The First Last Supper

     Yesterday I wrote on the idea behind the Abrahamic Covenant; it was more than the ancient land at stake but Heaven itself! I presented the first "celebration of life" with Abraham in the company of Melchizedeck. There was much more significance in that meeting. Let's review it again:

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Gen 14:18-20)

     In yesterday's commentary, from Hebrews chapter seven, we learned that Melchizedek was obviously pre-incarnate Jesus. The very name means :King of Righteousness". He surely appeared in a glorified body because Paul said that He was without beginning nor end (Heb 7:3). It can be assumed that Melchizedek probably looked like Jesus when he went to the Father at the ascension. Not only did Abraham pay tithes to Melchizedek but so did Levi - the son of Israel (Jacob) who was first in the Levitical priesthood (Heb 7:9-10).
     "Potential" Levi paid the tithe to Melchizedek as he was in the loins of Abraham, Levi's great-grandfather. Jesus was a priest on the order of Melchizedek (Heb 7:17; Psalm 110:4). What type of priest was that? A Priest that one could sup with and tithe too. Paul said that was the type of priest Jesus was. In fact, Jesus was (is) that Priest!  It is to be noted that Levitical priests must appeal to Jesus since Jesus is the sole Mediator. When they faced God in the Holy of Holies, it was Jesus to whom they appealed.
     Examine the Last Supper:

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: 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. 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. 1 Cor 11:23-25)

    The "bread" and "wine" represented Jesus's body and blood - the material substances of Jesus who would die on the cross.  (Note that Jesus's mind and spirit never died. He "gave up the ghost"). If the letter to the Corinthians is compared to Abraham's encounter with Melchizedek, I would hope that the reader understands: Abraham and Melchizedek were celebrating the Last Supper. Abraham was eating and drinking Jesus's body and blood in remembrance of what would someday happen!  That type of Holy Communion is the method God uses for all His covenants. Abraham and the Apostles were both celebrating the Covenant of Grace!
    At the conclusion of John's version of the Last Supper, Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). Was that really a new commandment? Loving God was the First Commandment. It seems that Jesus threw in another commandment - to love one another. He really just pointed that out that it was his intention even with Abraham. Abraham's commandment in his deal was to be lawful. Abraham understood what that comprised! He must love!
    Jesus pointed out that the Law - the Ten Commandments - were the Greatest Commandment:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Mat 22:36-40)

     A close examination will reveal that Commandments 1-4 are God-centered - how to love God, and the last six are others-centered - how to love others. Jesus was merely making loving others more obvious. We needed him to do that!
     The message of communing with Melchizedek is the same message as at the Last Supper. Thus, it is the first Last Supper - having the same significance years before Jesus was ever born! We are to take the bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus who appeared to Abraham as Melchizedek. And how did Abraham tithe? He gave of his profits, but he also over-tithed love to God and others.