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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SHEW THE LORD’S DEATH?

We are told of ritually “eating the bread” and “drinking of the cup” to shew the Lord’s death till He comes. 1 Cor. 11:23-26.

But the Greek word translated “shew” is “Kataggellete”, and means “you down proclaim” or “you down evangelize” or “you down preach.”
1 Cor. 11:26 should thus be translated:
“For, as often as, if ever, you may be eating the bread this, and the cup you may be drinking, the death of the Lord you are evangelizing down until which He should come.” 1 Cor. 11:26.
Thus the symbol of “eating the bread” and “drinking of the cup” is preaching or evangelizing the death of Christ until when He should come again. This is what Paul did. 1 Cor. 1:18,23; 1 Cor. 2:2.
But how can “eating bread” and “drinking of the cup” ritually, preach the Lord’s death? Since these acts are not symbols of the Lords death, but symbolize man’s response to the Lord’s death, this response can do no other than preach the benefit of, thus the meaning of Jesus’ death (or why He died). The Bible shows purpose that are beneficial to man in His death. 1 Pet. 2:21,24; 1 Pet. 3:18.
To understand the meaning of the Lord’s death is very important, thus it must be understood and preached. Acts. 8: 27-35.
God wants us to understand spiritual things. Eph. 1:18; Col. 1:19; Col. 2:2; 1 Jn. 5:20.
Only when we understand the word of God we can bring forth good fruit. Matt. 13:23.
Ritually eating bread and drinking from the cup is preaching the “meaning” of the Lord’s death, God wants us to give understanding of the meaning of the Lord’s death in our preaching. We must give understanding. 1 Cor. 14:15-20.
The death of Christ can be summed up in two basic points:
a. His sufferings unto death. Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:18.
b. His gift of life. Matt. 20:28; Jn. 10:10,11.
Thus eating bread and drinking of the cup ritually must preach to the people the meaning of the death of Christ; this means it must show the meaning of His sufferage unto death and His gift of life. 1 Pet. 1:10-12.
“Eating bread” ritually can be spiritually interpreted the following way:
a. The bread is the flesh of Christ. Jn. 6:51.
b. The flesh is the word. Jn. 1:14.
c. To eat the bread is to eat the flesh of Christ. Jn. 6:53, 54,56.
d. This means to eat the word. Eze. 3:1-4; Jer. 15:16.
e. To eat the word is to meditate on the word of God or to reason it out. (Ps. 119:148; Isa. 1:18).
Since the word speaks of the death of Christ, we are to meditate on the meaning of His death (this is eating the bread). (Jn. 12:32,33; 1 Tim. 4:15,16).
Drinking of the cup can be spiritually interpreted this way:
a. The cup is the fruit of the vine, the wine in it. Lk. 22: 17,18.
b. Wine symbolizes the blood of Christ. Lk. 22:20.
c. Blood symbolizes life. Lev. 17:11,14.
d. Life is an experience of love. Jn. 17:3.
e. To drink is to swallow or to receive (believe or accept). 1 Cor. 10:4..
Therefore to drink of the cup is to receive the life or experience of love. (Jn. 4:10,14; Jn. 5:38,39; Jn. 6:47).
The life is in the word so when one reasons out the word (eat bread) and understand it, he is to believe or receive the life of the word or the word of life. Jn. 6:63,68.
Thus through receiving the word of life, one has life in him or has an experience of love in him. (Jn. 6:53,54; 1 Jn. 4:16).
But how does all this show the meaning of the death of Christ.
a. First of all, the death of Christ is to rid us of all sin. (Matt. 1:21; Gal. 1:4).
b. The death of Christ is to make us holy and righteous. 2 Cor. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Tit. 2:13,14.
The suffering part of the death of Christ shows us the evil of sin. 1 Pet. 4:1,20.

Thus we can truly repent of sin because of seeing its evil through the suffering it brings to Christ. This is the only true repentance where with God can forgive us. (Lk. 22:39-44; 2 Cor. 7:10-12).
God then takes away the evil experience of sin from our hearts and gives us an experience of His love as a replacement, thus we are changed or made righteous. Eze. 36:25-27; Eph. 4:22-24; Rom. 8:6,9-11.
Thus, in conclusion, the meaning of the death of Christ is implicatively seen to be:
a. Suffering to evoke a proper understanding and genuine repentance for sin that we may be forgiven.

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