God's Church: The Significance of the Lord's Supper
- Pastor Mike
- Dec 18, 2018
- 4 min read
Still Having supper... The Lord's, that is!
The Significance of the Lord's Supper
1. It is a remembrance of Christ:
1st Corinthians 11:23-24
For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread (24) and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.
It recalls His life (the bread), His death (the cup), His resurrection and living presence (the service itself).
2. It is a proclamation of His death:
1st Corinthians 11:26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until He comes again. The service itself states the Gospel message as well as the claims of the Gospel on the redeemed person. A missionary, whom I knew, was directed to service on the mission field when he, as a pastor presiding at a Lord's Supper in his church, was meditating on its meaning, while the deacons were distributing the elements.
3. It is an assurance of Christ's second coming: Matt. 26:29 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it, for this is My body." (27) And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, "Each of you drinkfrom it, (28) for this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. (29) Mark My words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in My Father's Kingdom."
4. It is fellowship with Christ and His people: In what sense is Christ present in the Supper? The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the literal body and blood of Christ are present in the bread and cup and at the time of consecration the elements are actually changed (transubstantiation). The Lutheran Church teaches that the individual partakes of the true body and blood of Christ in, with, and under the elements. The elements remain unchanged, but the prayer of consecration communicates Christ to the participants (consubstantiation). The Reformed view (Calvin) teaches that though the elements are only symbols, partaking of them involves partaking of Christ in His redemptive presence. However, Zwingli taught that the Supper was only a memorial. It is a memorial but it is also a service in which the presence of Christ in His people affects a real communion.
The Lord's Supper Requirements 1. Regeneration Only believers can experience Communion and it’s fellowship with a local church.
2. The Lord's Supper Frequency The Scriptures do not specify on this point. After Pentecost, the believers broke bread from house to house, but this does not prove a daily observance of the Supper. For one thing, it is not clear that "breaking bread" in this text meant anything other than taking a fellowship meal together. The text does not even imply that whatever was done was done daily in each house. How often a church observes this ordinance, it should be given sufficient time so that it is not "tacked on" to a service. As your pastor, I am including the supper as a part of our worship service in order to honor our text.
Questions regarding the supper:
1. At what service of the church should the Supper be observed? The example of the early church answers Sunday. But since it was a Supper, it seems appropriate to observe it during an evening service on Sunday, at least sometimes. I am looking forward to having an evening service to honor our text…
2. Should the Lord’s Supper be observed in the church? This seemed to be the normal pattern… 1 Corinthians 11:20-24 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord's Supper. ( Paul is correcting the meeting place and meaning of supperaa) (21) For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. (22) What? Don't you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God's church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this! (23) For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread (24) and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.
3. Should only church members partake? Again this seems to be the New Testament example since only baptized believers were clearly associated with a local assembly.
4. Should visitors be excluded if they are believers? Not necessarily. As a courtesy, they could participate. But since discipline by a local church and fellowship within a local church are related to the Supper, then normally only those who are clearly associated with that local church should partake of the Supper in that group.
Lots of information here, right? Our motive is love. One day we will be with Christ, face-to-face, participating in the great banquet when our Lord sups with us to His honor. Praise God!!!
Love to all, Pastor Mike
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