Holy Communion

Unlocking the MYSTERIES I have been working on a message about righteous anger. But when we watched the coronation of King Charles on television, I began to realize the Lord wanted to show me things far beyond the process of anointing and crowning a king over an earthly kingdom. He wanted to talk about how He anoints and sets kings and priests over His Spiritual Kingdom. As I watched, I began to realize the process is revealed in and around the symbolism of Holy Communion.

“Has made us KINGS and PRIESTS.”

The Apostle John understood Christ’s ultimate purpose of making kings and priests of His disciples and revealed this in the final book of the Bible he called, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” which he began with this powerful greeting from the Godhead:

Revelation 1:4–6 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come (God the Father –The Great “I AM”), and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne (God the Holy Spirit), 5 and from Jesus Christ (God the Son), the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood(not with water), 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)

Kings are crowned and anointed. In Greek, “Jesus Christ” means “Jesus the Anointed One.” God the Father crowned and anointed Jesus to be both King and Priest after the Order of Melchizedek (not the Order of Saul or Aaron who carried an expiration date (Heb.7:11). For Jesus to make us kings and priests (like Himself) unto God the Father, it is a three-step process, that begins with love. He loved us, He washed us (not with water, but with BLOOD), and then He made us kings and priests in the likeness of Melchizedek, who have come, “not according to the law of a fleshly commandment (as Levi), but according to the power of an endless life (Heb.7:15-17).”

The morning after the coronation of King Charles, I awoke fully expecting to hear more about righteous anger, but instead, the Lord blocked the entire subject to the point where I couldn't even remember the title. Instead, He began talking to me about the elements of communion and reminded me that He said of the bread: “This is my body (Mat.26:26),” and of the wine: “This is my blood (Mat.26:27).”

What it means to be “Born of Water.”

He then reminded me of His conversation with Nicodemus concerning the Kingdom of God.

John 3:3–5 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (NKJV)

Some theologians have assumed that the water is the water of baptism, while others have thought the water referred to the womb’s embryonic sack filled with water, signifying that we must be born of the flesh. But why would Jesus point this out as a necessary requirement to enter the Kingdom to Nic and everyone else who are already born of flesh? Nicodemus must have understood that much, because he responded by asking, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born (Jn.3:4)?” But Jesus wasn’t talking about anyone needing to be born a second time in the flesh, He was referring to something different and even more miraculous. Since the Kingdom of God is not physical, but spiritual, clearly everyone must be born of the Spirit to see or to enter the Kingdom. I believe Paul understood this principle when he wrote, “That NO FLESH should glory in His (God’s) presence (1 Cor.1:29).”

Nicodemus was an Orthodox Jew, so when Jesus mentioned water, I believe it’s safe to assume he wouldn't be thinking of John's baptism or the sacrament of Christian baptism. Water to Nic was the medium used daily for ceremonially washing and cleansing the body.

Back to The Wedding at Cana

As Christians, I believe Christ’s reference to being “Born of water” should take us back to the wedding at Cana, where we saw a powerful foreshadowing of what was about to come. It’s no coincidence the Holy Spirit pointed out that water was being held in “six water-pots of stone (symbolizing the hardened hearts of man) and used by the Jews for religious purification (ceremonial washing). The water of Old Covenant ceremonial washing was miraculously changed and transformed into New Covenant wine (symbolizing ULTIMATE JOY). The repetitive outward ceremonial cleansing with water, would give way to the once and for all inward cleansing of all sin, by the blood of Jesus Christ. But what water could only do outwardly and occasionally, the blood of Christ would do inwardly and permanently. It's no wonder that the Bridegroom(Christ )has “kept the good wine (this new wine) until NOW! (Jn.2:10)” The blood of Jesus has become the best wine of all!

“My hour has not yet come.”

At the wedding in Cana, when Jesus’ mother told Him, “They have no wine,” He replied: “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come (Jn.2:3-4).” The wedding wine was the responsibility of the bridegroom. When Jesus said, “MY HOUR has not yet come,” He was thinking of a future wedding—His wedding—in which He, the Bridegroom, will marry us — the Bride of Christ.

Later, when Jesus' hour had fully come, He would commemorate it as a time of everlasting joy, by declaring this “NEW WINE” as a symbol of HIS BLOOD which would eternally ratify the New Covenant. The New Covenant is actually a marriage covenant between Christ and His Bride. ETERNAL UNION with Christ is synonymous with ENTERING the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 26:26–2926 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many (not all) for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” (NKJV)

Paul shared this revelation of the marriage of Christ and His Church:

Ephesians 5:22–33 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of WATER by THE WORD, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (NKJV)

As Christians, we believe birth begins at conception. Perhaps we can gain more understanding of the Spiritual birthing process to which Jesus was referring (“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit…”) by looking at how Jesus was conceived. According to Luke’s Gospel, The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Gabriel washed away her unbelief by telling her that Elizabeth, who is barren, is in her sixth month of pregnancy. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your WORD.” (Luke 1:34-38)

Do you see it? Nine months later, Jesus, the Son of God, was literally born of THE SPIRIT and THE WATER — THE SPIRIT and THE WORD! The Word became flesh, so the flesh could become the Word! Beyond SEEING, ENTERING, KINGS and PRIESTS— In Christ, WE ARE THE KINDOM OF GOD!