5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Psalm 116-118
1 Corinthians 11:2-26

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (CSB): “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

The Lord gave us two ordinances to be practiced throughout the church age. The first is baptism, which is administered once in a believer’s life to publicly show their identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. The second is the Lord’s Supper (or Communion) that is observed throughout a believer’s life. Let’s talk about Paul’s words regarding the Lord’s Supper found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

First, the text of 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 is thought to be the very first written recounting of what Jesus said in the upper room the night He was betrayed. It appears that the letter to the Corinthians was written at least 10 years before any of the Gospel writers recorded their own words.

Second, we need to understand what Jesus was saying when He said: “this IS my body” and “this IS my blood.” Simply put, Jesus was saying that those two elements represent His body and blood; they provide a powerful picture that is supposed to remind us of the fact that He suffered in a physical body and He shed His blood to pay our sin debt to a holy God.

Some disagree. Catholics say that after the priest says his prayer, the bread actually becomes Jesus’ body and the juice actually becomes His blood. But that is not consistent with what the Lord has done throughout Scripture.

Our God loves visuals. He loves pictures, stories, and illustrations. A couple of months ago, I preached a couple of Sunday morning sermons on how the rock in the Old Testament that poured out water when Moses hit it was a powerful picture of Jesus. But the Apostle Paul didn’t say that the rock was “a picture” of Jesus. He said: “

1 Corinthians 10:4 (CSB): “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.” (emphasis mine)

Clearly, the rock was not actually Jesus. It was, instead, a powerful picture that pointed to Jesus. But it was a picture that pointed to Jesus, so Paul could say, “that rock was Christ.”

Here’s another illustration: I have a picture on my phone of my precious granddaughter. I could show you that picture and say, “This is my granddaughter.” I wouldn’t have to explain what I meant. It’s not actually my granddaughter. It’s merely an image. But it is a powerful representation of her. And in that sense, I can say that it IS my granddaughter.

That’s what the Lord’s Supper is. It’s not Jesus’ actual blood and flesh as Catholics believe. It is a powerful picture that regularly reminds us that Jesus left His throne in Heaven, became a man with a physical body, and suffered in that physical body while shedding His blood on the cross to pay the sin debt of anyone who will trust in Him to make them right in the Father’s eyes. The bread and juice are merely pictures, but they are powerful, tangible pictures that keep our Savior in the forefront of our minds.

Third and finally, it appears that the observance of the Lord’s Supper may continue (to some extent) after the church age ends when Jesus returns for His bride. Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded Jesus as saying as He observed the first Lord’s Supper with His disciples.

Matthew 26:29 (CSB): “But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (emphasis mine)

We are not exactly sure what Jesus meant. Will we observe the Lord’s Supper in Heaven, or in the Millennial Reign when He comes back to reign on this Earth (Revelation 20:4-6), or both? Will we observe it only one time at the beginning of our time with Him, or will we observe it in perpetuity? I’m not sure that we can answer such questions with any degree of certainty. But I do know that if/when we observe it in His actual presence, there will be a greater sense of seriousness, gratitude, and joy as we observe it while beholding the One it is intended to remind us of.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to enable you to reflect on Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection on your behalf the next time you observe the Lord’s Supper.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into the significance of the Lord’s Supper, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What is the importance of the Lord’s supper / Christian Communion?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)