The Signature Meal (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

Introduction

Not quite 15 years ago, I was one of four paid pastors on staff at a church about 30 minutes north of Dallas. And one of my duties there was to lead a Wednesday night Bible class. Normally, I would teach through a book of the Bible, but sometimes I would do a series of topical lessons – like systematic theology.

This is the same pattern I keep today for our Wednesday nights at FBC Diana, and after we finish going through Hebrews in a couple of weeks, I will begin teaching through a new Baptist confession of faith (on Jan. 21, 2026).

If you’re interested in learning a bit more about what we believe and why… and/or if you’d like to make Wednesday night Bible study a new part of your weekly routine… then you are welcome to join in. This would be a great time to do it! The coffee is always free, and there are usually sweet treats of some kind.

Anyway… back then, I was teaching a series of classes on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and we had come to the topic of the Lord’s Supper. Like a lot of Christians (and even a lot of pastors) I didn’t know as much in those days about the importance of the who and the how of the Supper, so I thought it would be a great idea to end our lesson that night (on the Supper) by partaking of the elements.

I had some set up to do beforehand, so I asked Cassie to run to the store and pick up some juice and crackers. And when she got back (about 20 mins later), she handed me a grocery bag with some crackers and a big jug of WHITE grape juice.

I was confused (and a little frustrated), and I said, “I can’t use this! …Why did you get WHITE grape juice?!”

She told me confidently that the WHITE juice would be less likely to stain if anyone spilled, and so it was better than RED.

I said, “You know that the juice represents the BLOOD of Christ, right?! …That’s why it’s supposed to be RED!”

Of course, she was just trying to help… And truth be told, her mistake that day was far less detrimental to the Lord’s Supper than mine was.

She was only changing one of the forms of the Supper – switching red juice for white. But because I was leading a small group Bible study (with only a tiny fraction of the church members present) to observe the Lord’s Supper, I was changing a feature of the essence of the Supper – no longer practicing it as a church ordinance but something else entirely.

In fact, I was doing what the Apostle Paul explicitly condemns in 1 Cor. 11 when he says, “it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat” (1 Cor. 11:20).

Friends, I wonder how you might answer questions about the who and the what of the Lord’s Supper?

Do you think it’s ok for a small-group Bible study to do it?

What about those churches who live-stream or televise their services… Should people ever partake of the cup and the bread from a remote location?

And what about weddings or funerals… or Christian conferences?

And what about families who decide to “church” at home or infirm and homebound church members… those who won’t or those who can’t gather with a local church… Should they ever partake of the cup and the bread without being physically present among the church body?

Friends, it is always good to consider (or reconsider) what we believe and why we believe it… and it is usually pretty helpful for all of us to be reminded of the fundamentals or the foundations of our faith and practice.

Lord willing, I’ll focus our attention on several of these foundational Christian beliefs and practices over the course of 2026… and today, I’m leading us to take a closer look at the Lord’s Supper.

What does it mean? What happens when we eat and drink? And who should participate? These are the main questions I’m going to answer from the Bible today – the principle, the practice, and the people of the Supper. Of course, my main text is 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, but I’ll draw from other passages as well.

I pray that the Lord will help us to see more meaning in the Supper, that He will help us enjoy the Supper more when we do observe it, and that He will help us to better understand how the Supper is an essential ordinance for us as a church.

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 (ESV)

16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?

17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

Main Idea:

The Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant, wherein Christ’s people are visibly united with Him and with one another.

Sermon

1. The Principle: Blessed Because Christ was Cursed (v16)

If something is a principle, it can be a doctrine or an idea… and it can also refer to a source or origin.

For example, we can talk of the principle (or concept) of reciprocity, which is basically the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”

And we can also talk of the principle (or origin) of the Golden Rule – it comes from Jesus’s sermon on the mount in Matthew 7, which is based on God’s moral law… which itself is grounded in God’s own character.

Today, I’m using the word principle to refer to both… the idea or concept or doctrine of the Lord’s Supper… AND the origin or source of the Supper… “What does it mean?” and “Where does it come from?”

First, where does it come from?

In short, we get the concept of Lord’s Supper from Jesus’s own institution of it on the night He was betrayed.

Many of you know the story… Jesus gathered His disciples to observe the Passover meal, and then Jesus did something radical – He took the elements of bread and wine, and He said that this historic and theologically-rich meal was ultimately about Him.

Matthew tells us, in his Gospel, “Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And [Jesus] took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:26-28).

Now, one of the main reasons this was so radical was that the meal they were eating already had theological significance – it was the Passover that God established in the OT as a sign of His covenant with the people of Israel when He rescued them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12-13).

God reset the annual Israelite calendar, commanding them to start every year with a feast that would remind them of what God had done… bringing salvation to His people through judgment.

And God told them, “when… your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery’” (Ex. 13:14).

So, Christians get the Lord’s Supper from Jesus’s own radical reorientation of the OT Passover meal – this is why we call it an ordinance, because Christ Himself ordained or appointed or designed it.

It is the Lord’s Supper – it is His… His to offer and His to define.

What does the Supper mean?

Our main passage today tells us a great deal about the meaning of the Supper, but we have to know a bit of this biblical history and context, and we have to know what to look for in the words of our passage.

The Apostle Paul was teaching the church in Corinth about the Supper when he said, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16).

When we put this together with (1) what we know about the Passover and (2) what we know about what Jesus said when He reoriented this important OT meal (explaining that these elements are ultimately about Him), then we can begin to understand that the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant (the promise of God to save sinners through Jesus), wherein Christ’s people “participate” in His “body” and “blood” (v16).

The Greek word translated “participate” (in the ESV) is κοινωνία; it means fellowship or association or communion or partnership.

Thus, when Christians observe or partake of the Lord’s Supper, they are being visibly associated with or partnered with or united with the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the specific feature of Christ’s person or work in focus here is His “body” and “blood,” which is clearly referring to Jesus’s death upon the cross.

Friends, just like the OT people of Israel were delivered from physical slavery in Egypt (and the Passover meal was meant to signify their participation in God’s gracious salvation for them), so too the NT people of Christ have been delivered from bondage to sin and the penalty that comes with it (and the Lord’s Supper is meant to signify the believers’ collective participation in God’s gracious salvation through Christ).

The imagery is striking:

In the OT: God’s judgment was coming upon Egypt, and death would strike every household, but God told the people of Israel to kill a lamb and paint its blood on the doorposts of their homes so that God’s judgment would pass over.

Either the lamb dies or they do.

In the NT: God’s judgment is coming upon the whole world, and death (both physical and eternal) will strike every person, but God has offered His own Lamb (in the person of His Son) so that His blood would be applied to them and His ultimate judgment would pass over them.

Either the Lamb of God has taken away their sin in His atoning death, or they will die because of it.

The Lord’s Supper, then, is kind of like a wedding ring.

It is not the covenant itself, but a reminder of the promises made.

Those who wear it and those who see it recognize that this sign represents something far more meaningful and precious than the ring itself.

The Lord’s Supper is also similar to a war memorial.

A nation’s soldiers fight for victory over an enemy that threatens destruction of the people and their way of life.

And the victorious nation erects a memorial to remind the people of the sacrifices made and the hard-one success.

When the people look upon the memorial, they not only remember what happened, but they also remember how and why they now enjoy their way of life.

Friends, because Jesus Christ suffered under God’s curse, those who turn from their sin and believe (or trust) in Him now enjoy “the cup of blessing” (v16).

Is this the meaning of the Lord’s Supper for you? Have you repented and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Does His blood mark you out as one whose sins are forgiven and whose guilt has been washed clean?

2. The Practice: Blessed by Eating & Drinking (v16)

The principle of the Lord’s Supper is the death of Christ on behalf of sinners and His institution of this symbolic meal – that’s what it means and where it comes from. It is a sign of the New Covenant in Christ, wherein Christ’s people are visibly united with Him – they are participants with Christ in His sacrifice.

But what does this say about the practice of it? What happens when Christ’s people observe or partake of the Supper?

In answer to this question, I believe the Bible teaches us that the practice of the Supper (1) throws us back in remembrance, (2) it grounds us in assurance now, and (3) it sustains our hope of future glory – or as I’m saying it here, we are blessed in Christ by eating and drinking.

In observing the Supper, we remember Christ’s sacrifice.

As I’ve been saying already, Jesus taught His disciples (and all other Christians) that the elements of the meal – the bread and the cup – signify His own “body” and “blood” (1 Cor. 10:16; cf. Matt. 26:26-28).

Therefore, when Christians partake together of the elements of the Supper, they are remembering that Christ has died in the place of sinners.

As the author of Hebrews put it, “[Christ, as the ultimate high priest,] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption… Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from [their] transgressions” (Heb. 9:12, 15).

Brothers and sisters, when we partake of the elements of the Supper today, let’s remember that Christ our Savior has died under God’s curse so that we may enjoy God’s blessing.

Consider and marvel in humble praise: Christ heard God’s word of malediction so that we may hear God’s word of benediction.

As the old hymn goes – “Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free, for God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.”

In observing the Supper, we are also assured of complete forgiveness.

Friends, the Lord’s Supper is not for everyone, but only for those who are repenting and believing Christians… and this is one of the reasons why.

If a non-believer or a presumptuous sinner comes to the Lord’s table, then he or she may think that Christ’s sacrifice and the forgiveness of sins is a promise they can claim for themselves.

But this simply is not so!

And it’s better to be confronted by this reality now, while there is still time to turn from sin and trust in Jesus… than to presume upon God’s grace and learn that on the last day it was only a horrible presumption.

If you’re not a member of FBC Diana, and you’ve got questions about whether you should participate, then let’s talk about it after the service.

For those of us who are turning away from our sin, who are trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and who have been baptized into visible fellowship with Christ’s people… then we enjoy in the Lord’s Supper a tangible and supernatural reassurance that we are forgiven.

Consider v16 of our passage again.

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16).

Brothers and sisters, those who partake of the Supper with true faith in Christ are “participants” or joined with or associated with the “body” and “blood” of Christ (v16).

We are assured that God’s judgment has passed over us because Christ has already suffered in our place.

There’s a real sense in which Christians ought to hear the voice of God in the Supper – “These are mine, and I am theirs… These are the people of my covenant of grace.”

In observing the Supper, we’re sustained in our hope of glory.

It is a fact that the Lord’s Supper is not only backward-looking but also forward-pointing.

The elements of this meal are meager – a small cup and a tiny cracker will not sustain any of us.

But this meager meal is pointing to another key image in the Bible – a real feast, an overflowing table, a celebration supper that has no equal – the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The book of Revelation tells us that on the final day, Christ will be joined with His bride (i.e., the Church, believers from all time and geography), and there shall be a great feast of celebration.

There will be “rejoicing” and “exultation,” and all will give Christ “the glory” (Rev. 19:7).

The “Lamb” will be united with His “Bride,” and she will be arrayed with beauty and holiness (Rev. 19:7-8).

Brothers and sisters, when you partake of the Supper today, don’t just look back on Christ’s death in your place, and don’t only rejoice in your present assurance of mercy, but also call to mind that coming day when we will join the uncountable congregation of saints and feast at Christ’s table… where the cup never runs dry and the plate never goes empty.

Of course, even there (in the marriage supper of the Lamb) the imagery of an overflowing table is symbolic of the infinite and glorious blessings that are part and parcel of Christ’s kingdom.

The Scripture says, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9; cf. Isaiah 64:4).

Friends, the principle of the Supper is the sacrifice of Christ and His teaching us how to think about it… and the practice of the Supper is (1) a repeated remembrance, (2) a present assurance, and (3) a sustaining hope that we will take part in all the glorious blessings promised in Christ to those who love Him.

When we eat and drink (even of these small and meager elements), we are laying claim on the blessed promises of God in Christ. We experience a mixture of solemn humility, of affectionate gratitude, and of joyful expectation.

But because we understand the principle and the practice of the Supper in this way, we must be clear about the people who join together in partaking.

3. The People: Blessed as New Covenant People (v17)

Because the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant, wherein Christ’s people are visibly united with Him, they are also united with one another. The Supper defines God’s people in the world. It is where many individual believers become a singular whole – Christians become a church; members become a body.

In v17 of our passage today, Paul writes, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). This meal, then, signifies our unity in Christ, as those who have entered the New Covenant through repentance, faith, and baptism.

Let’s get really practical now, and I will point out three implications concerning who should participate and how we (as a church) observe the Supper.

First, it’s a family meal, so all church members should participate. Second, it’s a covenantal meal, so there’s blessing for the right participants and cursing for the wrong ones. Third, it’s a temporary meal, so we welcome newcomers as warmly as we ourselves have been welcomed until Christ comes.

It’s a family meal.

Think of the Lord’s Supper as a family dinner table, where God sits (as Father) at the head of the table, where Christ sits in the honored seat (as the distinguished and exalted Son), and where all those who have been baptized into Christ sit along with Him as His siblings.

Now, a family dinner doesn’t make a family a family, but it does create a visible picture of who is numbered among them.

When our sons were both younger, our family dinner table almost always numbered four – Me, Cass, Micah, and Malachi.

Now that our oldest is coming to the age and stage of life that he will begin a family of his own, he’s not as regular at our dinner table as he once was.

We’ve also had guests often – we’ve fostered children at different times, and we’ve frequently invited others to join us for dinner – but the consistent faces around the table were always the same.

Brothers and sisters, this is one of the reasons it’s so important for the whole church to gather in the name of Christ on a regular basis – especially when we observe the Lord’s Supper together.

It is a terrible thing to be excommunicated (or excommunioned) from a church, but too often church members excommunicate themselves by being absent from the regular church gatherings.

It’s not wrong for us to wonder why a member is absent from church… In fact, it would be odd to not notice and find out why.

If Malachi were not at our table, Cass and I wouldn’t just carry on as usual… we’d inquire.

It’s a covenantal meal.

As I’ve been arguing today, the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant – it signifies that these are IN and those are OUT, it marks off the boundaries of Christ’s covenant, and it represents an earthly declaration of citizenship in Christ’s kingdom.

And God’s covenants come with both blessing and cursing – blessing for right participation (belief and obedience) and cursing for wrong participation (disbelief and/or disobedience).

Friends, the Bible teaches us that only those who are repenting and believing ones are citizens of Christ’s kingdom or members of God’s NT family.

Furthermore, the Bible teaches us that repenting and believing ones enter Christ’s kingdom or God’s NT family through the door of baptism – where new individual Christians are united with an existing assembly of Christians.

This is why we say that those who are baptized members of FBC Diana or those who are baptized members of another church that preaches the same gospel that we do are welcome to participate.

We do not intend to be overly exclusive, but we do want to observe the Lord’s Supper as Christ has commanded.

Again, if you have questions about who should participate or why we describe it like this, then I’d be glad to talk it over with you after the service.

It’s a temporary meal.

Brothers and sisters, have you thought much about what we won’t do anymore after Christ finally returns?

Christians won’t sin.

Christians won’t mourn the loss of loved ones.

Christians won’t get sick or feel pain or grieve over the apparent success of the wicked.

So too, Christians won’t evangelize anymore.

The time for spreading the gospel will be over, and all those the Lord loves will be with Him forever.

New Christians won’t get baptized anymore.

There will be no more conversions and no need to recognize those sinners who have recently turned to Christ.

And Christians won’t observe the Lord’s Supper anymore.

This sign of the New Covenant will be overtaken by its substance, and we will feast with and from the Lord in His fullness.

Thus, we should remember that our participation in the Lord’s Supper is only temporary.

For those of us who are turning from sin and trusting in Christ, we observe the Supper as those who have been graciously welcomed to Christ’s table.

We didn’t earn it, and we don’t deserve it.

We eagerly welcome others – those who turn from sin and trust in Christ along with us – because we know that Christ’s invitation stands open at this very moment.

Christ invites anyone with ears to hear, “Come… let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev. 22:17).

And we look forward to the day when this symbolic Supper will be no more… that day when we shall all (all who cling to Christ and all who love and trust Him)… we shall all sit with Christ at His glorious table.

Conclusion

Friends, the Lord’s Supper is a sign of the New Covenant, wherein Christ’s people are visibly united with Him and with one another.

Therefore, we want to prepare ourselves to partake of this Supper with humility and hope, with gratitude and joy, with faith and assurance.

We invite weary and sinful Christians to partake.

Those who are in need of assurance should not stand back, but should approach with glad confidence in what Christ has done and in what Christ has promised.

We invite both immature and mature Christians to partake.

Those with little faith and with great should all find their faith reinforced and sustained by Christ’s work and promises confirmed in this Supper.

We especially invite members of FBC Diana to partake, as well as those baptized members of another church that preaches the same gospel we’ve been highlighting today.

This is a family meal, and we are delighted to commune with our immediate and extended family in Christ.