COMMUNION
Celebrating His Death
Introduction: We are celebrating the Lord’s Supper today in our service: I would like to seek to grasp the heart today of why communion is important to God – and one of the two ordinances that He has left us to practice in the church.
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote a rather lengthy letter to the Corinthians in which he sought to address a few problems that were going on in the church body there.
Corinth was a city given over to idolatry, immorality, arrogance, and paganism – throughout the letter we see how these sinful attributes had infiltrated the church, weakening and destroying it from the inside out!
It is interesting to me that though this is a rather negative epistle – written to address these believers’ incredible carnality, it also tells this church how incredibly gifted it was!
1 Corinthians 1:3-7 3Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 4I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
He spends an entire chapter – (chapter 12) explaining how these gifts are to function within the body to profit the entire body:
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
It is in the context of this teaching that God proceeds to address this practice of communion within the church. That is where I would like to begin today:
1 Corinthians 10:15-17 15I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16The 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? 17For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
It is His body that was broken for us – it was His blood that was shed – so that we might have the forgiveness of sins.
Because Christ was that “sinless lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world” John 1:29
Because He took our sin upon Him – as He was “made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of Christ in Him”. 2 Corinthians 5:21
It was His DEATH that paid the price for our sin and made atonement for us with our Heavenly Father.
It is at the Lord’s Table in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper that we celebrate His death – until He returns.
1 Corinthians 11:26 26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
So today – in celebration of the death of Christ – I want to take a deep look at exactly what happened when Jesus died – what actually happened and how did people respond to it?
Lets take a look at the account as it is described in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 27:50-54 50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
1) THE BIG RIP
As we look at this passage – we see some pretty fantastic things happen!
Things that we definitely don’t happen every day – incredible testimonies that Jesus Christ was exactly who He said He was! GOD IN THE FLESH!
Notice the first thing that happened: incredibly significant to the practicing Jews of Jesus’ day. Most of us Gentiles can’t really even grasp the significance, but in the Book of Hebrews we see the importance of this rip in the veil from the top to the bottom.
Hebrews 9:1-7 1Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 2For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. 3And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. 6Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. 7But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
The temple was made with multiple chambers – the outermost area being the “court of the Gentiles” as Gentiles, we would not even be allowed into the temple area. After this there was the inner court, into which Jewish people could enter. However the real action took place in The Holy Place and the Most Holy Place or “Holy of Holies”.
As this passage in Hebrews tells us – not everyone was allowed to enter into these chambers – and only one person was allowed into the Holy of Holies once every year – The Day of Atonement – to make a sacrifice for the people of Israel.
Separating the Holy Place and Holy of Holies was a curtain (veil) that separated the two areas keeping people out of where the glory of God dwelt over the mercy seat.
That veil was torn in two – note: from the top to the bottom. It was not torn from the bottom to the top as if some man may have done it – but from the top to the bottom being a work of God!
There was no more need for a Day of Atonement once a year – the final Day of Atonement was here:
“It was finished” once and for all! God lets us know that all are now invited to come and partake of the forgiveness of sin – from Jew to Gentile!
Hebrews 10:19-22 19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; 22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Notice how it calls the flesh of Christ the veil – interesting picture, how His body was broken – just as this veil was torn! Well, we go from this BIG RIP – to
2) THE BROKEN ROCKS
Not only was the veil torn, but there was an incredible earth quake:
Matthew 27:51 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
It was literally too much for this earth to handle – the death of Christ shook this world!
Nahum 1:5-6 5The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. 6Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
Again we see a fantastic parallel – Christ is pictured as a Rock in 1 Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 10:4 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ
Again we see a fantastic parallel between the rocks that were broken and torn apart, and that Rock which was Christ being broken for the sins of the world.
A fascinating picture of what has just happened as Jesus “gave up the ghost”.
Then finally we see:
3) THE BELIVER’S RESURRECTION
This is unreal: Matthew 27:52-53 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
This right here is the whole purpose of the death of Christ – that He could overcome the wages of sin – that He could overcome death!
Isaiah 25:8 8He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is why Jesus can comfort John in the Book of Revelation:
Revelation 1:17-18 17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Because of His atoning death and glorious resurrection, we too can have victory over sin, death, and Hell!
All these amazing things happen, and then we hear a statement from an on-looker – what is it that the Roman Centurion said?
Matthew 27:54 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Who is this guy? A Gentile! Not someone widely accepted in the Jewish community – certainly would not have access to the Holy of Holies or even the inner court! This guy was watching the crucifixion as a Roman soldier – the enemy of Christ.
It may have been some of his men that carried out the execution.
Yet the power of God was so clearly manifested in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he had no choice but to FEAR the power of God, and CONFESS that Jesus was “truly the Son of God.”
What an incredible statement from a pagan enemy of Christ – he was convinced.
Though we cannot know his heart, if his belief was genuine, or what was going on in his life at the time of this statement, we do know:
Romans 10:9-10 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Just a foreshadowing of the Gentiles to come who will accept the Lord Jesus – repenting of their sins and entering into the family of God!
So lets close our service today – doing exactly what we have been commanded to do – in celebrating the Lord’s death today.
(Open communion for all those who have accepted Christ.)
1 Corinthians 11:27-31 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.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 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.
