INTRODUCTION
The Israelites were instructed to celebrate Passover in remembrance of the night the angel of death passed by the homes that were smeared with the blood of the lamb. Through the shed blood the chosen people were spared certain death and freedom from the bondage of Egypt soon followed. Today, as Christians, we celebrate a Passover of a different kind; The Lord’s Supper. Just like the Israelites we have been spared certain death. As God’s chosen people we have been freed from the bondage of sin through the shed blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the church that should be taken very seriously and very soberly. It is not something that someone should just haphazardly partake of. I have been trying to lead you to this day for the past 2 weeks through the messages I have presented.
Two weeks ago we went over 2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? I urged you to examine your Christianity by taking a close look at your walk with the Lord. We looked at how important it was not only to examine ourselves, but to prove ourselves as well. We then looked at five things out of the book of 1 John that would allow a person to know for sure that he was saved:
1) A changed life
2) Love for the brethren
3) Hatred by the world
4) Loving actions toward the children of God
5) The chastening of the Lord
Last week we looked at some prophecies concerning the birth of Christ then asked the question, “Why would God send his son in the likeness of sinful man?” We answered that question with two answers:
1) To declare God to man
2) To sanctify and perfect us
Today I would like for us to remember what we have learned over the past two weeks and apply it to the Lord’s Supper. I would like to look at what happened the night Jesus broke the bread and shared the wine with his disciples. For the Christian it should be a time of great introspect and self-examination. It should be a time to remember what our Savior has done for us. For the non-Christian it can be a life-changing event as well. I know of one person who came to grips with the awesome sacrifice of Jesus Christ during a Lord’s Supper ceremony. He was saved and is now in the ministry doing a mighty work for God. My prayer today is that everyone, Christians and non-Christians alike, will be attentive and open to the work of the Holy Spirit of God as we ask the question, “What should we remember about Jesus Christ?”
I. WHAT SHOULD WE REMEMBER ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?
LUKE 22:19-23
A. The Body of Jesus Christ (v.19) – And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
There is a beautiful phrase stuck right in the middle of this verse, This is my body which is given for you. Jesus knew about the awful beating that he was going to take at the hands of the Roman Soldiers. He knew about the ridicule that was going to come. He knew about the shame he would have to endure as he hung upon the cross. He even knew that the disciples, the same men that were sharing the meal with him, would leave him alone and deserted to face the angry mob that would come to drag him away. The amazing thing is that even though he knew all those things he still chose to use these words, “This is my body which is given for you.”
Jesus Christ, Creator of all things, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, chose to GIVE his body for us. He GAVE it freely and without a fight. He certainly did not have to. At the wave of a hand he could have struck down the Roman soldiers and left the city of Jerusalem in ruins. But he loved us too much to do that. Jesus Christ loved us so much that he GAVE his body away to be sacrificed for our sins. The only thing that he really asked for in return was for us to remember what happened, “This do in remembrance of me.” The bread is to be used as a way to remember the sacrifice of Jesus body.
THE FIRST THING THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IS THAT HE FREELY GAVE HIS BODY AS A SACRIFICE FOR US.
B. The Blood of Jesus Christ (v.20) – Likewise also the cup after supper saying, This is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you.
Last week I talked a little about how the priests in the Old Testament had to sacrifice animals for the people’s sins. The blood that was shed atoned for the sins of the people. At that time the blood of the animals was used to cover the sins of the people.
Here we see Jesus telling of a new testament, or covenant, that is going to come from his blood that would be shed for us. The blood of Jesus Christ would take the place of the animal sacrifices and atone for the sins of his people once and for all, never having to be shed again. Hebrews 9:12 – Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
THE SECOND THING THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IS THAT HE SHED HIS BLOOD TO CREATE A NEW TESTAMENT, OR COVENANT, BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.
C. The Betrayal of Christ (v.21-23) – But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
The phrase, “The hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table” is haunting to me. I’ve often thought about the fact that one who sat at the table with Jesus was actually the traitor who betrayed him in the garden. A close friend turned Jesus over to the enemy. Then, if it wasn’t bad enough to betray him, he did so with a kiss. The kiss on the cheek was a gesture of greeting, friendship, and kindness. Have you ever really thought about that? The last gesture of human kindness, the last tender kiss that our Savior received in human form on this earth came from the lips of the enemy. How many people in this congregation today could also fall into the category of traitor? As we come to the table for the Lord’s Supper we need to find out if we are betraying him in any way. We should do this through a thorough examination of our Christian walk.
1. Examination of the believer (1 Corinthians 11:28) –But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of that cup.
Anyone participating in the Lord’s Supper needs to recognize the gravity of what they are doing. That’s why the scripture says for a man to examine himself first then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. There are at least two reasons for self-examination before participation:
a. Partaking unworthily makes one guilty of Jesus Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 11:27) - Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
This verse gives us a very good reason to examine ourselves. If we eat of the bread and drink of the cup unworthily, then we have in effect become guilty of Christ’s death. That is a heavy statement, and one that is not taken seriously enough when it comes time to partake of the elements.
b. Partaking unworthily leads to sickness and death (1 Corinthians 11:29,30) – For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
There really is no way to misunderstand this scripture. If someone eats and drinks unworthily they are eating and drinking damnation, or judgment, to themselves. That is why some are weak and sick. It even goes so far as to say that some have died for partaking unworthily.
THE THIRD THING THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER ABOUT JESUS CHRIST IS THAT BY PARTAKING UNWORTHILY WE ARE BETRAYING HIM.
CONCLUSION
The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance that has been given to the Christian church as a memorial to Jesus Christ. We should take this time to remember:
1) The body of Christ that was given as a sacrifice for us.
2) The blood that was shed to create a new testament between God and man.
3) The betrayal that took place; we betray Jesus by partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily.
Partaking in the Lord’s Supper isn’t just some ritual that Christians should haphazardly rush into. It requires careful self-examination. Unconfessed sins need to be placed before the Lord and left there on the altar. Anything that may be unpleasing to the Lord needs to be dealt with and settled. Those who partake unworthily betray Jesus Christ by their actions and may be calling sickness or possibly even death upon themselves.
THE BEAUTY AND THE BANDS
Zechariah 11:7,10,11,14 (KJV)
Psalm 107:10,13 (KJV)
When the heavens opened up and Jesus gave up his glory,
It was a beautiful sight to behold.
The bright and shining star, the precious babe in a manger,
“Christ is born today”, the angels told.
So Jesus grew into a man and walked upon the earth,
The prophets had foretold his life with care.
And as he hung there on the cross - battered, beaten, bleeding,
As they mocked and cursed his name, the beauty was still there.
You see, Christ’s beauty did not come from the complexion of his skin,
Or the beautiful locks of hair that might have been upon his head.
His beauty came from the fact that his father chose to break him,
It was for all of our sins that Jesus bled.
Immanuel, Immanuel
How can I ever repay
The awesome price you paid,
The sacrifice you made,
When you died upon the cross for me that day?
God broke his only son, cutting the bands of sin and law.
Now we can share with Christ in his renewed glory.
What a priceless sacrifice, oh I just don’t feel that worthy,
The least that I can do is share his precious story.
So many sit in darkness, in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and pain.
So many sit and wonder why God has forgotten them.
If they would only look inside themselves then they would plainly see,
That they’re the ones who have forgotten him.
Just call upon the Lord and he will save you from distress,
And hold you in his open, loving hands.
Just call upon the Lord and accept the gift he gave,
When the Beauty came to earth, and died to break our bands.
Immanuel, Immanuel
I know I never can repay
The awesome price you paid,
The sacrifice you made,
When you died upon the cross for me that day.
-Tommy Hames, 1996
