Unworthiness

Christ body has gone to paradise, but his Spirit lives on. As Jesus ascended, his "Ghost" descended, not coincidentally, but on the day of Pentecost. This day celebrates the 50th (Pentecost) day after the Passover. In English it is called the "feast of weeks". It is a celebration of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22), and the day the Law was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Although the wheat is a representation of Jesus as the "Bread of Life", the Law was the precursor to Jesus's coming, since he came to fulfill the Law. The feast of weeks was an announcement of the coming of Jesus. Not by coincidence, Pentecost- the feast of weeks, announced Jesus's return!

Just as Pentecost marked the 50th day since the Passover, we must ask, what was the importance of the Passover? It was when the Hebrews applied blood to their door posts to save their firstborn from death. Passover was a picture of the death and salvation of Jesus Christ, and because Jesus died in our place, we are "passed over" by the angel of death. Of course, the blood represents Jesus's death, the door-posts represent the cross, and they were to eat unleavened - pure bread. When the Lord saw the blood on the doorposts, the angel of death passed over that home. With the eating of the unleavened bread and the application of the blood, the Passover clearly represents the Lord's Supper according to this passage:

Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Just as the Passover feast was "forever", we are to celebrate the last supper as an ordinance forever. You can see from the Lord's Last Supper, Paul as much said the same thing about the taking of the unleavened bread and the drinking of the wine, Jesus's body and blood respectively, which saves mankind from sin: 

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

It is my proposal that Pentecost is a celebration of the Lord's Last Supper, just as The Feast of Weeks is of the Passover meal. We know that it was fifty days between the Passover and the Feast of Weeks. In Jesus's life, we know it was forty days from Jesus's death on the cross to Pentecost. It is always assumed that the Last Supper was the night before his crucifixion, but his interrogations took time. He was betrayed by Judas at the last supper. I propose that the Lord's Last Supper may have been ten days before his death to signify Pentecost - the Feast of Weeks. Why? Because God plans things, and time is His for the planning. Without regard to whether I am correct in my thinking or not, the Passover meal clearly is a picture of the Lord's Last Supper.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas at the Last Supper. He was unworthy to partake of the body and blood of Jesus. The Egyptians were unworthy of eating the Passover meal. Just like the first-born of the Egyptians, Judas died. We are warned when remembering Jesus with our Communion meal at church, to not partake of it "unworthily":

1 Corinthians 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

The Egyptians didn't "deserve" the Passover meal. Judas didn't "deserve" the Last Meal with the Lord. We don't know if Judas partook of the meal at the Last Supper, but either way, he was "unworthy". If he was honorable, as he dipped, he would not have partaken. There is no evidence that he did or did not. However, as Christians we are made worthy because Jesus propitiated his blood for our "sins that are past":

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.

We are to pray continually. The typical prayer is asking forgiveness for our sins (Matthew 6:12). When we take the Lord's Supper that is Holy Communion. Judas wasn't holy, and was unworthy. Jesus makes us "worthy" when we repent and call on him for forgiveness. "Worthiness" can never be achieved on our own but by confession. To be worthy before partaking of the Holy Elements, we are to repent of past and present sins, and ask that we not be tempted. Paul explains this much better than I:

1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Unworthiness is drinking of the "cup of devils".  In other words, if we have unforgiven sin, it is the devil's cup of which we partake. It is the bread and blood of Jesus which makes it the Lord's cup. You see, the cup is the same, the bread is the same, and the wine is the same. However, if the wrong spirit is there, it's the devil's cup. If Judas drank, he drank of the devil's cup. If those who are unworthy drink, it is the devil's cup from which they sip!

Pardon is a continual process. We are to repent of present sins as they happen, and let go of those already pardoned. We keep our spiritual cup - the soul, clean at all times. However, if we are remiss, before we commune with God by remembering his body and blood, we are to repent of all those trespassed we have made against him. In other words, Holy Communion is a time of remembrance of Jesus, and so as to not take his Name in vain, we seek forgiveness.  How is that done? The important metric is love. Communion is our feeble attempt to demonstrate our love for Jesus. We do that by communing with His Spirit in remembrance of His Body. 

However, Jesus doesn't want fake communion. If it is taken unworthily, it's not communion. It is merely ritual. The Greatest Commandment is one: love God and love others. The former without the latter makes the partaker of the elements "unworthy". Before you bring your gift to God - which is you, He doesn't receive it unless you reconcile with others:

Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

There are many sins which we own ourselves. However, when we sin against another, we need to make it right before we "gift" ourselves to God. Unworthiness is surely those who have not reconciled. Reconciliation doesn't take sides. It matters not where the fault lies. The mature Christian will be the first to reconcile whether at fault or not. Those who don't reconcile, drink from the devil's cup. Christians need to be careful from whose cup we drink!

Like it or not, Judas was a disciple of Christ, or else Jesus would not have ordained him. However, he betrayed his Master. He had sorrow and committed suicide, breaking another commandment. We don't know if Jesus was merciful to him or not, but surely he forgave Judas just as he did those who murdered him.

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. 

I don't believe that Judas knew fully what he was doing! He followed Jesus, and was thus a disciple of Jesus, but a traitorous one. He may have been an "unworthy Christian" who sipped the devil's cup. We all do that at times, and ask for mercy when we feel guilty. Judas felt guilty. Perhaps Jesus had mercy on him.

My point is two-fold: (1) The Passover feast was a picture of the Last Supper, and (2) before Christians eat the meal to remember Jesus, we allow Jesus to wash the cup from which we drink. Reverence for Jesus, not taking his Name and Purpose in vain, is where worthiness exists.