Institution Of The Lord’s Supper Series

Tom Lowe

12/18/2007

HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

(22)Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25 (Focal Passage), Luke 22:17-20

Location: Upper Room

Date: Thursday of Jesus’ Final Week

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

23For 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: 24And 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. 25After 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. 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

It meant a lot to Jesus to spend those hours with His disciples. He loved them, and their presence encouraged Him. He took the cup and the bread of the Passover and transformed them into memorials of His own blood and body, for He wanted the disciples to remember Him.

Definition: LORD’S SUPPER — the ritualistic practice, usually during a worship service, in which Christians partake of bread and wine (or grape juice) with the purpose of remembering Christ, receiving strength from Him, and rededicating themselves to His cause. It is one of two sacraments or ordinances instituted by Christ to be observed by His church until He returns.

And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. (Mark 14:22)

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (Matthew 26:26)

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19)

The Passover feast opened with a prayer of thanksgiving, followed by the drinking of the first of 4 cups of wine. (Some argue that the wine was deluded with 2/3 water and was not intoxicating.) Next, they ate the bitter herbs and sang Psalms 113-114. Then they drank the second cup of wine and began eating the lamb and the unleavened bread. After drinking the third cup of wine, they sang Psalms 115-118; then the fourth cup was passed among them. It is likely that between the third and fourth cups of wine, Jesus instituted the Supper. Note: the bread and the wine were common, not only at Passover meals but also at every meal in that culture.

After observing His last Passover, the Savior instituted what we know as the Lord’s Supper. The essential elements—bread (an unleavened flat cake) and wine—were already on the table as part of the Passover meal; Jesus clothed them with new meaning. First He took bread, blessed and broke it. The broken bread pictured His body given for the sins of the world. As He gave it to the disciples He said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” Since His body had not yet been given on the cross, it is clear that He was speaking figuratively, using the bread to symbolize His body.

The Passover pointed ahead to the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). The Lord’s Supper announces that this great work has been accomplished. The Lord’s Supper is beautifully outlined in the three words: (1) He took—humanity upon Himself; (2) He broke—He was about to be broken on the cross; (3) He gave —He gave Himself for us. The term “Lord’s Supper” is used only in 1 Corinthians 11:20[1]. The practice is also known as Communion (from 1 Cor. 10:16[2]), the Lord’s Table (from 1 Cor. 10:21[3]), and the Eucharist (from the Greek word for “giving thanks”; Luke 22:17, 19[4]).