Today is a special day when take the Lord’s Supper together. In a just a few minutes we will take what is known as the Lord’s Supper. You should have picked up the elements on the way in. Find 1 Corinthians 11 with me. I wanted to see what God’s Word says about the instructions in taking the Lord’s Supper.
Two Ordinances
The Lord Jesus told the church to do two things until He comes back: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the act of showing everyone you are a follower of Christ. This is the beginning of the Christian life. Baptism is when you are publicly not ashamed of following Christ and you’re happy to tell everyone that, “I’m counted as a Christ-followed.” If you have not been baptized, please come see one of our pastors in the Encourager’s Room. Please take out the communication card and write down the words, “I want to be baptized” and give us your contract information.
Now the second thing Jesus told us to do is the Lord’s Super. The Lord’s Supper is be done repeatedly throughout our Christian lives, as a sign of continuing in fellowship with Christ.
Many people don’t understand this why the Lord’s Supper is important. They take a wafer or they take a cup and there’s maybe this general understanding of it. But if we really understood the Lord’s Table, the Lord’s Supper as it is called in Scripture — it would be a transforming experience in our lives.
Today’s Scripture
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In 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.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:17-32).
Sicke Freerks
Again, the church has two things we are to do until Christ returns: baptism and Lord’s Supper. In the early 1500s, a man named Sicke Freerks was both an honest man and a quiet man as contemporaries tell us. He was also a tailor. But none this makes him noteworthy. What makes Sicke Freerks noteworthy is that he died after being accused of heresy. Because he was rebaptized or baptized as after professing his faith in Christ, he was martyred. “Sicke Freerks, on this 20th of March, 1531, is condemned by the Court to be executed with the sword; his body shall be laid on the wheel, and his head set upon a stake, because he has been rebaptized, and perseveres in that baptism.” All this was done because he was baptized as an infant and then baptized later when he professed faith in Jesus Christ. His body was tied to a wheel and his head put on a pole in order to deter others from being rebaptized.
Martyred for the Lord’s Supper
Around twenty years later during the reign of bloody Queen Mary, 288 Christians were burned at the stake for taking the Lord’s Supper. They burned children, women, and pastors among the nearly 300 people that day. Why were they burned by the Roman Catholic Queen? It was because they disagreed with Bloody Mary on the Lord’s Supper. “The doctrine in question was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper. Did they, or did they not believe that the body and blood of Christ were really, that is corporally, literally, locally, and materially, present under the forms of bread and wine after the words of consecration were pronounced? Did they or did they not believe that the real body of Christ, which was born of the Virgin Mary, was present on the so-called altar so soon as the mystical words had passed the lips of the priest? Did they or did they not? That was the simple question. If they did not believe and admit it, they were burned.” Think of it: nearly 300 men, women, and children martyred for their belief in Bible’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper. There are some things worth dying for.
Some call this meal the Eucharist while others call it communion. I want you to understand how important it is. We have all under appreciated this important reminder.
Sermon Preview
I want to look at what it was then, what is it now, and why you should do take today.
1. What Was It Then?
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24).
What was it then?
1.1 Remember Me
Jesus told His followers: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus instructed us to take this meal to remember Him. With equal force as God told us the Ten Commandments, He tells us to remember to take the Lord’s Supper. This is a command from Jesus Himself. Jesus says, “Don’t skip the Lord’s Supper.” “Don’t skip out on the Eucharist.”
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
The command is in place until the Lord comes again at the Second Coming.
1.2 Directly from Jesus
The verbs “received” and “delivered to,” are technical terms from Paul’s Jewish heritage and he’s telling us that he is transmitting this from Jesus to us. The apostle Paul writes, “For I received from the Lord…” (1 Corinthians 11:23a). Paul tells us that this has come directly from Jesus Himself. Now we have no record that Jesus and Paul met directly other than Paul’s heavenly vision on the Damascus Road. The two would have lived during the same period of time. It’s fun to think what if the Saul/Paul of Tarsus were to have meet Jesus of Nazareth. But we don’t know of any such meeting. This command was likely passed along by other Christians to Paul. No matter how he got it, Paul could say, “For I received from the Lord…” (1 Corinthians 11:23a). So the Lord’s Supper isn’t a prophet’s idea, a preacher’s idea, or even a patriarch’s idea. This was Jesus’ idea.
This comes from the highest authority and if you disregard this command, you do so at your own peril.
1.3 The Night Jesus was Betrayed
1 Corinthians refers specifically to an event just before the cross: “that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed” (1 Corinthians 11:23b). When your Bible says “he was betrayed,” it is referring to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. It’s Judas’ treacherous act that is specifically in view here. So the meal begins the very night before Jesus is crucified. When we break the bread and drink the cup, we are to remember the kiss.
Now, 1 Corinthians was likely written before any of the gospels. Scholars think it was written before the Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. So if the scholars are correct, you’re reading the earliest account of the Lord’s Supper. You’re reading the earliest account of what happened the night before Jesus was crucified. And the Bible is telling us that very night Jesus was betrayed, Jesus told His followers to take this meal.
1.4 Global Believers
I love to think of this: believers all over the globe take the Lord’s Supper together today. Believers participate in the meal in Iran, North Korea, and behind China’s communist walls while believers in Oregon, Washington DC, and Nebraska take it. Democrats and Republicans also take it right alongside one another. And think about taking the Supper more than a century ago: slave owners and slaves took this supper though in separate places. As Russia’s forces are hostile to Ukraine, believers in both nations will be taking this meal to remember the death of Jesus Christ today.
1.5 No Big Ceremony
Now, the Bible says that the very first communion, the Lord Jesus, on the night that He was betrayed, took bread and broke it. Jesus didn't have some big elaborate ceremony, wearing special costumes and vestments and burning incense and doing all kinds of fancy rituals. The Lord's Supper is a very simple act. He took bread and He took wine and He gave it to the people. It’s not some big elaborate ritual. When we take the Lord's Supper, we don't turn it into a big ritual. It’s not a big ritual but it is a big deal! We simply observe the elements and bless the Lord.
1. What Was It Then?
2. What Is It Today?
“and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In 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” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
What was it then? What is it now? Paul describes several components of the celebration. First, you give thanks.
2.1 Give Thanks
“and when he had given thanks” (1 Corinthians 11:24a).
Paul tells us that Jesus gave thanks before the meal took place. The Greek word behind the words “give thanks” is the word “eucharist.” The very word eucharist means “to give thanks.” So it is a time to give thanks. Jesus shows us a way to give thanks to the Father.
2.1.1 The Head of the House on Passover
Remember when Jesus was doing the first Lord’s Supper with the Disciples on the night before He was crucified, He was celebrating the ancient Passover meal. The ordinary Jewish meal began with the head of the house giving the traditional blessing over the bread, breaking it, and giving it to those at table with him. When Jesus, the “Teacher,” was with the Disciples, He undoubtedly played that role in meals with the disciples. Again, the Passover is in the background to the Lord’s Supper.
2.1.2 Redemption
The Passover celebration was explicitly tied to God’s redemption of his people. At Passover, usually, one of the kids is asked a question. “Why is this night different than all other nights?” It’s because it was referring back to the great act of liberation in which God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The people of God gave thanks that they their first born child was delivered from the angel of death (Exodus 12). Jesus is showing us a whole new layer to give thanks.
2.2 This is My Body
“he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24b).
You eat the bread. Jesus took the bread in hand and then He broke it to share with everyone. That was common practice. What was uncommon and unheard of was how Jesus said He was the bread. Again, Jesus said, “This is my body, which is for you” (1 Corinthians 11:24b). Now, Jesus does this kind of thing all the time. A L L THE T I M E!
2.2.1 I Am the Resurrection
Remember the story of Lazarus and his death over in John 11? Martha’s brother says to Jesus, “You know, if you were here, he wouldn’t have died, but he’ll be raised in the resurrection of the dead in the last day.” What does Jesus say? “I am the resurrection …” He doesn’t say … “I don’t point to the resurrection. I’m the resurrection.”
2.2.2 I Am the Sabbath
Over in Mark 2, Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath. The leaders come together and say, “You shouldn’t be working on the Sabbath. We shouldn’t be working on the Sabbath.” What does Jesus say in response? “I’m the Lord of the Sabbath.” He says, “I don’t point to the Sabbath. I am the source and author of the eternal Sabbath rest.”
2.2.3 I Am the Truth
Jesus told His disciples these important words: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). He didn’t say, “I point to the truth.” Instead, Jesus says “I am truth.”
2.2.4 I Am the Door
One more…
He would tell the religious teachers who sought to silence Him, “One Day you will see Me judging you at the right hand of God the Father.” Jesus is convinced there’s a door to heaven and that He is that Door: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9). Jesus Christ will not sit in a row with the other founders of world religions. He won’t sit in a row because none of the rest even began to claim what Jesus claimed. If I believe in Jesus at all, then I have to believe He’s the superior way. If I don’t believe He’s a superior way, it means I can’t believe in Jesus at all. So Jesus says, “I am the Bread. My body is the bread.” Jesus just elevates Himself right into the Passover meal. This is really significant. Jesus puts Himself right in the center of the meal. Jesus not only said, “I am the bread but He also says, ‘I am the cup.’”
2.3 This is My Cup
“In 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’” (1 Corinthians 11:25). Jesus refers to the wine in the cup that He will pass around. Only hours from His death, Jesus says His blood seals the promise. His blood seals the covenant. His blood offer you undeserved favor. His death offers your forgiveness.
1. What Was It Then?
2. What Is It Today?
3. Why Do It Now?
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
We have seen what it was then and what it is now. But why should you take it? What does it mean?
3.1 Communion on the Moon
Again, the Lord’s Supper is a big deal. Remember the story I just shared with you of how nearly 300 people were martyred for this meal. But consider this too: on July 20, 1969, two men changed history by walking on the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong left the Lunar Module is little known and most interesting. Buzz Aldrin was an elder at his Presbyterian Church in Texas in the late 1960s. Knowing that he was about do something that was unprecedented in human history, he felt he should mark the occasion. So his pastor consecrated a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine. Aldrin took both with him as he left the earth’s orbit and on the Lunar Module made the following public statement: “This is the LM pilot. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.” He then ended radio communication and there, on the silent surface of the moon, 250,000 miles from home, he read a verse from the Gospel of John, and he took communion. Here is his own account of what happened:
“In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Then I read the Scripture, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.’ I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute [they] had requested that I not do this. NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O’Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly. …I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements.”
When these men stepped on the surface of the moon, it was important for them to proclaim the Lord’s Death.
3.2 It Shows the Lord’s Death
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). It shows the “the Lord's death.” The Lord’s Supper shows the cross. Again, this simple meal shows the “the Lord's death.” There is a reason why the cross is the international symbol of Christianity. Leave out the death of Christ and you have left out the life of the gospel.
Remember, a real Man who poured out His life by dying for you. Remember the spear placed in His side as He hung on the cross. Remember His body was broken on your behalf.
When a believer lifts this cup to her lips, it means, “I take the Jesus Christ to be life!” When a believer lifts this bread to his lips, it means, “Jesus Christ is my everything!”
3.3 It Shows the Lord’s Return
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
We take this meal until Christ returns.
3.4 Examine Yourself
“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Consider your thoughts right now as you do. Consider if you are distracted with thoughts of your family or a your children’s game later today. Consider if you are more interested in what’s for dinner than Jesus Christ.
There’s someone here this morning dying from cancer. This meal means everything to her. This bread and this cup is the difference between heaven and hell for him. So “examine himself” right now. Search your mind. Search your heart. Remember the very words of God when it says, “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” (1 Corinthians 11:27). If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ today, then put down the cup and the bread. Pick up faith in Jesus Christ today. If you are a parent and your child believes in Jesus but is not ready for baptism, then put down the cup today. If you have sin to confess, then put down the cup to confess this to the Lord. Pick up again when you have told the Lord your sin. If you a forgiveness issue with someone, then put down the bread until you’ve made this right.Be reconciled with your friend before you take another step as far as it depends on your actions.
3.4 Remember Me
“and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
Again, Jesus told His followers: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus tells us to specifically remember Him when we take the meal. Imagine some movie you’ve seen where the young man is going off to war and he leaves behind a young lady he loves very much. They meet at the train station where they are to say their “goodbyes” and she offers him her scarf. She says, “Take this and always remember me when you see it.” Many of you have significant items from your parents or your grandparents. Some of you ladies may have your mother’s dishes. Some of you men might have your father’s wedding ring. This is a meal to remember. Now, it blows the mind to think we could even forget our best Friend – the One we love more than anyone else. Yet, our memories fail us and we fail to remember the One who is the most important.
Again, Jesus told His followers: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Like a post-it note, the meal is a reminder. But unlike any other kind of remembering you’ll do, this is the most important thing you’ll ever remember.
