The Lord s Supper. I. Scriptural Terms Used

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1 The Lord s Supper The Passover was a Jewish feast, observed annually, to commemorate Israel's deliverance from Egypt. God Himself instituted the Passover Institution in Exodus 12:1-20. The object of the Passover was to commemorate the Lord's passing over and sparing the Israelites while He killed the Egyptian s firstborn, as well as a means of education for the people. He wanted them to not forget that He delivered them from bondage. During His last week, Jesus observed the Passover for the last time. Read Matthew 26: This last Passover was very special to Jesus When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer (Luke 22:14-15). Jesus knew His death was imminent ("before I suffer"). He was with those he loved He loved them to the end (John 13:1). On this occasion Jesus instituted what we call the Lord's Supper, He wanted His disciples to do this in His memory And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19). The importance of properly observing the Lord's Supper should not be underestimated. The church at Corinth was guilty of abusing it (1 Corinthians 11:20-22). To abuse the Lord s Supper has serious consequences (1 Corinthians 11:27,29). I. Scriptural Terms Used Communion: 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? (1 Corinthians 10:16). The word means sharing or participation. It describes the spiritual participation or sharing of the body and blood of Jesus. Remembrance: And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19). The Lord's Supper: Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20). The supper is in honor of the Lord. Proclamation: For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord s death till He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Lord s Table: You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord s table and of the table of demons (1 Corinthians 10:21). Means that the worship associated with the emblems on the table is according to His design.

2 II. Elements of the Lord's Supper (same as Passover feast) It was no coincidence/accident that the death, burial, resurrecton (gospel) of Jesus took place at the Passover. As stated before, the Passover was instituted by God as a means of education for the people He did not want them to forget that He delivered them from bondage by passing over the houses that had the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel, sparing the firstborn of the Israelites while He killed the firstborn of the Egyptians. Their Passover meal consisted of the sacrificial lamb, which was to be roasted and eaten in its entirety, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and wine. The unleavened bread was to remind them of the haste with which they left Egypt, not having time for leavening their bread. The bitter herbs reminded them of the bitterness of their bondage. As Jesus participated in this memorial feast with His disciples, He took two items of the Passover feast and gave them a new meaning. By/through His death, Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb, our paschal lamb. He gave His own body and blood as payment for our sin debt to deliver us from the bondage/slavery of sin and death. Our paschal lamb (type/antitype) is Christ: 1 Corinthians 5:7 For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. It was without spot and blemish as was Christ, and It's blood procured salvation and deliverance just like the blood of Jesus does: 1 Peter 1: you were...redeemed..with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Not a bone of it was broken nor was His: John 19: for these things were done that the scriptures should be fulfilled, Not one of His bones shall be broken. It was eaten without leaven just so we are all required to partake without the leaven (impurities) of malice and hypocrisy: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 - Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. The Lord s Supper should be no less important to us than the Passover was to the Jews. The simple elements He chose appropriately represent His sacrifice. Bread - (Matthew 26:26 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. ; Luke 22:19 - And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. ). This was unleavened bread (Exodus 12:15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel; Exodus 12:19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land;

3 Exodus 13:6-7 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters; Deuteronomy 16:4 And no leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days, nor shall any of the meat which you sacrifice the first day at twilight remain overnight until morning ). Unleavened bread was bread without any yeast or leaven in it to make it rise or puff. The law was very specific that unleavened bread (the massot) was to be used during the Passover, as well as at other times. The Passover bread was baked without leavening/yeast. Jesus used unleavened bread when He instituted the Lord s Supper, therefore we should not use anything else. The Cup - (Matthew 26:27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you; Mark 14:23-25 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God; Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you; In Palestine the major fruit which grew on vines and from which juice was extracted was grapes. For this reason, the term fruit of the vine was used in reference to grape juice, whether fermented or unfermented. The word ampelos means a vine, grapevine. The Passover meal did not specify the drink used, but by the time of Jesus, the four cups of the Passover meal contained wine. Fruit of the vine refers to the product of a grape vine, therefore, we should not use anything else. The juice of the grape is what Jesus had in His cup, anyone doing more or less or something different than this is not doing what Jesus did when He said Do this III. When to commune Various religious groups take the Lord s Supper at different times and intervals yearly, semiannually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, or at no specific time. But the Bible and church history are clear early Christians assembled on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers; Acts 20:7 - Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread... ). This verse is the only one in the New Testament which deals with the time of communion; but the information it presents is sufficient in answer to the question, "When will Christians commune" (Exodus 20:8 - Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy ). The same logic that told the Jews that they should remember every Sabbath day tells us we meet every first day of the week. The Lord s Supper was taken universally on Sunday during the second century, which must mean that they were doing what the apostles taught them to do. History records that in the first two centuries, churches from Africa to Rome and everywhere, without exception, met on Sunday to keep the Supper. When we find a practice that Jesus Himself started being consistently followed by the second century church, the safe course is to follow their example.

4 The questions asked most about the Lord s Supper is why every Sunday. Some think this trivializes it, yet no one thinks that way about singing, praying, preaching, or giving. The overwhelming body of evidence is that they met every Lord s day. The reason the first day of the week (Sunday) is unique is because that is the day the Lord was resurrected on. It is the day on which the early Christians, following apostolic authority, were accustomed to assemble for worship. Read 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 - On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside... The practice of weekly communion is infallibly safe and is in keeping with the inspired example set forth in Acts 20:7. We find no evidence the early church anywhere did otherwise. They followed apostolic teaching, and so should we. The Didache (ca. 95 A.D.) indicates Christians were to come together on the first day of the week to break bread (Didache 14:1 But on the Lord's day, after that ye have assembled together, break bread and give thanks, having in addition confessed your sins, that your sacrifice may be pure ). Justin Martyr ( A.D.) described early Christian worship like this: On Sunday a meeting is held of all who live in the cities and villages, and a section is read from the Memoirs of the Apostles and the writings of the Prophets, as long as time permits. When the reading is finished the admonition and exhortation are given to imitate these noble things. After this we all arise and offer a common prayer. At the close of the prayer, as we have before described, bread and wine and thanks for them according to his ability, and the congregation answers, Amen. Then the consecrated elements are distributed to each one and partaken of, and are carried by the deacons to the houses of the absent. The wealthy and the willing then give contributions according to their freewill, and this collection supplies orphans, widows, prisoners, strangers, and all who are in want. Our spiritual lives are dependent upon the value and benefits of our Lord's death on the cross; a weekly observance of the memorial helps us to never forget and to always be thankful for the salvation we have and enjoy! IV. Who are to commune In Matthew 26, Jesus said that He would drink the fruit of the vine new with the disciples in the kingdom. On the day of Pentecost, the church/kingdom was established and disciples were added to the church daily as they were being saved. In Colossians 1:2 Paul said that "the saints and faithful brethren in Christ" were in the Lord's kingdom. Read Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Then, in Ephesians 1:7 Paul said that those in Him...have redemption through His blood... How do we get in Christ? For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).

5 Justin Martyr, who wrote about 40 years after the death of the Apostle John, declared in the First Apology of Justin, Chapter LXVI (Ante-Nicene Fathers, p. 185), "...no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is living as Christ has enjoined." In other words, those who have obeyed the gospel and are living the faithful Christian life are the ones who can sit down at the table with Jesus. Though we don t have the right to judge if another person is fit to partake of the supper, it is our responsibility to impress upon men's minds, at every opportunity, what the New Testament teaches about who is qualified to eat and drink at the Lord's table. Exodus 12 says that uncircumcised were not allowed to eat the passover. In the same way we must plainly teach that unbaptized people are not citizen's of the kingdom. There is no such thing in the New Testament as an unbaptized Christian!

6 The Meaning of the Lord s Supper Read Matthew 26: The Lord s Supper embodies the central theme of the New Testament. It puts Jesus in the forefront and provides an opportunity for us to concentrate on Him as our Lord and Savior who died for us and, after His resurrection, ascended to His heavenly throne. But the Lord s Supper is not just a ritual to be performed, it is a solemn event designed to bring us together and enable us to commune with God and each other. God designed the Lord s Supper to draw us each week to the cross, where our redemption took place and where our victory was sealed. The Lord s Supper, as with all Christianity, is built around Jesus and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-2 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified). Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Jesus wants us to remember not only what He has already done for us on the cross, but also what He is doing for us now as our King, High Priest, and Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time ). He also wants us to remember what He has promised to do for us in the future (2 Timothy 2:11-12 This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us ). These are the things we should meditate (think deeply) on when we partake of the Lord s Supper. We need to be reminded of these frequently, for the Christian faith is based on them. They give meaning to the Christian life. I. The meaning of the Lord s Supper It is a memorial (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Luke 22:17-20 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. We eat the bread in memory of His body. We drink the cup (fruit of the vine) in memory of His blood. The Passover was a memorial commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egypt through the blood of the lambs on the door post. In the same way the Lord s Supper is a memorial of our Lord's death who makes our deliverance from the bondage of sin possible. Jesus sacrifice is prefigured by both the Passover lamb and Israel s sin offerings (1 Corinthians 5:7 For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us ). So when we partake of the Lord s Supper, we are remembering the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus gave us the Lord s Supper so we would never forget the greatest event in the history of the world. The Lord s Supper is the world's greatest monument to commemorate the world's greatest event - the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The worst thing we could ever do is forget about Jesus Christ and what He did. Remember Him

7 It is a proclamation. Read 1 Corinthians 11:26. Jesus death is proclaimed through the observing of the Lord s Supper. As participants in the Supper, we meditate on His body and blood. We thank God for Jesus sacrifice and death for our sins, realizing that our risen Lord conquered death and now lives in heaven. Today, some congregations have dropped the communion service from the regular morning worship hour, just inviting those who wish to partake to go to another room after the service or serving it during the week. The reasoning, I m told, is that the strange practice of taking the loaf and cup frightens away seekers (formerly known as sinners). Brothers and Sisters, the Lord s Supper is the greatest evangelistic tool we have! Paul says through the proper observance of the Supper "you proclaim the death of the Lord till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Lord s Supper is the greatest sermon ever preached! It is a communion, a fellowship or sharing in the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16a). As we partake, we commune with the blood of Christ, enjoying blessings we have through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. 1 John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ). As the Lamb, He has made possible forgiveness of sins for all mankind through shedding His blood, For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). Read 1 Corinthians 10:16b-17. As we partake, we also commune with the body of Christ, reinforcing fellowship together in the body of Christ (the church). It is a celebration. Christians have much to celebrate. We celebrate our victories, not just our shared victory over sin at the cross, but also our individual victories as we walk with Him every day. We celebrate our hope in the resurrection, which is our deliverance from death. We celebrate the promise of His return. Jesus never intended that the Lord s Supper be like a funeral service. The purpose of the Lord s Supper is to remind us of the source of our salvation. He wants us not only to remember why His death was necessary, but also to remember why our death to sin is necessary. Remembering that our death to sin took place at the cross is as important as remembering that His death took place there (1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ). Celebrate, but recognize that God is holy and pure, while we are sinful and frail. He is not like us, but He wants us to be like Him. The Lord s supper provides a perfect setting for us to exercise both reverence and joy. "The Lord's Supper" is a very special memorial of the death of Jesus for our sins therefore it should not be taken lightly. Christians today should never lose sight of its significance. It is a constant reminder of the sacrifice Jesus paid for our sins. It is a communion or sharing of the body and blood of the Lord. It is a time for self-examination and re-dedication of our service to the Lord. It is a means for building fellowship with one another in the body of Christ. May such thoughts encourage us to never neglect opportunities we have to observe the Lord's Supper, but to continue steadfastly and in so doing "proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."

8 I. Conduct at the Lord s Supper An Unworthy Manner In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Paul sought to correct the practice of some members who were not respecting the Lord s Supper. Instead of improving their relationship with Christ as they ate, they were making it worse (1 Corinthians 11:17). Factions and divisions had developed between those who were doing what was right and those who were not (1 Corinthians 11:18-19). Read 1 Corinthians 11: Evidently, some were more concerned with their own appetites than with showing proper respect for the Lord. They began eating their own meals with no regard for others who brought nothing to eat, or who arrived later. Those who ate their common meals during the Supper were disrupting the worship of others, causing confusion and division. They were being disrespectful to Jesus and to those who were making a sincere effort to honor Him. Instead of being impatient, participants of the Lord s Supper were instructed to wait for each other so they could eat the Supper together. In 1 Corinthians 11:33-34, Paul reprimanded those mentioned in 11:21 who, by taking their own supper first and making it their priority, gave their meals precendence over the Lord s Supper. The Lord s Supper is not a common feast, it is not designed as a place where a man may gratify his appetite. Paul urged the brethren to respect the Lord s Supper in their gatherings and to remove every possible hindrance. In order to be sure they made a clear distinction between the Lord s Supper and their own suppers, Paul instructed them to eat their meals at home. Their coming together should have a spiritual purpose rather than personal satisfaction of their physical appetites. II. Institution of the Lord s Supper After reprimanding the Corinthians for not respecting the Lord s Supper, Paul sought to correct the situation by explaining the purpose and meaning of the Supper. Read 1 Corinthians 11: Christians come together for a greater purpose than to share a social event or to satisfy physical appetites. Those who eat must realize the importance of the moment and eat in a reverent and respectful manner. III. Examine yourself Read 1 Corinthians 11: As we have already seen, some of the members of the church in Corinth had changed the Lord's supper into an ordinary feast to satisfy their physical appetite. In doing so they failed to discern the body and blood of Christ. Their irreverent manner was the result of their degraded spiritual condition (unconfesed sin). An ugly party spirit was present among them, as we previously noted in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13; 3:1-4; 11:18; fornication was being practiced in 1 Corinthians 5:1; and brethren were going to law against brethren in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. Such a terrible spiritual state could only produce a spirit of irreverence toward the Lord's supper.

9 An incorrect life cannot produce a correct manner of communion. The person who does not repent and confess his sins will hardly be able to approach the Lord's table in an acceptable manner. Such disregard for the meaning of his death for all makes us guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. Those who are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord are united in spirit with those who put Him to death and mocked Him while He hung on the cross. If we show a lack of respect for the Lord s Supper and who it represents, we sin against God. Anybody who eats and drinks without recognizing with due appreciation what these emblems represent eats and drinks a verdict of judgment upon themselves. If you give no thought (or worse, don't care) about the sacrifice of Jesus when you eat and drink, you're running the risk of serious spiritual consequences. Before a person can partake of the Lord's supper in a worthy manner, he must first prove himself. We should prepare ourselves to partake of the Lord s Supper by examining our words, thoughts, feelings, and conduct. This includes our private thoughts, our habits of secret prayer, we are to give ourselves a test to see whether or not we are really sincere - if we actually do in private what we say we do when we are in public. The word prove is from the Greek dokimazo. This was the technical word used in classical Greek for putting money to the test to find out whether it is genuine or not. The individual is to put himself to the test to find out whether or not his motives and attitudes in approaching the Lord's table are genuine and sincere. We are not to conclude that the Lord demands perfection as the necessary qualification for proper observance of the supper. No one is worthy of the body and blood of Jesus. But we are to examine ourselves honestly and carefully to find out whether or not we are serious, reverent, and devoted to God. When you examine yourself, what do you find? Are you living in a manner that shows appreciation for His sacrifice, or are you, because of your wilfull sinning, guilty of trampling the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood by which we were sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10: Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God s mercy to us ). Are you, by refusing to repent of your sins, crucifying again for yourself the Son of God and putting Him to shame (Hebrews 6:4-6)? IV. God s discipline Read 1 Corinthians 11: The judgment referred to in this passage is the chastening or discipline of the Lord that God sends us to keep us from growing spiritually weak, getting spiritually sick, falling spiritually asleep, from being lost and condemned.

10 Paul tells us that we need to judge ourselves, or prove ourselves, so we won t be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31). If we judge ourselves and view the Lord s Supper correctly, we will not need the displine of God to wake us up. If we get this straight now, we won't have to be straightened out later on. God will discipline us if necessary we must understand the purpose of this is to make us stronger, to save our souls. Read Hebrews 12:5-11. But if we don t respond to the chastening of God and partake of the Lord s Supper in the proper manner, we are putting our souls in jeopardy and might eventually be condemned (1 Corinthians 11:32). Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later. V. Approaching the table When we partake of the Lord s Supper, we should examine ourselves, our motives, test our hearts, and come to this meal in holy awe. We should quietly reflect in wonder, awe, and amazement that Jesus could pay such a price for me and at the same time celebrate the fact that He did. Each time we approach the table, we are called upon to recognize that Jesus had to do what He did at the cross because of who we are, and that He was the only one who could do it because of who He is. The tears that should fill our eyes are a mixture of joy and sorrow. Communion at the Lord s Table is a time to bow in reverence to His majesty, but it is also a celebration. We have good reason to feel remorse, yet we have good reason to be joyful that Jesus was willing to pay that price. Both emotions are appropriate. What is inappropriate is to meet around the Lord s table each week with dry eyes or little change of emotion as we together proclaim the Lord s death until He comes. When the Supper is eaten, the bread and the fruit of the vine can be thought of as representing a sacrifice on the altar for us. Christ s giving of Himself fulfilled the type of ritual sacrifices of the Old Testament. As we take these emblems of the Lord s supper, we are to be more than just passive observers. We are to not only remember Jesus sacrifice, we must resolve to be living sacrifices. We are not just to think about Jesus as He carried the cross; each of us must determine to carry our own cross. We are not to think only of Jesus love for us; we are to resolve to love each other more deeply. Some in Corinth were spiritually weak, sick, or asleep because they disregarded the spiritual implications and meaning of the Supper. If this describes you this morning, then I beg of you to hear the words of the Lord Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light (Ephesians 5:14).