Introduction- Let me start this by saying Communion, the Lord’s Supper, is just as important today as it has ever been! The scripture we have just read was written before the earliest of the Gospels and the institution of communion in writing. In the time of Jesus it was not uncommon for the meal to consist of just some bread and wine to drink. They didn’t have the availability to run to McDonalds or Hardee’s and get a meal. In this one simple act in one evening, Jesus gathered all of the meaning of the ancient sacrifices and all of the prophecies of His coming Kingdom.
The timing was to coincide with Passover- how appropriate was that- for what Moses had prophesied by the slaying of the Passover lamb and applying the blood to the door post was know getting ready to be played out right in front of their eyes. The Lord Himself said this is the way it was and it is about to change because there will be a spotless lamb sacrificed once and for all.
SO WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE FO THE LORD’S SUPPER FOR TODAY? AND HOW ARE WE TO PARTAKE OF THIS MOST HOLY OF OUR SACRIMENTS?
1) Lets us first examine the significance of the Lord’s Supper and that is stated in verse 26= for as often and ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come”
Did you get that right there? When we partake we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes!
a) Not his life – though it was spotless- He who knew no sin became sin for us. We are saying yes we know that He died.
b) Not his teachings – though no man ever taught as He did. Today there are many many people who refuse to call him the Son of God but they do call him a great teacher. But being a great teacher is not what we celebrate with communion – we celebrate his death
c) Not his miracles- though He brought the balm of Gilead to a lost world. We don’t celebrate with communion his walking on the water, feeding the 5000, raising the widow of Nain’s son or Jarius daughter or Lazarus from the dead. We don’t celebrate the opening of the blind eyes or the deaf ears or the lame walking. We proclaim his death
d) I say it again we proclaim His death
1) His body- not glorious but broken we celebrate the times he was hit spat upon and beaten hard to imagine
2) His blood – not running through the veins of the king of kings but shed and fallen on the ground for you and for me! We celebrate that when the roman solider pierced his side the blood and the water flowed We celebrate the fact that there is a river drawn from Emmanuel’s vein and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilt and stain.
2) Notice how closely the Lord’s Supper is connected with His death
a) Jesus was meeting with his disciples for the last time before the cross at Calvary
b) As they broke the bread so would our precious Lord and savior be broken: and the grape is crushed so that the wine can be made our savior is crushed so that His blood may flow for the redemption of the entire world
c) The cup speaks of the blood of Jesus, which was shed, for the remission of our sins and the broken bread speaks of the broken body of our Lord by whose stripes we are healed
3) And as the Lord’s supper confirms His death it also confirms his return the second coming of our lord and savior for what does the scripture say to do this until When? When he comes again!!!!
a) It links the humiliation of the Cross with the coronation of the king of kings- the accomplished past and the assured future! You see when the world see’s Him again he will be on a white stallion and the armies of the heavens with him many crowns on His head and on his vesture and on his thigh was written king of kings and Lord of Lords.
B) I guess what I am telling you today is communion is a sign to the past and a seal to the future- rest assured Easter has come and gone over 2000 times and my Lord is still Risen
Finally the Lord’s Supper if the highest act of worship in the church. As we partake we join in with the angels in heaven who cry out holy holy holy. We react the lamb that was slain form the foundation of the world becoming the lion of the tribe of Judah.
Today we are called to meet with Jesus himself in this sacred time of fellowship
So today we must examine ourselves and see if there is anything that would keep us from partaking in an unworthy manner. To take it in an unworthy manner is akin to blasphemy for you are saying the death of our savior is not important and you are not looking for his soon return.
You can be made ready and sure by asking Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of all of your sins.
Sermon parts come form many different speakers and authors
To God be all Honor Glory and Praise
