality of the Old Testament Passover was itself a prefigurement of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in New Testament times, and the two taken together fulfill the requirements of “an ordinance forever”, which is quoted above. In other words, Christ transferred the fulfillment of the requirements of Exodus 12 from the old Jewish Passover, which He would no longer accept (Malachi 1: 10-11), to the New Covenant Sacrifice – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The New Testament counterpart of Exodus 12: 14, 17 & 24, is: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke: 22:19). The Catholic Church, through the Mass, continues the perpetual remembrance of Exodus 12:14, 17, 24, but in a more perfect way.
Just as the Jewish Passover was a re-presentation of the original Passover, done in remembrance of the night before the Jews left Egypt, so too the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and is done, as He requested, in remembrance of His redemptive actions on Calvary (Luke 22: 19). But the Mass is also so much more. It is the means by which the merits gained on Calvary are brought to us; it is the method Christ gives us to fulfill the requirements of John 6:53-59.
It should be noted that Paul links this requirement of John 6: 53-54 to the last supper. Again in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Paul states: “Christ is the Paschal Lamb who has been sacrificed…” But then notice that Paul adds an additional requirement to Christ’s sacrifice – “Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (As a side note – Communion hosts are made from unleavened bread).
So how do we keep the feast? We must eat the Lamb, the Real Lamb – Christ in the Eucharist. Here, Paul is restating the requirements of Exodus 12:8 (the Paschal lamb had to be eaten) and showing its connection to 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. In other words 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, John 6: 53-54, and the three accounts of the institution of the Holy Eucharist (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; and Luke 22:19-20), are the New Testament fulfillment of Exodus 12:8
As was stated above in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, Paul, gives a stern warning against receiving the Eucharist unworthily - reception by a non-believer, or by a person who is in a state of serious sin. His warning is very significant here, because it proves that the Eucharist is truly the Body of Christ. If that were not the case and the Eucharist is just a piece of ordinary bread, just a symbol as Protestants claim, how then could someone be “guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” just for eating a piece of bread, eating a symbol? If the Eucharist is just a symbol, it wouldn’t matter what state a person’s soul was in, or what the person believes. If it is only a symbol, then Paul’s statement here is pointless and has no meaning. Obviously, scripture is not pointless, so the only way his statement has any meaning is if the Eucharist is truly the Body of Christ. Paul’s warning here also ties in with John 20: 19-23.
Continued in part 7
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