The
Lord’s Supper: Fellowship Around His Table
(Study by Pastor Michael W. Wilson)
I.
The MEANING of the Lord’s Supper:
The Lord’s Supper is a SYMBOL
(like a flag, logo, or coat of arms), that is, a ceremony that portrays a great
spiritual truth; namely, the death of Jesus for the sins of the world. That
night with His disciples in the upper room, Jesus said, “…this do in remembrance of Me.”
For that reason, we often refer to it as a “memorial,” because it brings many
things to our minds:
A. It reminds us of Christ’s sinless life
2. He came not to do His own
will but the Father’s (Matthew 26:39, “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed,
saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I
will, but a You will.’”)
3. His sinless life and
selfless sacrifice were a fragrant aroma to God (Ephesians 5:2, “Walk in love, just
as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a
sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”)
B. It reminds us of how Jesus was
betrayed
1. Betrayed by His
friend, Judas, as well as by His enemies
2. Betrayed by His
friend, Peter
3. Betrayed by some
believers even today, maybe even by us sometimes
4. Betrayed by a world
of unbelievers
C. It reminds us of Christ’s
death on the cross
1. He chose to die out of His love for us. “He was wounded for our transgressions…”
(Isaiah 53:5). He made a once-and-for-all sacrifice of Himself (Hebrews 7:27, “…who does not need
daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins
and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when
He offered up Himself.”).
2.
By His death He established a new covenant and brought us salvation (Hebrews
9:13-14, “For if
the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who
have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will
the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God?”)
3.
Through His death on the cross we have peace with God and pardon from
condemnation (Romans 5:1 and 6, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…For while we were still helpless, at the
right time Christ died for the ungodly.” And 8:1 says, “Therefore there is
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”)
4.
His sacrifice on the cross unites us into one body and makes it possible for us
to have fellowship as brothers and sisters (1 Corinthians 10:16-17 says, “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? Since there is one bread, we
who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.”)
D. It reminds us of His physical
resurrection
1. On the third day, He
left that tomb alive!
2. The bodily resurrection of Christ is the central event
and foundation of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel
which I preached to you, which also you
received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold
fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I
delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died
for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He
was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”)
3. It is the most documented fact of history (1 Corinthians
15:5-8, “…and
that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. After that He appeared to more
than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some
have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the Apostles; and
last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.”)
4.
It was followed by His Ascension, which proved that He had pleased the Father
and had completed the task He had come to do.
E. It reminds us of His imminent
return
1. He commanded us through the Apostle Paul to do this
“until He comes again.” (1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink
the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”)
2. His soon coming challenges us to faithfulness and holy
living and inspires us with hope.
3. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 26:29, “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.” We believe that
statement finds its fulfillment in Rev. 19. When Jesus comes again, He will
take His children to glory to celebrate the Great Marriage Supper of the Lamb
(Revelation 19:7-9, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for
the marriage of the Lamb has come and His Bride has made herself ready. It was
given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine
linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write, “Blessed
are those who are invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”’”).
II.
Commonly asked QUESTIONS related to the Lord’s Table:
A. How did the Lord’s Supper begin?
1. Jesus Christ, our Saviour, instituted the Supper in the
Upper Room on the night He was betrayed (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians
11:23-24).
2. The Supper was instituted that night immediately
following the observance of the Passover with His disciples.
a. The
Passover was part of the old covenant, or the Old Testament.
b. However, the Lord’s Supper was something brand new, and
is part of the New Covenant, or the New Testament (Matthew 26:17-26).
B. How is the DEATH of Jesus Christ
suggested to us in the Lord’s Supper?
1. Jesus took the bread and broke it and gave it to His
disciples (cf. 1 Cor. 11:23-25). The broken bread is a reminder of His body
that was broken for us.
2. The red wine or grape juice represents the blood of
Jesus Christ that was shed for us (Matthew 26:27-28).
3. The juice is extracted from the grape by crushing it.
Jesus was scourged and His body pierced, and His blood came forth from His
body. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was crushed for our iniquities.”
4. Jesus first gave the broken bread to the disciples and
then after they had eaten this, He gave them the wine. The two were given and
eaten separately. Whenever the blood is separated from the body death results,
for “the life is in the blood.”
5. The Lord’s Supper was instituted in place of the
Passover Feast of the Old Testament. The Passover Feast recalled the slaying of
a lamb in order that Israel might be redeemed from Egypt. The Lord’s Supper
recalls the slaying of the Lamb of God, in order that we might be redeemed from
sin.
C. Besides picturing the Lord’s death for our sins, what
else does the Lord’s Supper picture?
Ø Answer: As we partake of the
elements and receive the bread and the wine into our physical bodies, we
picture that in the past we have received Jesus Christ into our lives as our
Saviour from sin.
D. Does the Lord’s Supper suggest anything about our DAILY
CHRISTIAN LIFE?
Ø Answer: Yes. Just as we
partake of the Lord’s Table many times throughout our Christian lives, so we
must feed upon Christ daily by prayer and Bible study for our spiritual food
and strength.
E. WHY do we partake of the Lord’s Supper?
1. Because the Lord Jesus Himself commanded it. He
said, “Do this
in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)
a.
Therefore, the Lord’s Supper is not an option;
b. Rather,
it is an order (the meaning of the word “ordinance”).
(1)
An ordinance is a command of an authoritative nature.
(2) Christ’s statement
is an imperative (cf. Matthew 26:26-27).
2. By partaking, we confess to others that we are truly Christ-followers,
in communion with Christ and in communion with His Church.
3. As we partake, we are reminded in a very impressive way
that Jesus Christ has died for our sins.
F. HOW OFTEN should we partake of the Lord’s Supper?
1. We should do it regularly. We should attend the
Lord’s Supper services in the church whenever possible.
2. The Bible does not specify precisely how often we should
partake. Jesus simply said, “…As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup…”
(1 Cor. 11:26). Some churches observe the Lord’s Table once a week, some only
several times a year. We here at Sligo Baptist Church observe it once a month,
usually on the first Sunday, so that it does not become something so common
that it loses its meaning for us.
3. Observance is to continue until Christ returns for His
Church (1 Cor. 11:26b).
G. Do you have to partake of the
Lord’s Supper TO BE SAVED?
Ø Answer: No. That gets the
cart before the horse. We participate in the Lord’s Supper because we are
already saved. The Lord’s Supper cannot save anyone; neither can any
other religious rite or ceremony, including baptism. We are saved by grace
alone through faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour from sin (John 1:12, “But as many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to
those who believe in His name.” Also Acts 16:30-31, “And after he
brought them out [of their cell], [the jailer] said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to
be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and
your household.’”).
H. Then WHO can and should partake of the
Lord’s Supper? [Word of warning: Some of
what I present here may offend some of you. But I believe I can back these
statements up from God’s Word. Moreover, I will be sharing with you the
historical teaching that dates from the Early Church. Unfortunately, in the 20th
Century there occurred great slippage in the orthodox teaching of the Church on
this subject, thus resulting in great confusion in both doctrine and practice.]
1. Only born-again believers, those who have already
been saved through trusting in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Ø In Acts 2:41-42 only those
who by faith had “received the word” that Christ is the Saviour took the Lord’s
Supper. So, saving faith in Christ preceded participation in the Table. It has
always been accepted that only those who have been born into the family
of God have the right to sit at His table in fellowship with the Lord.
Ø Notice, too, that in Acts
20:7, 11 the followers of Christ were the ones who gathered for the Lord’s
Supper (“breaking of bread”).
2. Moreover,
only born-again, baptised believers, only those who have taken this
initiatory public step of obedience to declare themselves to be followers of
Christ, should partake of the Lord’s Table. This is the point of possible
contention that I mentioned a moment ago, but history is on my side. This is
the historical teaching of the Church, including Catholics, Protestants, and
Evangelicals. Baptism is the first requirement of the Master for His followers
(see Matthew 28:19-20). In the Early Church unbaptised persons were never
numbered with the believers and thus were not invited to participate in the
Lord’s Table. They were considered to be still not fully converted because they
had not yet identified themselves publicly as Christ-followers. The word “communion”
is a compound word made up of the preposition “com” meaning “with,” along with the
noun, “union.” Thus, “communion” means “to be in union with.” A born-again
believer is in union with Christ, but it is through baptism that we enter into union
with Christ’s people. The term “communicant” is used to refer to someone who
participates in the Communion service. They enter into union with the church
through baptism, and the Lord’s Table is a celebration of that fellowship. Baptism
involves obedience to Christ and the public declaration of allegiance to Him and
His church. That is why historically, since the time of the Early Church,
baptism has been considered prerequisite to the taking of Communion.
Ø As I mentioned a moment ago,
notice that in Acts 2:41-42 the breaking of bread follows baptism.
Ø Those baptised believers are
obligated to obey all of Christ’s commands (Matthew 28:19-20).
3. To take this a step further, I believe the Bible teaches
the principle that only born-again, baptised believers who are in fellowship
with their brothers should partake in Communion. Jesus commanded His
followers to repair any breakdowns in their relationships with other believers
before offering their sacrifices to God (cf. Matt. 5:23-24, “Therefore if you
are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go;
first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”).
I believe this principle applies to us participating in the Lord’s Table. It is
an act of worship, which is a sacrifice. Moreover, the very name “Communion” is
a translation of the Greek word, koinonia,
which implies unity, oneness, love for God and for one-another. To come to the
Lord’s Table with anger or rancor in our hearts toward a brother-in-Christ is
hypocrisy, pure and simple.
I. Do all Christians believe the way
you do about the Lord’s Supper?
1. Answer: No. There are a variety of Christian beliefs
about the Lord’s Supper. However, many evangelical protestant groups believe
the way we do. The major differences are between those who see the Lord’s
Supper as a “sacrament” and those, like us, who see it as a “memorial.” The
word sacrament refers to something that imparts grace and makes one more holy
for having partaken or participated. We do not believe that partaking of the
Lord’s Supper makes a person more holy or bestows any special grace. Nor do we
believe that Christ is present in the elements in any way.
2. The Roman Catholic
view is known as “transubstantiation.”
a. “Trans” means to cross over. Catholics believe that the
bread and the wine mystically cross over, or become the actual body and
blood of Christ, thus repeating the sacrifice of Calvary each time communion is
observed.
b. Catholics are sacramentalists and for them, to refuse
the Eucharist is believed to be a mortal sin.
3. The Lutheran Church
view is known as “consubstantiation.”
a. Like the
Catholics, Lutherans hold a sacramental position.
b. “Con” means with. Lutherans believe that Christ’s
presence is mystically “present with” the bread and the juice.
4. Methodists hold what is called the “spiritual presence
view.” They are sacramentalists but believe that Christ is present in the
elements only in a spiritual sense.
5. Reformed Protestant churches such as the Churches of
Ireland are also sacramentalists, but do not believe that the elements change
in any mystical way. They believe the elements remain bread and wine and Christ
is not mystically present in them.
J. Why do Baptists use several different terms when
referring to the Lord’s Supper. Is one more correct than the other?
Ø Answer: No. We use several
terms almost interchangeably.
1. “The Lord’s Supper”—from the Greek phrase, kuriakon
deiphon, “supper belonging to the Lord” used in 1 Corinthians 11:20. It
is called supper because it was instituted in the evening at suppertime.
2.
“The Lord’s Table”—a synonymous term found in 1 Corinthians 10:21, where it is
also referred to as “the cup of the Lord.”
3. “Communion” or “Holy Communion”—this term comes from the
Greek word, koinonia, meaning fellowship, or participation, i.e.
a festival in common of all those who gather at the table with one another and
especially with the crucified Lord. See 1 Cor. 10:16.
4. “Eucharist”—a Greek word meaning, “a giving of thanks,”
because of the hymns and psalms that accompany the ceremony, and the prayer of
thanksgiving that is always offered.
5. “Breaking of Bread”—this expression is seen first in
Acts 2:42 to describe the Lord’s Supper. It is used again in Acts 20:7, 11,
also referring to the Agape Feast followed by the Lord’s Table. The expression
probably stems from Luke 24:30.
III.
The primary SCRIPTURE passages that explain the Lord’s Supper:
A. Matthew 26:20-35
B. Mark 14:17-31
C. Luke 22:14-38
D. John 13:1—17:26 (including the
Upper Room Discourse)
E. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 21
F. 1 Corinthians 11:20-34
