What’s the Deal with
The Lord’s Supper?
Past, Present, Future
We are involved in a message series entitled, What’s the Deal with the Lord’s Supper. We seek to explore the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and illustrate how this should affect our Christian walk.
The taking of the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper is a means whereby we experience the presence of Christ and a pledge to assure us of his continuing presence within the church and throughout our lives. We also have learned the Lord’s Supper is a demonstration of the unity and fellowship Christ has provided in his church. This is vividly illustrated by Paul’s rebuke in 1 Corinthians 11. The Corinthians were humiliating the poor by their elitist attitudes; Paul said this hindered their participation in the Lord’s Supper; their behavior was directly opposed to its meaning.
Sunday, I will examine the Past, Present, and Future dimensions of the Lord’s Supper. Paul alludes to these in 1 Corinthians 11.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 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.
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of past events – the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We have done well in our participation to emphasize this important memorial, but it is more than just a memorial, it is a celebration!
The Lord’s Supper is an experience of the presence of Jesus in the here and now. We discussed this in our first lesson. In this participation, we experience the new creation of God anew. It is both a reminder and renewal of the healing, forgiveness, and newness of life provided by Jesus. Paul said if we eat and drink in an unworthy manner, we eat and drink judgment unto ourselves. How much more should the proper participation bring blessing!
Finally, the Lord’s Supper is an anticipation of the new creation which is yet to come. Like the Children of Israel who were allowed to partake of the grapes of the promised land, before the actual conquest, so the Lord’s supper is an anticipation of our eating the Supper with Jesus himself in the Great Messianic Banquet (Mark 14:25; Revelation 19:9).
I’ll say more in my lesson! Joey
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