Imortance Of The Lord's Supper

Introduction:

Important events and experiences make a lasting impression on the lives of both the individual and the family. The child’s first day in school, a person’s first day at work, the day of marriage and many other events all contribute to a person’s wellbeing. The most important event in life, however, is being born again. This event, not only determines our eternal destiny, but our way of life as believers. We cannot afford to forget this most important event and to help us remember Christ instituted the sacraments. There are two sacraments, baptism to mark the act of beginning the Christian life and the Lord’s Supper to mark the act of belonging to Christ. The observance of the Lord’s Supper is not a request or a suggestion. The words of Christ “This do in remembrance of me” is a direct command.

Step One: A reminder of the death of Christ

a) Christ’s body was broken for our healing

The Lord’s supper is a reminder of the suffering and death of Christ. We remember how His body was broken that our bodies could be healed and made whole.

b) Christ’s blood shed for the forgiveness of sin

It is a reminder that Christ’s blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. (Rom 6:23)

c) Christ will come again

It is also a reminder of Christ’s promise to come again “For as often as we eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes”. (1Co 11:26)

Illustration:

God created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that we have to be reminded about the suffering and death of Christ otherwise we would forget. There are many people today who have forgotten about the suffering and death of Christ and have begun to lead lives that do not glorify Him. We need to be reminded lest we forget. The communion, using the elements of bread and wine to signify the Body and Blood of Christ, is a reminder and memorial of Christ’s perfect life and of His suffering and death on the cross. We need to be reminded lest we forget as Pharaoh did when he forgot Joseph and how he saved Egypt. We need to be reminded lest we forget how Christ’s body was broken and how His blood was shed for our healing and forgiveness. If His first disciples, who were first hand witnesses of what took place on the cross needed to observe the Communion what about us? We need to remember because everything we have as Christians is the result of Christ’s suffering and death.

Application:

The Lord’s Supper, the bread and wine, remind us of how Christ, the Son of God, suffered and died on the cross for our healing and forgiveness.

Step Two: A reminder of the grace of God

a) Believers are righteous by faith

The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the grace of God. Partaking of the body and blood of Christ reminds us that by the grace of God we are “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ”. (Rom. 3:22) Christ was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

b) Believers have a new status

Partaking of the Lord’s Supper reminds us of our new status as God’s beloved children. It reminds us of God’s grace that made it possible for the Son of God to became the Son of man that sons of men may become sons of God. It was the grace of God that allowed Jesus to be forsaken and rejected so that we might be accepted as God’s beloved children who can come to Him and call Him Father.

c) Believers live under a New Covenant

Partaking of the Lord’s Supper reminds us that we are partakers of all the provisions of the New Covenant. Unlike the old it does not depend on what we do but on what God has done. It is not of works but of grace. We no longer forgive to be forgiven but we forgive because we have been forgiven. We no longer give to receive but we give because we have been given so much. Our actions are now motivated by Christ living in us.

Illustration:

The Bible has come to us in the form of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Covenant between God and Israel was dedicated with the blood of sacrificed animals. As a result of this covenant God delivered Israel from bondage. On Mount Sinai God gave them the Law as part of the covenant. The covenant bound God to His Word and Israel to the terms of the covenant. The New Testament is a new covenant enacted and sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper while He and His disciples were celebrating the Passover meal. The Passover was a type and shadow of the Lord’s Supper, and also of the Crucifixion and death of Christ. The Passover meal commemorated Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. The lambs’ blood smeared on the doorposts of their homes was for their redemption as it signified that the coming judgement had already been carried out on the sacrificed lambs. The Israelites also had to eat every part of the roast lamb before they started their journey into freedom for healing and strength and there was not one feeble person among them. The institution of the Communion was to remind them of a greater deliverance, their deliverance from slavery to sin and Satan. As the blood of the lamb saved the Israelites, so the blood of Christ saves us. In the Communion we are partaking of the New Covenant. The wine signifies the blood of Christ shed for our redemption and the bread typifies His body to be eaten for healing and strength.