Study 19 - The Lord's Supper

Study 19

THE LORD’S SUPPER

Before we begin our study of the meaning and purpose of the Lord’s Supper let us come before our God and pray.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father God, we thank you for hearing us and thank You for sending Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. Please Lord God cause us to understand and appreciate what it means to partake of our Lord’s Supper.

Amen

BACKGROUND

Before we begin our study of the Lord’s Supper it will be very beneficial for us to review,

THE ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MANNA

To do this, we go to the time of Israel’s exodus from Egypt and read from,

Exodus 16:1-3

"[1] The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. [2] In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. [3] The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.""

After traveling approximately one and one half months through the desert and its associated hardships, Israel’s faith in God was shattered. The pressures of the wilderness journey were too much. The people were convinced they would starve. They forgot the horrors of the tyranny in Egypt and could only think about the food they had. In spite of their lack of faith, God, out of His love and compassion, miraculously provided bread to sustain the Israelites during their journey to the promised land of Canaan. To see this, let us now read from,

Exodus 16:4-5

"[4] Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. [5] On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.""

Let us notice the following verses,

4 … God told Moses He would give them bread for their journey. However, each day they were to go out on the desert floor and gather in their allotment. Also, note this was a test to see if the people would follow God’s instructions. If they did, they would be nourished. If they did not, then because of a lack of food, they would be physically weakened.

5 … Since the seventh day of the week was the Sabbath, which is the day of rest, on the sixth day the people were to gather twice as much. Thus, on the sixth day they were to gather manna for the sixth and seventh days.

Let us now read the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide the necessary nourishment for His children of Israel.

Exodus 16:13b-18

"[13b] … in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. [14] When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. [15] When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. [16] This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'" [17] The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. [18] And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed."

As God gave the Israelites physical bread, that is manna, to nourish and sustain them during their journey to the promised land of Canaan, God has provided us spiritual food to nourish us on our spiritual journey to the promised land of Heaven. As we will see, not only did Jesus come to offer His body and blood as a sacrifice to save us from our sins, but He also came to be,

OUR SPIRITUAL FOOD

To see this, we go to the time when Jesus fed 5,000 men along with the women and children with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. To read what transpired, let us read what the Israelites said to Jesus after He told them that they must believe in Him. To do this we go to,

John 6:30-59

"[30] So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? [31] Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" [32] Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. [33] For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." [34] "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." [35] Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. [36] But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. [37] All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. [38] For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. [39] And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. [40] For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." [41] At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." [42] They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" [43] "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. [44] "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. [45] It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. [46] No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. [47] I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. [48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. [50] But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. [51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." [52] Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" [53] Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. [56] Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. [57] Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. [58] This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." [59] He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum."

Let us notice the following verses,

30 … It is interesting to note that Jesus just miraculously fed over 5,000 people. What were they looking for?

32-35 … Jesus explained to the people that He is the True Bread of Life. It is He, Jesus, who came down from Heaven to give eternal life to all who would believe in Him.

36 … Jesus pointed out that in spite of all what the Israelites heard Him say and seen Him do they really did not believe in Him.

37a … Jesus pointed out another principle of the Gospel and that is, “It is God the Father who brings us to Jesus.” Remember we saw that when Peter recognized who Jesus was, Jesus told him that it was the Father who revealed Him to Peter (Matthew 16:13-17). Thus, in our prayer for the salvation of the unbeliever we should always ask God the Father to reveal His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to them.

37b-40 … Jesus will never drive away those who come to Him.

41-42 … Still believing Jesus was a mere mortal, they started to question how Jesus could say the things He was saying.

43-45 … Jesus told them and now us that it is God the Father Who draws us to Him.

48-51 … Jesus explained He is not like the manna which was physical. No, instead He is the One who gives everlasting life. He pointed out that even though the Israelites ate the manna in the desert, they died. However, whoever partakes of Jesus will live forever and ever.

52 … The people are confused and questioned; “How can Jesus give His flesh for them to eat?”

53-58 … Because of its extreme importance, Jesus again reaffirmed the truth that unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood we will not be raised up to eternal life.

To see that Jesus did not mean they were to literally eat His flesh and drink His blood, let us read Jesus’ response to those that did not understand.

John 6:60-63

"[60] On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" [61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? [62] What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! [63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Let us notice the following verse,

63 … This is the key verse. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life not the flesh. As Jesus said, the words He spoke were spirit and life and not earthy or physical. Thus, they must be spiritually understood or discerned.

With the above background in mind, we come to the question of; “How do we spiritually partake of the body and blood of Jesus?” The answer to this question is twofold.

First,

We Are To Read His Word

To see this, let us remember that in verse 63 above Jesus tells us that the words He spoke (and now written in the Bible) are spirit and life.

Thus, as we reverently and prayerfully read or digest the Bible we are spiritually partaking of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the Bible is sometimes referred to as spiritual food. For example, let us read how Paul referred to God’s Word as milk and solid food when he chastised the Hebrews for not maturing in their faith.

Hebrews 5:12-14

"[12] In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! [13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

The second way we become spiritually nourished is to,

Periodically Partake in the Lord’s Supper

To see this, let us read from,

1 Corinthians 10:15-16

"[15] I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. [16] Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"

INTRODUCTION

With this background we begin our study of our Lord’s Supper by reading what happened during the time our Lord ate His last Passover meal. This event occurred on the evening of His arrest to be crucified.

Luke 22:7-16

"[7] Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. [8] Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." [9] "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. [10] He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, [11] and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' [12] He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." [13] They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. [14] When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. [15] And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. [16] For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

Let us notice the following verses,

15-16 … The last meal Jesus had before His arrest and crucifixion was the feast of Passover.

To see how Jesus established the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, we begin by reading from,

Mark 14:22-24

[22] And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” [23] Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. [24] And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

With the above account in mind, let us now explore the purpose and significance of what had occurred. In doing so we will discover that,

1. The Passover meal instituted the night before Israel's deliverance from their bondage to Egypt was a foreshadowing to teach us about the purpose and significance of the Lord's Supper.

2. The Bible provides us guidelines for how we are to properly partake of our Lord's Supper.

We begin by reviewing that,

THE OLD TESTAMENT PASSOVER WAS A FORESHADOWING OF OUR LORD'S SUPPER

The fact that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper during the Feast of Passover was no coincidence. In fact, by establishing the Lord's Supper immediately after the Passover meal Jesus was clearly demonstrating that He is the true Passover lamb. Specifically, it is Jesus’ shed blood that protects us from the wrath of God (that is eternal damnation for the consequences of our sins). To help us understand this we will,

1. Review the origin and purpose of the Old Testament Feast of Passover.

2. See how the Old Testament lamb was a foreshadowing to teach us about Jesus Christ, the true Passover Lamb.

3. See that the Israelites were to periodically observe the Passover.

ORIGIN AND PURPOSE OF THE PASSOVER

As we read the book of Genesis we find that because of a very severe famine, Israel and his whole household migrated to Egypt for food. After a period of time they found themselves enslaved by the Egyptians. At the completion of 400 years of slavery, God raised up Moses through whom He would deliver the Israelites from their slavery.

To release Israel from the hand of Pharaoh and to demonstrate that He is the Lord, God, through the hand of Moses, inflicted various plagues upon the Egyptians. After each plague Pharaoh was asked to release Israel from their bondage. Each time Pharaoh denied the request a new plague, one of increased magnitude and devastation, was sent by God. These plagues or judgments finally culminated in the last plague, the death of the first born.

To protect the first born of the Israelites from the destroying angel, God instituted what was called the Passover. To refresh our memories on what the Passover was all about, let us begin by reading the following instructions God gave to Moses and Aaron,

Exodus 12:1-13

"[1] The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, [2] "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. [3] Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. [4] If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. [5] The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. [6] Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. [7] Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. [8] That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. [9] Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. [10] Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. [11] This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover. [12] "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. [13] The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."

Let us notice the following verses,

2 … The month of the Passover (that is the month of Nisan, which, depending upon the year equates to our March or April) was to be the beginning of their new year. This was to signify that in this month the Israelites entered into a new life free from the bondage of Egypt.

5 … The lamb was to be without blemish, that is perfect.

6-7 … A portion of the lamb’s blood was to be put on the sides and tops of the door frames of their homes.

8-10 … For supper that evening they were to eat the Passover lamb.

11 … They were to eat the Passover supper in a state of readiness to flee from their bondage.

13 … The blood on the door frames was a sign for the destroying angel to not enter that household but pass over it, thereby keeping its inhabitants safe.

As one reflects upon these commands we come to realize that,

THE OLD TESTAMENT PASSOVER LAMB WAS A FORESHADOWING OF JESUS CHRIST, THE TRUE PASSOVER LAMB

To see this, the following three observations are offered:

1. The origin of the Passover occurred just prior to the time that the tyranny of Egypt was to be broken. It was at this time that the Passover lamb was slain and eaten. To demonstrate that this was a foreshadowing of what would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we find that Jesus’ Last Supper was also eaten at the time the Old Testament Passover was observed. This was also the night before that He, Jesus, the true Lamb of God was to be slain to deliver us from the tyranny of sin. Another way to see this is for us to read what John the Baptist said right after he baptized Jesus.

John 1:29

"[29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

2. The Old Testament Passover lamb had to be perfect, that is without blemish. As we know Jesus Christ was perfect, that is without sin.

1 Peter 1:18-19

"[18] For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

3. The blood of the Old Testament Passover lamb was to be placed on the sides and top of the door frames. Then, when the destroying angel would see the blood, the angel would pass over the house and not harm those inside. In other words, through the blood of the Old Testament Passover lamb, those covered by it were protected from the wrath of God. We now find that Jesus’ blood is our covering. It was His blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins and saves us from the wrath of God the Father. To see this, we go to,

Matthew 26:27-28

"[27] Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. [28] This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

As we saw in Study 11, the born again believer is now at peace with God and God’s wrath has passed over them. To refresh our memory we go to,

Colossians 1:19-20

"[19] For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

To insure that all future Israelite generations would not forget what God did for them,

ISRAEL WAS TO PERODICALLY OBSERVE THE PASSOVER

To see this, let us read what God said after He instructed the Israelites about how to prepare and eat the Passover meal. God’s words are recorded in,

Exodus 12:24-28

"[24] "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. [25] When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. [26] And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' [27] then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped. [28] The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron."

As the Old Testament Passover was to be periodically observed to remind the Israelites and all their future generations the great deliverance God gave them, so it is with us. To not forget the great sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ made to save us from our sins, we are to periodically observe the Lord's Supper. To see this, let us read from,

Luke 22:19

"[19] And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.""

Given the significance of the Lord's Supper, we now come to some,

GUIDELINES TO HELP US PROPERLY PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

To better understand the New Testament instruction for celebrating the Lord’s Supper, we must remember that in the New Testament days there were periodic times when the believing community would come together for what was called a love feast or fellowship meal. This gathering was the time when they would all eat as a group. After the meal, as Jesus did with His disciples, they would then celebrate the Lord’s Supper. For an example, let us read about the community in Jerusalem where they held all their possessions in common.

Acts 2:44-46

"[44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. [46] Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,”

Unfortunately, in Corinth the unity of the Body of Christ broke down. To see this let us read from,

1 Corinthians 11:17-22

"[17] In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. [18] In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. [19] No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. [20] When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, [21] for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. [22] Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

Let us notice the following verses,

17 … The way the Corinthians were celebrating the Lord’s Supper was doing more harm than good.

18-19 … Within the body of Christ in Corinth there were factions and divisions. First of all, these factions developed by those who felt they were spiritually superior or more important than the others. Thus, they did not recognize they were all one in Christ Jesus.

20-22 … Those who were well off had no concern for those who were in need. Thus, in addition to divisions along spiritual lines there was also divisions between haves and have not’s.

This brings us to,

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SHARING THE LOAF AND CUP

In reflecting upon how Jesus celebrated His Last Supper, we find that all His apostles shared from a loaf of bread and a cup of wine.

Matthew 26:26-27

"[26] While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." [27] Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you."

There is great significance to the fact that the apostles partook from a single loaf. Specifically, it teaches us that the Lord’s chosen, who are the born again believers, are united in Him.

1 Corinthians 10:15-17

Thus, to remind us that all born again believers are united in Christ, the bread served at the Lord’s Supper should, whenever possible, be one loaf (representing the Lord Jesus Christ) and broken or torn apart so each member of His body can partake of the same loaf. For similar reasons, when possible, all should (as His apostles did) drink from a single cup.

Let now continue our reading from,

1 Corinthians 11:23-31

[23] For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." [26] For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. [27] Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. [28] A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. [29] For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. [30] That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. [31] But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment."

Let us notice the following verses

23-24 … The Lord Jesus Christ gave Paul these instructions.

27-30 … Here we find the seriousness of the Lord’s Supper. Specifically, if it is observed in an unworthy manner, the person who does so brings judgment upon themselves. That is why Paul wrote they were doing more harm than good (1Corinthians 11:17). Consequently, before we celebrate our Lord’s Supper we are to bring to mind and take to heart that: (a) we are gathering together as one body and (b) we will be spiritually partaking of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

31 … In order to avoid God’s judgment, we are to judge ourselves prior to celebrating the Lord’s Supper.

This brings us to the topic of,

JUDGING OURSELVES

Verse 31, raises the question of; “Does this judging or examining of oneself pertain to only how we are to behave during the Lord’s Supper?” (Or) “Should it be an all encompassing examination of our life?” The answer to this question lies within the following Scripture,

1 John 1:6-7

"[6] If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

Let us notice the following verses,

6 … If I am living my life in a known sin that is not confessed and repented of, then I am not in fellowship with the Lord. If in this case I did partake of my Lord's Supper, would I not be a hypocrite for ignoring the incredible sacrifice Jesus made to save me from the very sin I refuse to confess and repent of?

7 … However, if I am in the light, that is all known sin is confessed and repented of, then I not only have fellowship with my Lord but also with all those that are His. If this is my situation, then I’m in a state of readiness to partake of the body and blood of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Consequently, before we come to the table of our Lord, we should first examine our lives and sincerely repent and confess all known sin. Remember when we do this, God promises that He will forgive us and cleanse us from our unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

"[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Before we close this study let us review the following,

SUMMARY

A. We are to recognize and remember what the Lord’s Supper is all about. Specifically, before and during our partaking of the bread and the cup we are to,

1. Remember the painful and humiliating sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ underwent so that His shed blood would cover our sins and bring peace between us and God the Father.

2. Remember that because of Jesus' sacrifice we are also celebrating the peace and fellowship we now have with our God.

3. Recognize when that when we periodically partake of the bread and cup we are also receiving spiritual nourishment for our spiritual journey to the promised land of Heaven.

B. The Lord’s Supper must be observed in an orderly manner with love and consideration for our fellow spiritual brothers and sisters.

C. We are to recall that the loaf of bread represents Jesus Christ in whom every born again believer is united with one another.

D. We are to partake of the bread and the cup with a clear conscience, which is all known sin is repented of and confessed to God.

Blessed be the Lord forever!

AMEN and AMEN

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