Frankincense is known for its sweet smell but bitter taste.

This speaks of the word of God—sweet on the ear but difficult to implement.

“I took the little scroll from his hand and ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey in my mouth. But after I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.” (Rev 10:10)

If you are found ready, then the Master will wait on you and serve you!

“Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit, like servants who are waiting for their master to come back from a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him at once. How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns? I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and wait on them. How happy they are if he finds them ready, even if he should come at midnight or even later! (Luk 12:35-38)

The priests were not allowed to enter the Tabernacle and eat the bread from the table unless they were first purified at the altar and the washbasin.

Similarly, no one can share in the Holy Communion unless their hearts are cleansed first

“It follows that if one of you eats the Lord’s bread or drinks from his cup in a way that dishonours him, you are guilty of sin against the Lord’s body and blood. So then, you should each examine yourself first, and then eat the bread and drink from the cup. For if you do not recognize the meaning of the Lord’s body when you eat the bread and drink from the cup, you bring judgment on yourself as you eat and drink. That is why many of you are sick and weak, and several have died.” (1Co 11:27-30)

Judas Iscariot shared the bread with an unclean heart.

Then he (Jesus) took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, he gave them the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you. “But, look! The one who betrays me is here at the table with me.” (Luk 22:19-21)

He consequently ended up meeting up with an untimely death.

“Judas threw the coins down in the temple and left; then he went off and hanged himself.” (Mat 27:5)

He was prepared for us in the same way that bread is prepared for consumption.

Jesus is our bread of life.

“I am the bread of life.” (Joh 6:48)

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.” (Joh 6:51)

To make unleavened bread, the grain must first be ground in a mill, then sieved and tested.

Jesus, the innocent, passed through the mill of suffering.

“For Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous judge.” (1Pe 2:21-23)

Next, he was sieved, tested, and pronounced without fault.

“Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of.” (Luk 23:14)

After this, to make bread, the dough had to pass through the fierce heat of an open fire.

Jesus was pierced with holes all over his whole body and passed through the fire of Calvary.

After he had Jesus whipped, he handed him over to be crucified. Then Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace, and the whole company gathered around him. They stripped off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand; then they kneeled before him and made fun of him. “Long live the King of the Jews!” they said. They spat on him, took the stick, and hit him over the head. When they had finished making fun of him, they took the robe off and put his clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. (Mat 27:26-31)

He was then raised as the bread of life.

The angel spoke to the women. “You must not be afraid,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said. Come here and see the place where he was lying. (Mat 28:5-6)