Mention the Power and intention of National/Personal Memorials -- Washington Monument; Alamo; Gettysburg; USS Lexington, etc.
* Lord's Supper was the Focal Point of the Early Church -- Acts 2.42; 20.7
Symbolism of the Bread and the Fruit of the Vine
Bread = Provision -- unleavened bread in Egypt
Fruit of the Vine = blood; covering; deliverance -- doorposts and lintels in Egypt
Jews had understood for 1400 years
Gentiles had no knowledge -- reduced it to a common meal (1 Corinthians 11.20-22)
20When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.
Greater than an ordinary meal -- 1 Corinthians 11.23-26
23For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Bread = Body of Yeshua (Jesus)
Blood = New Covenant in his blood (remission of sins -- Matthew 26.28)
* LS Demands Examination -- 1 Corinthians 11.27-30
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
This is not just the realization of our sinfulness or beating ourselves up for sins -- ALL of Us are Sinners
This is when we most need to come to the table -- to find forgiveness in the body and blood of our Redeemer
Failure to appreciate the accomplishments of Yeshua causes a failure to receive benefits
Author Max Lucado tells of an episode from his youth. He was part of a group of young people from his church who, as a service ministry, took the Lord's Supper to homebound or hospitalized members of the church. He and his friends visited one elderly gentleman in particular who was in the hospital--nothing serious, just a minor illness--and these young people were disappointed to find that the gentleman was fast asleep. Nothing they did, it seemed, could stir him from his sleep.
Well, they were crestfallen; they hated to leave without performing their duty. So, one of the eleven-year-olds pointed out that the gentleman's mouth was open. The young boys looked at each other, as if to say, "Why not?" and they broke off a tiny little piece of a wafer, and placed it in the elderly gentleman's mouth, and poured in a tiny sip of grape juice; and sure enough, the man swallowed.
He never woke up. Max Lucado goes on to write: "Neither do many people today."
SONG
Part I -- "This is My Body"
LS comes from the Passover Seder -- Includes 4 Cups of Wine and Use of Matzo
First Cup of Wine -- Cup of Sanctification
* Washing of Hands (Yeshua washed feet -- John 13.5)
* Bitter herbs and salt water
* 4 Questions of how this night is different than all others
* Bread of Affliction (middle piece of Matzah)-- Isaiah 53.5-6
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned--every one--to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Psalm 22.16
16For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet
Breaking, Wrapping, and Hiding of Afikomen ("I have come" -- Psalm 40.7-8)
7Then I said, "Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."
God's Lamb has already come in Yeshua -- sinless (without leaven); to take on himself our punishment; our sins; to be pierced for us
Second Cup of Wine -- Cup of Praise
Bitter Herbs and Marar -- praise to God for his deliverance and a reminder of bitterness without Him
Meal -- long and casual as rich people
Third Cup of Wine -- Cup of Redemption
6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment, Exodus 6.6
27And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26.27-28
18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 1 Peter 1.18-19
Finding the Afikomen -- My Body -- Luke 22.19
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
Pray and Eat Bread
Song
Sermon -- Part II -- "This is My Blood"
4th Cup of Wine -- Cup of Acceptance/Covenant
Yeshua did not drink this cup, he only offered it
Marriage Proposal
Cost of Dowry and Contract
Groom offers a cup of wine to the prospective bride
After reviewing the dowry and the contract she decides to accept or reject the proposal
If she accepts, she drinks the cup
The Groom will go to his father's house and prepare a room for his bride and himself; then he will come and marry his bride -- only the father knows when that will be
Yeshua -- John 14.1-3
In just a moment we will take the cup representing Yeshua's blood -- it is a reaffirmation of our intention to "marry" our groom and wait for his return
1 Thessalonians 4.16-17
16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Pray and Drink Fruit of the Vine
SONG
Contribution and Song
Sermon Conclusion and Invitation
A very wealthy old man once had an elaborate collection of Van Gogh and Monet paintings. His only son shared his father's interest in the rare paintings. They traveled around the world buying these painting wherever they could find them.
The son enlisted in the army and was placed in the medical corps. In a severe battle, while carrying a wounded soldier to safety, the son was seriously wounded himself and died. The mother was dead already and the news of the tragedy devastated the old father. He grieved in loneliness for months.
One day a knock came at his door and when he responded he found a young man with a package. The young man explained that he was one of the several soldiers that the son had carried to safety. Knowing of his interest in paintings he had painted a picture of the son and presented it to the father.
The painting was not rare but was very precious to the old man because it was a good resemblance of his son.
The man moved a very valuable painting from the mantle and placed the picture of his son in its place. Hour after hour he sat in a rocker and gazed up at the image of his beloved son.
When death came the art collection was put up for sale by auction. Hundreds of collectors came to bid. The auctioneer announced that the will stated that the picture of his son was to be auctioned first. A moan of disappointment could be heard from the crowd. "Let's get on with the real paintings," one was heard to say.
The son's picture was held up and the auctioneer cried, "Who will give $100.00, $50.00, $25.00. There was no response. A kind old gentleman in the back asked, "Will you take $10.00." "Sold," said the auctioneer. "Good", cried the crowd. "Now we can get on with the auction."
"Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the auction," announced the auctioneer. The crowd was puzzled and upset. Then the statement was given. The will declared that the son's picture was to be sold and the person who took it would get all the rest. The old man who paid $10.00 for the picture of the son was suddenly amazed at the fact that he now owned all the valuable paintings.
When a person takes the Son of God, everything God has is included. We become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. The precious blood has made it all possible.
Scholars have found a 5th Cup -- Cup of Wrath of the Nations
15Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: "Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. Jeremiah 25.15
39And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26.39
