The Lord’s Supper / Communion / Eucharist > it’s called by many names but they all refer to this time where we join together as a group of believers to remember what Christ has done for us.
In most Protestant churches it is one of two Sacraments (sacred rites); In Catholic and Orthodox churches it is one of seven.
It has been debated throughout the centuries. Is it open to everyone or just to local church members? Do we use real wine or grape juice? One cup or many? Is it really the body and blood of Christ or is it a representation?
I’ve even read of one group that was on a trip and during their worship time felt as if the Lord was leading them to take Communion together. Not having planned in advance for this, they found what they could to represent the “elements” and celebrated it with Dr. Pepper and potato chips. This was not their norm, but in that moment it represented their heart and passion for Christ.
Really there’s not a lot about it in Scripture. The only specifics we see are when Jesus instituted it in the Gospels and when Paul mentioned it while correcting abuses and missteps in the Corinthian church.
What we do know is that it arose out of the Passover meal that Christ was sharing with his disciples. The Passover meal was to celebrate God’s deliverance of Israel. It’s in the midst of this meal that Matt. 26 is set:
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matt 26:26-28 (NIV)
Scholars disagree on how often it was originally celebrated. Some say that the early church celebrated every day … some say every Passover … some every Lord’s day.
Today I want us to separate ourselves from the controversy and disagreements and see if we can come to a clearer understanding of what the Lord’s Supper is about and how we can best honor it.
>>> Prayer <<<
Set the scene: From the institution of it to the time Paul wrote to the Corinthians 20-30 years later, the Lord’s Supper had morphed into a party that was no longer representative of the original intent and purpose.
It was common in the Greco/Jewish culture to have big feasts, or what we would call pot-lucks, where everyone would bring something to the meal and then they would share this meal together. It was part of the culture of the Jewish feasts and it was part of the culture of the professional guilds of the day.
For the Christians it was called the Agape (Love) Feast. It was a great time of fellowship and sharing life in common as was described in Acts 2. But somewhere along the way, things got off kilter.
In Corinth, people would bring their food and eat with their friends. They would separate themselves based on wealth or class. Some would gorge themselves while others went hungry. Some would get drunk while others went thirsty. It no longer represented what Christ originally planned. So Paul writes this scathing rebuke:
>> > 1 Corinthians 11:20-32
They had lost sight of their purpose. The Lord’s Supper was to honor and remember Christ and they weren’t doing that. The Agape Feast was to celebrate their fellowship and community and they weren’t doing that, either.
So what can we make out of this confusion? What is the Lord’s Supper about and why is it important?
• It is important to remember Christ and what he has done.
“do this in remembrance of me”
Remembrance – not merely an idea of what happened, but a recognition and affirmation
The concept of remembering in the Hebrew mind meant more that simply recalling something that happened in the past. It meant recapturing as much of the reality and significance of a person or situation as possible in one’s conscious mind. Jesus was requesting that Christians think about the meaning of His life and death on their behalf. A person can participate in Communion, but if his mind is a million miles away, he hasn’t truly remembered the Lord.
“this is my body which is given for you”
for = not Grk > “gar” but “huper” = for the sake of, instead of
He gave his body in our stead. He paid the penalty so we didn’t have to. It’s more than a gift, it’s a complete substitution of our debt.
As you “remember Christ” ask yourself, “What has Christ done in my life? What difference has he made?”
• It is important to proclaim the Gospel
“For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.”
visible verbum – Augustine
In the OT, as well as the ancient Near East, covenants and contracts were sealed or ratified with blood. Just as today a contract is signed and then notarized, then blood was the notary – it was the guarantee. As a signature on a contract is binding today, a covenant ratified with blood was binding then. So then, communion is to be a visible reminder of the binding covenant that covered our sins.
Some people are abstract learners. That is, they process concepts and learn from those concepts. Others are concrete learners. That is, they process through their senses . . . what they see, touch, smell, etc. They learn from pictures and examples. The Lord’s Supper, then, is a concrete example of the gospel … just as our lives should be.
“Preach the Gospel, if necessary use words.” – Francis of Assisi
The Lord’s Supper is a visual demonstration of the love of Christ – his substitutionary death on the Cross .
• It is important to affirm our fellowship
16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 1 Cor 10:16-17 (NLT)
Communion – common union
* the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation
It is because of what Christ has done that we have fellowship together. It binds us and unites us. As we celebrate this communion, the Lord’s Supper, we are identified together as followers of Christ.
It’s why teams wear the same color. It’s why biker clubs wear the same patches. It’s why men swap stories about guns, cars, and fish. It’s why women swap stories of childbirth, husbands, and whatever else you ladies talk about. It brings us a sense of belonging and unity. It reminds us that we’re in this together.
The communion of the Lord’s Supper does the same thing. It reminds us that we are one body. It reminds us that we are to participate and share life together in Christ thru ministry and mission and the use of our gifts.
That’s were the Corinthian church went wrong. They apparently forgot what it was about. They stopped making it about Christ and about one another. It became about selfishness / pride / indulgence / excess.
20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
It had ceased being true communion. They weren’t considering others as more important than themselves. They were holding each other in contempt and not upholding the unity of the body.
They had broken the greatest commandment – “Love the Lord you God . . . . and love your neighbor”
Neither God nor neighbor was being loved and honored in what was taking place.
As a result:
27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 1 Cor 11:27-29 (NIV)
unworthy manner > not recognizing it for what it is and turning it into something it’s not
We take it unworthily when:
• we take it w/o proper remembrance
Not thankful for what Christ has done
• we take it w/o spiritual insight
Becoming ritualistic
So he says, “A man ought to examine himself”
What are your motives for taking the Lord’s Supper?
Are you loving God with all your heart?
Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?
Paul says that if we take the Lord’s Supper “without recognizing the body” that drink judgment to ourselves. What does he mean by not “recognizing the body?”
I believe what he’s talking about here is not recognizing and participating in the unity that is brought about by the blood of Christ. That if we fail to understand, recognize, and participate in the oneness of this body that each member is a part of, then we fail to recognize all that Christ has done.
If you or I withhold our gifts from the body then we are doing a great disservice to it.
This is not about you. It’s about Christ and it’s about others. You honor Christ and minister to others when you participate in the body / the fellowship / the communion . . . when you use what God has given you to minister and participate in the body.
As we prepare to take the Lord’s Supper…
* Remember what Christ has done
* Let this be a proclamation of Gospel in and thru you
* Affirm your fellowship/communion in Christ with his body
>>> Pray
