The Lord's Supper.

Premise: Jesus celebrates the final passover with the disciples and institutes the Lord’s Supper.

Opening:

Introduction of the Text:

Reading of the Text:

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.20 Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.21 And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”22 And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”23 And He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.24 The Son of Man is going, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You yourself said it.”

26 Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it. And giving it to the disciples, He said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Behold the Word of God.

Prayer:

Transition:

The Preparing of the Room.

Matthew 26:17-19. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”18 And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

Explanation: Jesus enters into Jerusalem again, for the final time before His crucifixion. Jesus, touching His divinity, knows precisely where to have the passover meal. Luke and Mark record Jesus giving the disciples a sign of watching for a man caring a pitcher of water.

Argumentation: It is important to note the significance of the day. Jesus, the ultimate passover lamb comes into the holy city on the day of the feast of unleavened bread. Mark tells us this was when the passover Lamb was sacrificed. This is the day Christ, the ultimate passover Lamb comes to Jerusalem.

Transition:

Jesus Tells the Twelve One of Them Will Betray Him.

Matthew 26:20-25. Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.21 And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”22 And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”23 And He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.24 The Son of Man is going, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”25 And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You yourself said it.”

Explanation: Imagine the shock of this. They do not immediately suspect Judas. Matthew says they are deeply grieved. They are so shaken, they ask Christ “Is it I?” They doubt themselves. The dipping of the bowl was common in that day. There was meat and a central bowl of sauce. You would all be dipping in the bowl with each other as you ate. This did not narrow it down. Jesus says it would be better if that man had never been born. This is the ultimate betrayal, and it would come from a dear and close friend. Judas finally asks if it is him (he already knew it was him) and Jesus affirms this.

Argumentation: Judas was the fulfilment of Scripture. Psalm 41:9. Judas was determined to do this from before time. Luke 22:22. How can we find guilt in him then? Gen 50:20. God has determined to use the evil of men for His glory and the ultimate good. The options are Meaningless evil, or evil that is turned to good according to God’s plan.

Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

Luke 22:22 “22 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!””

Gen 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive.

Transition:

The Lord’s Supper.

In order to understand the Lord’s Supper, we must understand the Passover.

The Passover.

Explanation: Exodus 12:1-13. The Israelites were in captivity in Egypt. God had sent nine plagues on Egypt but each time, God hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not let them go. God had decimated Egypt’s false gods and idolatry through the plagues. In Exodus 11, God says He will send one more plague and then Pharaoh will let them go.

Exodus 12:1-13 Now Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household.4 Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to apportion the lamb.5 Your lamb shall be a male, without blemish, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.6 And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight.7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.8 And they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails.10 And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.11 Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste⁠—it is the Passover of Yahweh.12 And I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments⁠—I am Yahweh.13 And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Explanation: They were to sacrifice a lamb and spread the blood on the doorpost. When God, in judgement, passed through Egypt and killed the firstborn, He would pass over the homes with blood on them and not render judgement.

Argumentation: The blood of the lamb washed the homes of the judgement of God. This was a clear sign and seal of what was to come in Christ. The leaven represented sin. They were to remove sin from among them. But the removal of leaven did not save them. What saved them was the blood of the lamb. 1 Cor 5:7.

1 Cor 5:7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, also was sacrificed.

Transition:

The Bread and the Wine.

Explanation: After the meal, Christ repurposed the elements. It was not uncommon for the wine of the meal to symbolize the blood on the doorposts. Christ changes the meaning, claiming to be the fulfilment of the Passover. He breaks the bread (Matthew 26:26) telling the disciples it is His body. He takes the cup (Matthew 26:27-28) telling the disciples it is the blood of the new covenant. Jer 31:31-34.

Matthew 26:26 “26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.””

Matthew 26:27-28 “27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares Yahweh, “when I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,32 not like the covenant which I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, but I was a husband to them,” declares Yahweh.33 “But this is the covenant which I will cut with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Yahweh: “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.34 And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Argumentation: Jesus is Lord of All and is the Fulfillment of the Passover. As the one whom the Passover pointed to, He has authority to give new meaning and institute a new celebration. What they were looking toward, we now remember.

Transition:

Much Debate Over One Small Word.

Explanation: Many have debated what the word “is” means. Is it literal, purely figurative, or something else? Almost all the church has agreed that Jesus is truly with us at the Lord’s Table (true communion) but in what form?

Transubstantiation: The Roman view that while the bread and wine remain in substance bread and wine, when they are consecrated, they in reality become the physical body and blood of Christ. Christ is re-sacrificed in the mass.

Lutheran: The Lutheran view is that Christ is not re-sacrificed. However, Christ is physically with us in Communion. Christ’s Physical body and blood are present in the elements. Still bread and wine, but in and under the elements are Christ’s body and blood.

Reformed: Christ cannot be physically in the elements, because His physical body is truly in heaven. However, He is spiritually present in the elements. The bread is Spiritually Christ's body. The wine is spiritually Christ’s blood.

Figurative: Christ is not with us in a special way in communion. It is just bread and wine and is meant only to symbolize Christ.

Argumentation: This is not a vain argument. Christ was sacrificed once for all. It is not another sacrifice. To say that is to commit idolatry and blasphemy. Christ cannot be physically present because He is truly God truly man. His human nature is a real and true human nature. He cannot be physically omnipresent. To say Christ is omnipresent in His humanity is to deny that He has a true human nature. It is clearly not purely figurative either. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says people were getting sick and dying for practicing communion unworthily. God was striking people dead. The Scripturally consistent answer is to say that Christ is present with us Spiritually (Matthew 28:20) and in a special way at His table. Physically, it is bread and wine. Spiritually, it is His body and His blood.

Matthew 28:20 “20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

Application:

How Are We To Observe The Lord’s Table? 1 Cor 11:17-34.

1 Corinthians 10: 16-17 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

There is blessing in a proper observance of the Table and cursing in a wrong observation. So how are we to observe it? Paul addresses this issue in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you, and in part I believe it.19 For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.20 Therefore when you meet together in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper,21 for in your eating each one takes his own supper first, and one is hungry and another is drunk.22 For do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being 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 He took the cup also 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 death of the Lord until He comes.27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.28 But a man must test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will direct when I come.

Explanation: The Corinthian church was mixing Communion with other feasts. They were being gluttonous. Some were gorging themselves while others went hungry. The rich were riotously eating and drinking and the poor were leaving hungry. Paul says they should eat in their own houses. They were not practicing the Lord’s table, but calling a false meal the Lord’s table.

Proclamation of Christ’s death: Paul then instructs them with Christ’s words. And he expounds saying, “26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” This table is a physical proclamation of the gospel. It must not be taken flippantly or unworthily.

Taking it Unworthily (Guilty of the body and blood of the Lord): Paul explains what it means if it is done unworthily. Verse 27 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.” This is quite the accusation. How do we avoid this?

Examine oneself: “28 But a man must test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.” We must examine ourselves. It is to be taken in reverence. We are to understand this is the body and blood of Christ. This is why it is reserved for those who are saved. You must confess that Christ is Lord and that you are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Warning: 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.” This is a serious matter. If you judge wrongly, you are under God’s judgement. But there is hope.

Hope: “31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world” We can know we are forgiven through faith in Christ. Through faith in Christ, the table is open to us and a blessing to us. Remember that Paul calls it the cup of blessing.

Orderly: 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” This is why we do not run to the table and push each other out of the way. We orderly take Christ’s body and blood.

Joyfully: We must not take warnings against taking this wrongly as a discouragement. We must see what it is. Something so sacred and so protected must be equally important. We, as Christians are free to come and to take of the table. We are welcomed to commune with Christ in great joy! Through faith we are able to come and partake of Christ. We are free knowing we are forgiven.

We are not forgiven because of our works. We are not forgiven of our sins because of us. We are saved because of what Christ did in our place. Beloved, we are all sinners. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. But God, in His great mercy, came and paid the debt we owed. Jesus, truly God, truly man, came and died in our place. We are saved by grace alone. We did not deserve it. We are saved by faith alone. It is not our work but trusting in the work of Christ. Through Christ alone. There is no other name through which we must be saved. When we come to the table, we are saying amen to salvation. We are rejoicing in and celebrating what Jesus did for us and in us.

Because of this, communion is one of the greatest joys we have on this earth. When we eat of the body, we are saying “amen, I am saved by Christ alone.” When we drink of the blood we are saying, “amen, I am washed completely clean!”

Courage and encouragement: There is one final application before we commune in a real sense with our Lord. The Lord’s table is a source of courage and encouragement. As we leave here, we are going into a real war. This world hates our Lord and hates us. We are leaving here to go into a real fight. Our culture is filled with hatred toward Christ and the church. What are we to do? How can we survive this war? But more than this, how can we fight back? What are our weapons of war? I have said this many times, we make war through Word and Sacrament. We have the Word of God and the two sacraments. We have these as a great source of courage and encouragement. How encouraging is it to know that we came together and heard God speak? Think of it. When we hear the Word of God read, we have heard the very voice of God speaking to us. He has given us His marching orders. Now pair this with the table. We have the opportunity to come to this table and take of Christ. We meat with Him in a REAL sense. He satisfies our souls through His body and blood. We come and take of this and meet with Christ. He is here, with us, in a real sense. Now we can go from here into a hostile land and have courage.

The trials of this week will come, but that is okay. The pain will come, but that is okay. Why? How can we bear it? We heard the voice of God, and we met Him here, in this holy place. We have been in the heavenly place and met with Christ. Let the pain come. Let trials and tribulation come. We have met with Christ. There is no greater application than this, Come and meet with Christ. Your life is filled with pain and struggle. Here is our Lord’s table. He is waiting to meet with you. This meal gives us strength, joy, courage, encouragement, and more. Because it is real. We can leave having been in the presence of God. This is the greatest joy I know on this earth. Let us take joy from this. Amen.

Prayer: Confession of sin and confession of Christ.

Communion:

Closing Hymn:

Benediction:

1 Cor 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

Matt 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”