In our last post in answer to the question: What is pictured by the Cup?

We had determined that the Cup was a picture of the Sin Offering experiences of Jesus and the Church, of the sufferings, trials, ignominy and self-denials he endured and what all who would be joined to the body through his baptism would have to endure.

It’s as if our Lord is inviting us – beckoning to us – “Come my children – suffer with me – for if you do, you will reign with me. I know it will be difficult for I too suffered – I learned how to be a merciful and sympathetic High Priest. So I will be with you, through every pain, every sorrow, and every heartache. Father graciously provided for those who will be part of my sacrifice as my Body members – then you will be blessed beyond the fondest dreams of your comprehension.”

It appears throughout Scriptures that both from the suffering standpoint and the reward blessing standpoint the Church is never dealt with as a separate group in themselves but always and ever as the Body of Christ – as joint heirs with Christ.

We see it also in the Memorial Cup.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt 26:26-28 KJV)

Here we are told the church were to “Drink ye all of it” for “this is my blood of the New Covenant or which seals the New Covenant.”

The word “MY” in other words refers to THE Christ, Head and Body.

The use of the phrase “MY blood” meaning not Jesus blood (life) alone, but referring likewise to the blood (lives) of His Body members as well as– it’s very similar to how the Lord uses the personal pronoun “Himself” in the Lev 16 Day of Atonement chapter.

“And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself.” (Lev 16:11)

In Verse 11 we are told “Aaron (who pictures the New Creature of Jesus) shall bring the bullock of the sin offering which is for HIMSELF!

It’s obvious the word HIMSELF does not mean Jesus alone for Jesus didn’t need a Sin Offering for he was perfect. The pronoun HIMSELF really means for HIS BODY MEMBERS, the Church.

So when it says “this is MY blood” it really means Head and Body which will seal the New Covenant.

In all the previous symbols of blood which sealed the New Covenant we saw how it was always in two parts – blood of Bullocks and Goats.

So here in the Memorial Cup which we are told is the Blood of Christ which seals the New Covenant it too pictures the two elements – Head and Body.

When we partake of the cup, and reflect on 1 Cor 10:16: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (participation) of the blood of the Anointed one?

May we reflect on how we as members of the Anointed One (the Christ) throughout the world, have the privilege of sharing together in a common participation of what the Cup Symbolizes.

 That is, the privilege of sharing in the cup of suffering, that is, in the suffering experiences of “The Christ” the anointed class head and body. It is this commingled blood of Jesus with his body members that will symbolically Seal the New Covenant, just as it was the blood of bulls and goats that sealed the Old Law Covenant.”

So then from what we have gathered thus far in order for us to become participators in Christ death we must not only be willing to share in his baptism, his sacrificial death, but we must likewise be willing to drink from his cup share in the experiences which he endured, the sufferings, trials, self-denials and the ignominy. This will require great sacrifice of the individual, many obstacles will stand in the way, but we have the assurance of our Master’s help for he has tread this path before.

The question is are we willing, if so,

How do we go about doing this, what’s the first step?

The Apostle Paul in Rom 12:1 answers:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present (consecrate) your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

It should be noticed that these words of the Apostle are not addressed to the unbelieving world, but to those only to whom he recognizes as “brethren”, fellow believers (both those who had not yet consecrated themselves, and those who had, but who needed further encouragement to fulfill their consecration vows).

“We remember that God could not accept an offering brought by one under condemnation; and in view of the fact that all the human family was so condemned in Adam, so how could we who are imperfect hope to offer an acceptable sacrifice?

As expressed in our text, this may be done by or through “the mercies of God,” in providing for us a Redeemer. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” By reason of faith in our Savior we are justified to peace with God, and are thus acceptable to Him as sacrificers. We now have a life (our restitutional life rights secured through the ransom, although presently only reckoned to us) to offer, for “he that hath the Son hath life.” (1 John 5:12)

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, [ransomed, justified –and therefore] acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”

Our sacrifice is only acceptable (made holy) as we have been “made right” through the imputation of the merit of Christ righteousness. “Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners and he needed to apply his merit for us, in order that our sacrifice might be accepted. God will accept our sacrifice, if we come through faith in Christ. That is his arrangement, for Christ has made a satisfaction for our sins. Be our sacrifice ever so lame and imperfect (in Christ), it is reckoned holy and without blemish; but it must be a free-will offering, and it must be a whole burnt-offering–not the smallest piece can be kept back.”

We ourselves do not come to God directly, but through the great High Priest, who imputes his merit, and includes our sacrifice as a part of his own.

This is pictured in the Tabernacle and “The Consecration of the Priesthood” with the offering of the two rams as recorded in Exodus Chapter 29 and Leviticus Chapter 8, we won’t go into the details here but suffice to say that the first ram designated, “the ram for the burnt offering” typifies how God receives our sacrifice. After Aaron and his sons had laid their hands upon the ram indicating that it represented them, the ram was then cut into pieces its legs and entrails washed and then placed with the head. The whole ram was then burnt upon the altar, the head being placed upon the altar first followed by the washed parts.

Here an excellent illustration is shown of how our sacrifice is made acceptable by our being joined to Christ. The Head was laid on the altar first and since then all who are “dead with him,” and likewise cleansed, as in the type, by the washing of the Word—are reckoned as laid with the Head upon the same altar.

Before we take a look at what specifically it is that we agree to sacrifice, in our next post we would like to address a concern some may be having right about now.