The Purpose and Meaning of The Lord's Supper

Introduction

Pastor Garret Kell says, “Baptism is a public profession of devotion to Jesus and his people. The Lord’s Supper is a renewal of our vows of devotion by remembering Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.”

Just as we spoke about wedding vows as a way to illustrate baptism, we can think of a wedding ring to illustrate the Lord’s Supper.

The ring does not create my relationship with Ashley, but it symbolizes the union I have with her and the communion I share with her in our one flesh relationship.

She alone is mine and I alone am hers…and every time I put my ring on, it is a reminder of this relationship.

Key Point:

Put simply: The Lord’s Supper is a church ordinance that reminds us of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for us and an opportunity for us to renew and reaffirm our commitment to him.

In giving the Lord’s Supper, Christ affirms his love for us and all the blessings of salvation we have in him. In us taking the Supper, we affirm our faith, love, and devotion to Christ.

There are two passages that communicate the meaning and purpose of the Lord’s Supper that are found in Luke 22:14-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. Let’s look at those passages together.

Luke 22:14-20 The First Lord’s Supper

First, the Lord’s Supper was the issuing of the New Covenant and symbolically replaced the Passover meal, which was one of the signs of the Old Covenant.

“hour came” in verse 14 refers to the time of the passover meal that Jesus had told his disciples to prepare for earlier.

This last Passover meal before Jesus’ death was also the first Lord’s Supper in commemorating the new covenant and remembrance of what Jesus would do in giving his body and shedding his blood for his followers.

There are many similarities between the Passover meal and what Jesus instituted in the first Lord’s Supper.

Normally during the Passover meal, the host would tell the story of the exodus and how God remembered his covenant with his people to help and deliver them. Jesus now speaks of a new covenant that he will make with his disciples.

The exodus focused on deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians, the new covenant focused on the deliverance from sins.

Israel was delivered by putting the blood of the passover lamb on their door posts, Jesus says we will be forgiven through his blood cleansing us of our sins, for he is our passover lamb.

Read verses 15-18 and briefly exposit the text.

Verse 19 says, “This is my body,” and refers to the bread that he had just broken and given to them. Jesus said that he is the bread of life in John 6 and his body would be broken and he would give his life for us when he laid down his life for us on the cross.

“This is,” represents or symbolizes Jesus body...the phrase does not mean that the bread has literally become Jesus’ body (transubstantiation-Roman Catholic) or in, with, and around the bread there is actually present in my body (consubstatiation-Luther).

“Do this in remembrance of me,” Jesus calls us to celebrate his life that was broken on our behalf. “In biblical thinking, ‘remembrance’ “was not simply to recall the past, but to re-present the past in order to participate in it and extend its effects into the present.”

The right human response is the “sacrifice of praise to God” (Hebrews 13:15) for what Christ has done and for what that means to us today.

Verse 20 says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you”

Similar to the bread, the cup represented Jesus’ blood, it did not turn into Jesus’ blood. It would be very difficult for the disciples to believe that they were drinking the blood of Jesus because Jewish law forbid them from drinking blood.

For a covenant to take place, blood had to be shed. Jesus institutes the new covenant through the blood he would shed on the cross for the sins of the world.

This is the new covenant that is prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34 ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.””

Also see that Jesus says his blood was poured out “for you.” -says the same thing in verse 19 about giving his body “for you”-This is substitution and vicarious language and affirms the truth that Jesus died and shed his blood in our place for our sins.

Let us now look at 1 Corinthians 11:23 that further describes some of the purposes of Communion in detail.

Purpose of Communion 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Communion Represents:

Ongoing Spiritual growth and sanctification

Spiritual nourishment

The Lord’s Supper reminds us of what Christ did for us and it reaffirms his love for us…that all of the blessings of salvation Christ has earned on our behalf our ours through faith in him!

The Lord’s Supper gives us the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to Christ.

Unity of the church

The meal represents fellowship and unity between the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:33-34 “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.”

The Lord’s Supper is a church ordinance, not a christian ordinance...

therefore, it should only be practiced in the context of the local church. How can you be in fellowship with the body of Christ (which is what the Lord’s Supper communicates) if you do not take the Supper in the presence of the body of Christ?

Union with Christ

Baptism is our initial union with Jesus, the Lord’s Supper is our continual and ongoing union with Jesus.

Only followers of Jesus should take part in the Lord’s Supper.

Accountability within the church, both individually and corporately.

1 Corinthians 11:27-29 “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. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

“body” in this verse is the church body, not the individual.

Missionary Spirit of the Church; the Lord’s Supper proclaims the gospel.

1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Anticipates the return of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:6-7 “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Response

For Believers:

Each time we take the Supper...

We should cherish, savor, and delight in taking part in the Supper and having fellowship with our Lord.

Remember what Christ has done and proclaim his death until he returns!

Long for the return of Jesus!

For Unbelievers:

To have fellowship with Jesus and experience the benefits of communion with him, you must take part in his death, burial, and resurrection through repentance and faith in Christ alone.