The Lord's Supper

by Paul Walker

1988 PSN

09 Nov 22020**

The purpose of the earthly life of Jesus Christ was His sacrificial death. He came into the world to die. In Mark 10:45 Jesus said, "Even the son of man came . . . to give His life a ransom for many." When Jesus died on the cross, that was not a change in the plan: that was the plan! It was not a bad ending to a good beginning. His crucifixion was God's plan from before the foundation of the world. It had to be done — and it had to be done in God's appointed way and in accordance with God's divine timetable.

The death of Jesus Christ is the focal point of all redemptive history. From the slain animals whose skins were used to clothe Adam and Eve to the slain Lamb of Revelation who is worshipped in glory and majesty—the cross is everything. Paul, the great apostle and teacher, knew the supreme value of the cross; so much so that he declared with steel-like conviction: "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). And he also said "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14). The brethren at Corinth sensed the preacher's zeal and enthusiasm when he walked and talked among them. Had some brother approached him with this question: "Paul, is the cross the beginning and ending of the story?" He would have answered, I'm convinced, "Brother, the cross is not only the beginning and ending of the story — but more than that—it is the theme of the story!"

The Lord's Supper is a magnificent celebration in worship because it ever keeps alive the theme of the New Testament — the cross of Christ! Not the physical, wooden cross; but the true spirit and meaning of the cross — love, mercy, peace, unity and forgiveness. And those were the things the brothers and sisters at the Corinth congregation needed as we shall see when we view the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.

The Lord's Supper is a Christian's memorial. It can be understood and appreciated only by Christians who train themselves to discern spiritual things. The great American statesman, Thomas Jefferson, writing about freedom said, "How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy." And so it is with God's people. We have the wonderful and precious blessing called the Lord's Supper which cannot be enjoyed by the world, for it is spiritually discerned. When Jesus, on that dark night of nights so long ago climbed the stairs to the upper room with His twelve apostles to eat the final Passover and to give birth to the Lord's Supper, He and they were a tiny lot along side the swarm of people who inhabited the earth. But that fact did not embarrass the Lord. He knew full well that the masses did not understand the meaning of the magnificent supper he was about to institute. What did disturb the Master, I'm sure, was the lack of understanding and appreciation for the Supper on the part of His inner-circle of friends, the apostles. And, I am further convinced that our Lord is concerned today by our own lack of sincere love, understanding and appreciation for the Lord's Supper.

The Supper: Our Customs, Good and Bad

In the first part of my topic, "The Lord's Supper," I shall mention some customs often connected with the observance of the communion; customs that may or may not be appropriate in preparing minds for the communion. Not all brethren may use the same words and phrases at the Lord's table simply because brethren have varied gift, temperaments and talents. Many times we visit congregations away from our own and observe that the brother who waits on the table says and does things a little different than we are accustomed to. This is to be expected. I often find that younger men who wait on the table use a fresh approach, a relevant statement, a creative idea — perhaps because they are bored with the familiar; tired of the traditional. They get the job done. They do not dare tamper with what is on the table — the one bread and one cup. And they usually say the correct words while blessing the elements. Yet, their preliminary remarks before the blessing are often new and innovative. If I might borrow from the musician's point of view; they play the same song but in a variety of keys and arrangements. Really, that is not bad; unless played off key!

Since we have no authority except the authority of Holy Scripture and since the New Testament is silent as to what must be said or done by the brother who stands before the table on Lord's Day; our brother has a great deal of Christian liberty to say and do whatever he wishes, as long as he does not tamper with God's arrangement. He must, though, always remember that the table before which he stands is the Lord's table and not his own. Any man who waits on the Lord's table must speak from motives of love and respect for Christ and for the true meaning and purpose of the Lord's Supper. I think a good rule of thumb for a brother to follow when waiting on the Lord's table is this: Am I fully persuaded in my own mind that what I am about to say or do is going to focus the congregation's attention and affection on the Lord Jesus Christ?

I think of Mary's resolve to serve Jesus in her own way, when she poured the costly perfume on the head of Jesus amid whispers of scorn and criticism from the disciples. "Leave her alone," Jesus said, "she has done what she could." Mary dared to dress her life by her own mirror. She dared to be herself. And so it should be with you and me. The only ugly thing that could be said by a sincere Christian brother who waits on the Lord's table is a thing said or done of an ugly motive. As long as our brother has honest, sincere, loving convictions and as long as he does not attempt to change the Scriptures pertaining to the communion service, his position at the Lord's table will be beautiful and honored by the Lord himself. And, if from an ugly motive, we hurl at him destructive criticism, we may hear Jesus say to us, "Leave him alone, he has done what he could."

Good Customs

I would first like to list some customs at the Lord's table which I have observed over the years that are, in my opinion, good, positive ways to focus attention on the Lord and the real purpose of communion. The first custom is a brief statement from the brother calling attention to the purpose of observing the Lord's Supper. Such an opening statement might contain an admonition to turn our minds away from the cares of the world and focus on the care God had for us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. He might quote Jesus' words, "This do in remembrance of Me." In my opinion, such remarks are quite appropriate.

The second custom I have observed is the custom of reading selected Bible passages that deal with the institution of the Lord's Supper. This seems to me to be excellent, because it pictures for us the Lord's love and concern for us in instituting such a simple memorial service in which we might remember His suffering and death and look forward to His coming again to take us home to glory. For a brother to read selected verses about the Lord's Supper from one of the Gospel accounts or from Paul's account in First Corinthians, is always appropriate. One note of constructive criticism here, though, if I may. A brother must pray for wisdom that he might not get carried away and read every verse he can find on the subject, and then launch forth with his own personal commentary as to the exact meaning of every word or phrase in the text. When it comes to the communion service, the simple accounts found in Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22 and 1 Corinthians 11 paint a vivid picture of the purpose and design of the communion service. If we are not careful we may get in the Lord's way with our own words and phrases and commentary so that his direct message is not allowed to fall gently upon the ears of the assembled Christians. And, one other suggestion here: it seems to me that the one waiting on the table should allow the simple words of Jesus to be heard for the sake of the children. May we recall the words of wisdom found in the book of Exodus, chapter 12, verses 25-27, pertaining to the Passover.

And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord 

will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 

And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, what mean 

ye by this service? That ye shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, 

who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, 

when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses . . .

God saw the need for the children to be instructed as to the meaning of the Passover service. And I think he delights in knowing that children in our congregations today often ask, "What is the meaning of the Lord's Supper?" They deserve to know, and what better way to know than to hear the tender and loving words from the lips of Jesus when he instituted the communion service so long ago? May I share something with you that illustrates the curiosity of children during communion. A few weeks ago, at our congregation in Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, a little eight year old girl was sitting beside my daughter. She had a small bag of candy called "Skittles" beside her on the seat. During communion, whenever the bread came to my daughter and she broke off a piece and placed it in her mouth, out of the corner of her eye she noticed the little girl putting a white piece of candy in her own mouth. Soon the cup came by and the little friend had selected a purple piece of candy, and at the very moment my daughter placed the cup to her lips, her little friend gently placed the purple Skittle into her mouth. You see, children learn by imitation. They do ask questions about the Lord's Supper; just like children in days gone by asked questions about the Passover.

Another custom in many congregations involves an appropriate song before communion; a song that expresses the love of God and the great suffering and sacrifice Jesus made for us at Calvary. There are many such lovely and expressive hymns, both old and new, which magnify the sacrificial death of Christ and His glorious resurrection. Songs help greatly to focus attention on the meaning of the Lord's Supper. In my opinion, such songs do not have to be selected from the index of the songbook marked "Communion Songs." To illustrate: recently a brother in Pa., after hearing a stirring message on "Choices," wisely made the transition from the teaching to the communion by choosing to lead the congregation in a lively rendition of "Sing And Be Happy." Such Christian liberty is quite delicate and precious, though, and wisdom must always supersede one's spontaneous desire to be cute, clever or different. Certainly, in a worship service, while preparing hearts and minds to commune is no time to play the game "I've Got A Secret." If the song does not call attention to the real purpose of the Lord's Supper, it should be left unsung!

Bad Customs

Now I shall mention some things said at the communion service that tend to draw, like a magnet, my attention away from the heart of the communion service. First — a brother's long, drawn-out review of the Sunday sermon! A wise man, standing before the Lord's table charged with bringing the congregation to the proper frame of mind to meditate upon the cross and suffering of Christ, will not engage in the rehashing of the preacher's sermon. Perhaps a word or two of appreciation for the message just completed would be appropriate, especially if the content of the message included references to the love of God or the sufferings of Christ. But to review the lesson as simply something to say before the communion is not, in my opinion, a wise thing to do, for it does not draw the Christian's mind immediately to the sacrificial death of Christ.

Another distraction: the brother who takes the plate and "talks over it," tilting it this way and that; putting it down on the table, picking it up again — talking and tilting until the congregation holds it's breath that the bread does not slide off the plate and on to the floor! Such nervous habits are distracting and fails to get one "in tune" with the real meaning and purpose of the Lord's Supper. The one who waits on the table should say what he has prepared to say and then pick up the plate and offer thanks for the bread.

Still another distraction: the brother who does not speak loud enough or pray loud enough to be heard by the entire congregation. A wise and thoughtful individual will think about the importance of being heard by the whole congrega- tion; by those who sit on the back benches as well as those up front. We should always remember, too, that some in the audience may have difficulty hearing well. They deserve a little extra effort on our part, for if they cannot hear the prayer, how can they say Amen?

Maybe at this point in our lesson it is good that we recall the timely teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:26, "Let all things be done unto edifying." If what you or I say or do in the assembly does not build up, then we have not done a good job and the church service suffers. In Mark 14:6, (Moffatt) concerning Mary, Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to Me. Verily, I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." How thrilling! "Hand in hand with myself," Jesus said to Mary, "You will walk across the centuries. Wherever my story is told, yours will be told also." And so it is with another memorial, the Lord's Supper. When my brother in Christ stands at the Lord's table, he stands hand in hand with Jesus and when we jointly commune we sit hand in hand with each other and with Jesus. So, while I may offer, at times, constructive criticism, I must not be too critical of my brother who waits on the table, for if I would call for the perfect man to wait on the table, I would have to call on the Master himself — for all others are faltering earthmen!

The Supper: Its Purpose and Man's Responsibility

In the second part of my theme, "The Lord's Supper," I shall note with you some thoughts about the institution of the Lord's Supper; its purpose and the Christian's responsibility to the Supper. In Matthew's account of the institution of the Lord's Supper we find these words, beginning at verse 26 and reading through 30:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, 

and gave it to the disciples, and said, take, eat: this is My body. 

and He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 

drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the New Testament, 

which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, 

I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day 

when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom. And when they 

had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.”

In verse 18 of Matthew 26, Jesus responds to the Disciples' question: "Where shall we prepare for you to eat the Passover?" by saying, "Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, the Master saith, My time is at hand: I will keep the Passover at thy house with My disciples." In the 22nd chapter of Luke, verse 15, Jesus said to the disciples, "With desire I have desired to eat the Passover with you before I suffer." So Jesus desired to eat the Passover with His disciples before He suffered. Like a ripe fig breaking loose from the tree at exactly the right moment, Jesus said, "My time is at hand." That meant, the fig is ripe; the Passover must fall; its life must end and a new Supper must take its place! The Passover was a dramatic time of year for the nation of Israel. The Israelites were reminded that innocent lambs had to die to atone for their sins; yet, none of those lambs could take away sin. But their death was a profound example. The sacrificial lamb became a symbol of Jesus, God's Passover Lamb, whose blood enables one to escape the eternal judgment of God. God rules history to bring about the minute fulfillment of His perfect plan. 

Thus, Jesus had to keep the Passover to fulfill all righteousness, instruct His disciples, and give them a new memorial feast. He had to die as the Passover Lamb. And He had to die at the Father's appointed time. His crucifixion is not something Jesus could arrange for the weekend. It had to have been planned before the foundation of the world by the Providence of God. Christ was not a victim of a plan gone wrong. His betrayal is exactly what God had prewritten in prophetic history. So, before the curtain could be drawn on the Passover, Jesus had to celebrate this divinely sanctioned Supper. Any Passover celebrated after this one is not authorized by God; it is a remnant of a covenant that has been replaced. Jesus celebrated this Passover for the last time so he could bring into existence a new memorial feast; a feast not of the Old but of the New! The old, crusty radio preacher, J. Vernon McGee, said of this last Passover with His disciples, "Jesus ended the final Passover and from those dying embers fanned into existence the hot, glowing flame which He called the Lord's Supper."

And now we take a closer look at the text of Matthew 26:26-30: "As they were eating, Jesus took bread . . . " How simple! Yet how beautiful! And how fitting! Notice that Inspiration does not say that as they were eating Jesus took a magic wand and waved it rhythmically and said "hocus-pocus," and lo there stood before the disciples a golden image of the Master himself to be bowed before and worshipped and adored for ever more. No. It says simply, "He took bread." Bread is temporary, it spoils and perishes before long. Yet, God chose bread to symbolize His Son's body, both His physical and spiritual body. There must be wisdom in God's choice; bread, after all, is so common that it links Jesus to every home under the sun. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." And where does bread come from? It comes out of the seed that dies to live. If the outer shell of the seed did not die there could be no life. Jesus, the Bread of Life, the promised Seed (Romans 3:16) died, was buried and from that dead state God raised him up to be Bread, real Manna for His people forever more! In light of that fact then, we are not surprised to read these words (John 6:32-33, 35),

Then Jesus said unto them, “verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that Bread from Heaven: but My Father giveth you the true Bread from Heaven. For the Bread of God is He which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world. . . And Jesus said unto them, I am the Bread of Life: He that cometh to Me shall never hunger.”

In 1 Corinthians 10:16, we read, "the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." Yes, bread! Consider its lowliness. Here is no monument in stone; no massive shrine — just bread. And it is ever fresh, tenderly and lovingly prepared by hands that prepare it weekly with love.

There seems to be a presence when we break bread. Like on the Emmaus Road when the two disciples walked and talked with the Stranger (the unrecog- nized, resurrected Christ) and their hearts burned within their breasts as they talked and communed with him. It was not until they were with him around the table, however, that they recognized him. And as what special moment was the Master recognized? At the moment he broke bread with them in their humble home and gave it to them. Verse 31 of Luke 24 says, "And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight." I repeat. There was a presence felt in that room! And age on age the brothers and sisters in the church of Christ have met together upon the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7) and to recognize him at the communion service. No wonder the early Christians continued stead- fastly in the "breaking of bread," (Acts 2:42); for they had found that when He was remembered in the vivid symbols of the Lord's table, He used the very act of eating and drinking as an highway of His presence, so that suddenly He was in the midst of them to grant pardon and power!

After taking the bread Jesus "blessed it." What does the "blessing" mean? It was simply a prayer of thanksgiving. The expressions "gave thanks," and "blessed" have to do with a specific prayer said at the Lord's table — a prayer that calls attention to none other thing than the elements on the table. The Greek word from which we get the expression "gave thanks" is Eucharisteo, from which we get the Eucharist, meaning to "give thanks; to bless." Eucharist is a common name for the Lord's Supper in many religious circles, tho there does not seem to be a concrete use of the word in the New Testament as a name for the Lord's Supper.

Scholars tell us that three things seemed important among the early Christians during special occasions of thanksgiving: (1) Recalling the redemptive acts of God; (2) filling the minds of the communicants with the Spirit of Christ; (3) expressing the sure hope and expectation of His imminent return. In Matthew's account we find hints of the above three points in the thanksgiving prayer. Jesus said, "This is My body." That certainly speaks of God's redemptive act. For the Word (Christ) became flesh and died on a cross. Thus, when Jesus says of the bread, "This is My body," He is honoring God's love and mercy for His children. Therefore, when giving thanks and blessing the bread and the fruit of the vine, it appears to me that a brief word of thanks to the Father for His love and mercy is in order. Also, in Matthew's account of the institution of the Lord's Supper, Jesus makes reference to the "New Testament," or the "New Covenant." 

Surely it is appropriate in a word of thanksgiving at the Lord's table to thank God for the blessing of living under the New Covenant. The institution of the Lord's Supper was not a farewell talk but an inaugural talk; a pledge that the church would be established and all God's people united in His blood. The church of Christ could be built only within the framework of the New Covenant. Paul ties the building of the church specifically to the blood of Christ which ratified the New Covenant (Acts 20:28). 

In that vein, then, the early Christians no doubt expressed the great work of the Holy Spirit as He filled the hearts and minds of the Christians with the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is twin brother to the Spirit of the New Covenant. The key to understanding the blood/covenant concept introduced by our Lord at the institution of the Supper is the phrase "for the remission of sins." What is the heartbeat of the New Covenant? It is the blood of Christ that forgives sins. Thus, a prayer of thanksgiving should include that wonderful blessing. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come." When we "give thanks," at the Lord's table, maybe it would be wise to thank Christ for His sacrificial death and thank him, too, for His wonderful promise to come again.

We may ask about the correct wording of a prayer of thanksgiving at the communion service. The Bible does not give a detailed account of what should be prayed. We, therefore, in the absence of Scripture pertaining to the correct wording, should pray for wisdom and then use some good common sense. I like what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:16, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" In light of these inspired words, we might pray thusly: "Father, we thank Thee, and ask Thee to bless this bread, which is the communion of the body of Christ. And, we thank you for this cup of blessing, which is the communion of the blood of Christ." In my opinion, tho, one should not stand at the table and pray a general prayer in which he thanks God for everything under the sun. No. It is the Lord's Supper and the prayer should focus on the elements on the table and what they represent.

After Jesus took the bread, blessed it, brake it and gave it to the disciples, he then took the cup. Matthew 26:27 says, "And He took the cup. . ." The cup — meaning the contents of the cup, "the fruit of the vine," symbolized the Lord's shed blood. Rather than remembering the physical deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt by the blood of animals, the participants at the Lord's table are to remember Christ's death and the deliverance His precious blood provided. When Jesus held the cup of blessing in His loving hands, what could have been more simple? Like the bread, the cup, with its contents — the blood of the grape — was beautiful because of its simplicity. Like bread, the fruit of the vine is temporary: something that soon perishes!

Let us take a closer look at this "blood of the grape" (Genesis 49:11). Running like a red river through the hills and valleys of the Old Testament writings is the perpetual flow of animal blood. But like many rivers and streams in OK and TX, which dry up underneath the summer's scorching sun, the river of animal blood dried up when the blood was drawn from Emmanual's veins! No wonder Inspiration cries out — as in Hebrews 9:22 — "Almost all things are by the law purged with blood: and without the shedding of blood is no remission." There can be no approach to God, no forgiveness from God, no acceptance with God apart from a blood sacrifice. 

Now, John, we know why you looked at Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" You meant, of course, look at the Lamb who is about to shed innocent blood for the sins of the people. Animal blood and our Lord's blood are two different threads of a worthy purpose; but as we commune and attempt to discern the body of Christ, let us glory in the knowledge that the scarlet thread saturated by the blood of Christ is the stronger of the two threads, for it completely blots out sin and binds Satan's deadly power over us!

Yes, Jesus took the cup. Like the bread which rises from dead seed, the fruit of the vine is wrung from the wine press. The skin of a ripe cluster of juicy grapes is easily ruptured allowing the blood of the grape to gush out. Jesus died to save us from our sin, but it was not enough for him to die: blood had to be shed! In Matthew 26:28 the word "shed" is used and the Greek words means to "gush out," or "spill." His blood had to pour out, spill out through His hands, feet, side and from the thorn marks in His head. The blood shed — running out — of Christ graphically demonstrates that life was flowing out of Him as He offered himself as the final sacrifice for sin. So Jesus, on that faraway night held a cup of blessing in His hands that would soon bear nail prints to remind believers of His blood, which was shed on their behalf, for the forgiveness of sins.

The Supper: Abuses At Corinth

Our final segment on the theme, "The Lord's Supper," deals with Paul's timely teaching found in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. When we read Paul's message to Corinth, we find that one of the abuses that had arisen in the church involved the Lord's Supper. It seems that the early church attached communion to a common meal. The Gentiles likewise included a potluck meal with their religious festivals. So, it appears that the early church followed those Jewish and Gentile patterns in combining a meal with the Lord's Supper. 

The "feasts of Charity," often referred to as the Agape (Jude 12), slowly died out for the degenerated into a gluttonous exercise that resembled the idolatrous feast they once participated in. Their practice was very offensive to God. And it was, no doubt, an embarrassment to Paul. The trouble with the "love feasts" was that the well-to-do were supposed to bring food to the Love Feast and share it with the poor. But the rich would arrive early, cluster into their special little elite groups and eat all their food before the poor arrived. Therefore, the poor ended up going home hungry

Thus Paul admonished them: "My brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto judgment." They had missed the whole purpose of the Love Feast, which was to share with others. The blood shed on Calvary was to bring unity among the Lord's followers. But their selfish and divisive actions destroyed unity and made a mockery of the Lord's sacrifice. 

Paul made it clear to the Corinthians that their meetings were doing more harm than good. They came together for the Lord's Supper and ended up being worse people than before they came. Their meals had become a meal of bitterness, not betterment. Around the Lord's table is a real opportunity to show forth unity. There both young and old, rich and poor, healthy and handicapped, scholars and high-school dropouts share; and these differences make no difference, because it is around the table that we're reminded that we are united by Jesus Christ.

It was a sad day in the congregation at Corinth when their Love Feast spotlighted the wrong attitude of some Christians. Unity was shattered by class distinctions. Paul had to remind them "When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat" (1 Corinthians 11:20). You see, it is not enough just to have bread and drink, we have to have the right attitude. We are kidding ourselves when we think that we can have hatreds, jealousies and competitions with other members in the body and then partake of the Lord's Supper as some sort of tradition that makes everything okay. 

In this chapter Paul makes it clear that Christ's body was broken so that His church body could be united. When Paul says that to eat of the Lord's Supper proclaims the Lord's death, he is not suggesting that it is proclaiming only the facts about His death, but it also proclaims the purpose of His death. And what was the purpose of the death of Christ? He died that we might be saved and be united through the Father and also to one another. Paul was the great preacher of unity. Any time he mentions the death of Christ, he knows that Christ died so that man's divisions could be healed. Nowhere do we see Paul's understanding of Jesus better than in Ephesians 2. Several phrases in that chapter spotlights that unity. Like a skillful boxer Paul jabs away at this thing called "unity" — attempting to drive home the point that Christ died to bring about unity in His church. Some of Paul's phrases on "unity" are the following: "He has made the two one;" "He came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh;" "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" "In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a Holy Temple in the Lord."

All of these verses spotlight unity, not factions; peace, no hostility; reconciliation, not alienation. Any time Christians continue to harbor hatreds, unforgiveness, hostilities, separations, or any other attitude that fails to bridge barriers and gaps between them, they are negating what Christ died to bring about. The Lord's Supper must be a quiet, reflective time when we discern the body of Christ in all its dimension. We must see the physical body of Christ, yes! But, too, we must look at the spiritual body of Christ, His church, His ongoing body where we live, worship and work together. 

If when we assemble and commune and see only the Lord's physical body on the cross; that and no more, then, in my opinion, we have not discerned or recognized the whole truth of the matter. We must recognize that the body of the Lord is the church and that it is indeed one body and one church (as Ephesians 1:22-23 makes clear) "And hath put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body." Now — that's beautiful! 

But let Scripture explain Scripture and it all becomes even more beautiful. Listen to Paul explain what the real body of Christ is in Romans 12:4, 5—"For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." In light of these wonderful verses, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, take on special meaning indeed. Paul writes, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread." And, in 1 Corinthians 12:27, Paul says, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 

The Lord's Supper is a sharing in the blood of Christ and a sharing in the body of Christ. To share the blood of Christ is to share His life. To eat the bread is to participate in the body of Christ. For it reminds us that we are indeed His ongoing earthly body today. When Paul uses the phrase "body and blood" together, he is referring to the first-century historical Jesus. But when he uses the phrase, "the body," without the phrase "the blood," he is talking about the ongoing body of Christ, the church. So, Paul, I believe, makes it clear that two things ought to be remembered in communion: first, the historical, physical body of Christ; secondly, the ongoing body of the Lord — the church. The situation in Corinth was so vile that the verses picturing the lovely communion service are like a diamond dropped in a muddy road. With their ugly attitudes toward one another, they had not the foggiest notion what the church of Christ was about.

Now let us look at the phrase: "But let a man examine himself. . ." (1 Corin- thians 11:28). What does that mean? To examine means to "check out" your life, your motives; your attitudes toward the Lord, His Supper and other Christians. No, it does not mean that we examine our brother; only that we examine our attitude toward him! To examine self, we need to ask ourselves during communion — what is my standing with Christ at this time? And what is my relationship with others?

We now look at Paul's warning in verse 29 of 1 Corinthians 11—"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." What does it mean to eat drink unworthily? Well, one thing it does not mean (as many have been led to believe) is that we must be "worthy" to partake of the Lord's Supper. If that were the case, who among us could ever approach the Lord's table? 

As it turns out, "unworthily" is an adverb and describes the manner in which the Lord's Supper is observed. What are some ways we might eat and drink unworthily? (1) when we assume that the Lord's Supper brings about one's salvation; (2) when we go through the motions without understanding the reason for observing the Lord's Supper; (3) when we refuse to examine our self — thus, refusing to confess and repent of sin; this is to eat and drink unworthily; (4) by having bitterness in our hearts toward another person — we eat and drink unworthily; and (5) by having a lack of respect and love for God, Christ and for one another — we eat and drink unworthily.Now—let us examine the words of Jesus ". . . In remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). What does that mean? It brings past history to meet us in the present tense. It reminds us that we are New Covenant people. We should rejoice in celebration that God has freed us from the Old Testament and given us the New. It reminds us what Christ did; He died for each of us personally! It is a communication of the death and return of Jesus. "In remembrance of Me" spotlights the fact that we are forgiven people. It is an expression of unity; it is a participation in the ongoing body of Christ, the church.

Conclusion

To sum up and conclude our lesson we note the following: During the Lord's Supper we should be aware of Christ, first of all, remembering His suffering and death. We must ponder the meaning of His death, translating that awesome fact into spiritual meaning; not spending all our time trying to recapture the pain, suffering, the blood, His final breath. But, we need to allow our minds to also ponder the fact that we are aware of our attitude toward those who are united with us in the assembly by the bonding of the blood of Christ. If during communion we ponder only the physical Christ on the cross and fail to ponder the meaning of God's love, mercy, justice — we fail to recognize the real Christ!

What application can we draw for ourselves as we partake of the Lord's Supper next Sunday? (1) Never again think that it is something between you and Jesus. The Lord's Supper is always between Jesus and you and all other Christians seated around you. (2) Call to mind that God gave His Son to die on the cross so that His children could be united together. (3) Meditate upon His ongoing body, the church. (4) Evaluate your own contribution to unity or disunity and make some decisions that you will maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. (5) Resolve in your heart that you will leave the communion service more committed to live for Christ and for all other Christians.

Paul shouted these words: "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God our Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Galatians 1:3-5).

Isaac Watt's great hymn sums up the heart of the communion service so well, I think. He wrote, "Love so amazing, so divine, demands, my soul, my life, my all.”

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