Communion

The Bread of Life Revealed

2023 Spring Branch

July Communion

Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20

Long ago, God chose to call Abraham and God made a promise to him, that through Abraham God would bless all the nations of the world (Genesis 12:3).

Some time later, the Hebrew people grew in mighty numbers and filled Egypt. They lived in bondage, under slavery for around 400 years.

God sent a deliverer, Moses, to God’s people so that the people would be set free from the bondage under master Pharaoh.

Plague after plague took place as Pharaoh’s heart hardened and would not let the people go, until the 10th and final plague occurred (Exodus 11-12). All of the firstborn in the land would be slain.

What would save the people, the households, from death? Every household would take a lamb, an unblemished male, and kill it. They will take some blood and put it on the two doorposts of the home. They will roast it and eat it the same night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

They were to eat it ready, on the edge of their seat and it a hurry… expecting deliverance and salvation.

And we know the rest of the story… as God brought the final blow to the land and all the firstborn of Egypt died… all who were not under and in the blood of the lamb.

Passover celebration began after this time, commemorating this event so long ago. But this event and feast is pointing to this very moment where and when the Lamb of God will fulfill this reality entirely.

This Last Supper, if you were a disciple going into that upper room, would have been considered the Passover meal. But in this moment, Jesus is changing the meal and giving it new meaning.

This Last Supper brought the Old Testament observance of the Passover feast to its fulfillment. And it will be known, from here on out for Christians, as the Lord’s Supper, or as “Holy Communion.”

John the Baptizer new this day was coming as he knew the prophecies and he himself was a prophet. As John saw Jesus walking up, he identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God, the One Who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 Corinthians 5:7 - Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Jesus has said: “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whosever believes in me will never be thirsty. I am the Living Bread that comes from heaven. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise them up at the last day.

And the Lamb of God was slain… not a bone broken. Our Passover Lamb was sacrificed, and His blood was applied to God’s people, so that they and their whole households can be saved (Acts 16:31).

And whosoever will take The Bread of Life in, they shall have everlasting life. Whosoever is covered by the blood, shall be saved from death. And you shall live… not only for a day… but forever.

Now, Passover is usually celebrated and practiced in the context of the home and with the family. But, here… it is Jesus and His disciples partaking together. This Supper suggests that this meal has specific meaning for the church. This is the design of the church and how we are to celebrate it today.

But what are we celebrating and remembering? We are celebrating the New Covenant that was made through the blood of Christ. We are celebrating the Life that was given to save us from our sins and destruction. We celebrate the grace that was poured out on us as He bought us out of slavery.

We celebrate Jesus together today. We drink and we eat as God’s family and remember what God has done for us through Christ.

And as often as we eat of this bread and drink of this cup, we do so proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26). We proclaim His coming, His sacrificial death, the resurrection, and His Second Coming… every time we partake of this Holy Communion, and we look forward to the coming Kingdom.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave… His only begotten Son… and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

This is a holy time, a holy meal… and it is to be taken very seriously and humbly.

*Read 1 Cor. 11:23-30

Remember what this is about. Confess your sins and prepare your hearts.

*This is the body broken for you. This is the blood that was poured out for sinners.

*Sing Third Day’s – Communion Song