Last week we started to answer the question of how we worship by looking at every believer’s first act of worship: baptism. We saw that baptism was a sign of the new covenant that God has made with those who believe in Jesus Christ. This morning, we turn to look at another sign of that new covenant, the Lord’s Supper. To see the significance of the Lord’s Supper for our worship, let’s read 1 Cor. 11:17-34 together. There are three points that I want you to see from this text: The Seriousness of the Supper, the Symbols of the Supper, and the Sign of the Supper.
First, in verses 17-22 we find the seriousness of the supper. The whole book of 1 Corinthians could be considered one long rebuke from Paul to the Corinthian Christians. These believers were so immature in every aspect of their faith that Paul writes one of his longest letters just to address all the errors they were committing. Among those errors is the rebuke that we find here. There are two aspects to his rebuke that help us to see just how serious the Lord’s Supper should be for the church.
In verses 17-19, Paul rebukes them for their disunity. This is a recurring theme in the letter. They were divided in their allegiances to different teachers. They were divided by the sins that they tolerated. They were divided by the freedoms that they enjoyed. And now, Paul turns to one of the clearest practical examples of their division: they were divided over how they practiced the Lord’s Supper. Did you know that, besides baptism, one of the greatest points of division among denominations today is over the particulars of the Lord’s Supper? Some denominations - like the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutherans - believe that the Lord’s Supper becomes the literal body and blood of Jesus, which in some way saves you. On the other hand, some denominations (some Baptists fall into this) believe that what you do in communion doesn’t really matter, so you can do it whenever and however you want. It is sad that something that was intended to bind all believers together has become a point of contention that divides churches to this day.
Second, in verses 20-22, Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their disrespect. The problem with the Lord’s Supper that had arisen in the Corinthian church was that it had turned into a big party. The factions that had formed within the church had become so pronounced that they were now bringing their own food and drink to the worship service, and some would get stone cold drunk while others would go without. These few verses are jammed packed with directions about how we should rightly view the Lord’s Supper. First of all, Paul says in verse 18 and again in verse 20, “when you come together” as a church. The Lord’s Supper is an act of worship that should be observed as a body of believers in the local church. As an aside, it seems clear from this passage, as well as from early church history, that the first churches practiced the Lord’s Supper every time they met. Second, the Lord’s Supper should be done with good order, ensuring that everyone is served equally. Notice in verse 21 that one of the major concerns Paul has is that some are going without. Third, the Lord’s Supper should be done as a special observance for the purpose of worship, not fellowship. In verse 22, Paul tells the Corinthians that if their only reason for taking the supper is to enjoy a good meal, then let them eat at home. The purpose of the supper is not to satisfy someone’s hunger or to have a big party. The purpose is to worship and remember.
The next point that I want you to see, from verses 23-25 is the symbols of the supper. Paul turns from his rebuke to remind the Corinthians of the significance of the Lord’s Supper. To understand the symbolism of the Lord’s Supper, we have to understand where it comes from. In Matt. 26:17, we find out that Jesus directs his disciples to prepare for the Passover meal, and it is at this meal that Jesus institutes the Supper. Remember that the Passover happened way back in Exodus 12. God had sent Moses to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, and he enabled Moses to bring about nine different plagues that ravaged the land. Yet, the Pharoah of Egypt had a hard heart, and he refused to let God’s people go. So, in one final act of judgment and deliverance, God told Moses that the final plague would be more terrible than all the others. God would send the death angel into Egypt to kill all of the first-born children of the land. In that terrible judgment, God also provided a way of escape for the people of Israel. They were to take a spotless lamb, kill it and drain its blood, and splatter the blood on the doorposts of their houses. When the death angel came, he would see the blood on the door of the house, and he would pass over it. It was in this tenth plague that Pharoah relented and let Israel go. God commanded the Israelites to continually observe the Passover meal to remember how God delivered them from Egypt. So, to this day, Jews around the world observe the Passover.
In the meal that the Jews observe, they use three pieces of Matza bread, which are flat, unleavened pieces that are pierced through and grilled in the oven, so that when you look at them, they have piercings and stripes. During the Passover meal, the head of the household will take the middle piece of bread, and he will have a child hide it somewhere in the house. Later in the meal, the children will go and find it and bring it back to the leader, who will then break it and serve it to all in attendance. So, just imagine Jesus, who was called the Lamb of God by John the Baptist, is sitting with his disciples on the night before he was to go to the cross so that his blood might cover our sins. This Jesus takes this piece of bread that was striped and pierced in the same way that his body would be striped with the lashings of a whip and pierced with nails and spear, and he breaks this bread that had been hidden and brought back and says, “this is my body which is broken for you.” And he tells his disciples to “do this in remembrance of me.” Jesus takes a sign of God’s deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt and he elevates it to a higher meaning. Now, this bread doesn’t just represent deliverance of physical slavery, but it represents deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus, in his death, took the stripes and piercings of a disobedient slave so that we could be set free and made children of God.
Not only does the Passover meal involve three pieces of bread, but it also involves four cups of wine. The third cup, which is taken after the meal, is called the “cup of the covenant.” Cups play a significant role in the Old Testament. Most of the time, they are a symbol of God’s judgment, but they can also be a sign of God’s covenant blessing. So, Jesus takes this “cup of the covenant”, and he calls it “the cup of the new covenant in my blood.” In one horrible act of judgment on the cross of Calvary, Jesus would not allow the cup of God’s wrath to pass from him, but he would drink it down to the dregs so that we would not face God’s judgment. In his resurrection, Jesus establishes a new covenant with those who believe in him. So, we do not drink this cup as a sign of wrath, but as a sign of blessing because we have been delivered.
Finally, in verses 26-34 we find the sign of the supper. In verse 26, Paul gives a final note on the significance of the Lord’s supper. He says that whenever we faithfully keep this practice, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” This supper is therefore a sign that is meant to remind and to proclaim. It reminds believers of what Christ has done for our salvation. Every time we keep this ordinance, we are preaching a sermon to each other through this bread and grape juice. This is not just a time for you to zone out and think about what you are going to eat for lunch. This should be a time of quiet reflection, prayer, and remembrance. As you hold the bread in your hand waiting on everyone to be served, I encourage you to think about the significance of Jesus’ body and blood. Use that time to confess your sins, to thank God for his salvation, and to pray for the salvation of others. The supper also proclaims the Gospel to the world. It looks weird to the rest of the world that we would do this ritual. In times past, Christians were accused of being cannibals because they always talked about eating the flesh of Jesus. Today, people think we are strange for holding on to an ancient ritual when we could easily just enjoy virtual church or podcast preaching. But this simple, strange act proclaims the gospel when we do it.
So, let us do it with thankful hearts who are ready to worship God for what he has done through our savior, Jesus Christ.
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