I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      One of the most meaningful parts of our worship is the observance of the Lord’s Supper, for it incorporates the most important elements of our faith and hope into one simple memorial.

B.      Presently, let us consider what the Lord’s Supper means to us according to the Scriptures.

II.      A MEMORIAL

A.      God has given many memorials to man for various events, so surely Christ is worthy His own memorial.

                                                             1.      God gave memorials…

a.       To Noah after the flood (the rainbow, Gen. 9:11-17);

b.       To Abraham after he received the promises (circumcision, Gen. 17:10-14);

c.        To Israel after God delivered them from the tenth plague (the Passover, Ex. 12:1-47);

d.       To Israel when God gave them the Law (the sabbath, Ex. 20:8-11).

                                                             2.      Likewise, God has given us a memorial of His own Son.

a.       Christ provided for us that which we could not provide for ourselves, which is salvation from sins through His death on the cross (Rom. 5:6).

b.       For this, Christ is worthy of a living, enduring, perpetual memorial to be cherished and faithfully observed.

B.      The Lord Jesus ordained His own memorial in the night before He was crucified.

                                                             1.      Matthew (26:26-29), Mark (14:22-25), Luke (22:17-20), and Paul (1Cor. 11:23-25) all recorded Christ’s institution of the Supper, which occurred as He and the disciples observed the Passover Feast.

                                                             2.      The memorial that was ordained by Christ is simple in substance but profound in meaning.

a.       The substance of the Supper is unleavened bread and fruit of the vine (wine, grape juice).

i.         These were elements from the Passover Feast, which was a foreshadowing of the Lord’s Supper, just as the Passover (deliverance from the tenth plague in Egypt) was a foreshadowing of God’s mercy through Christ (see 1Cor. 5:7-8).

ii.        These elements are available all over the world, so the Supper can be observed anywhere.

b.       The remainder of this lesson will examine the profound meaning of the Supper, but for now consider the Lord’s words in 1Corinthians 11:24-26.

i.         Regarding the bread: “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

ii.        Regarding the cup (fruit of the vine): “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

C.      The Lord’s Supper is commemorative.  Consider what this means.

                                                             1.      A commemoration is an act that honors a memory of a person or an event.

                                                             2.      Please understand this important distinction: We do not observe the Lord’s Supper in order to remember Christ, but rather we observe it because we do remember Him.

                                                             3.      The Supper is not the only time that we are to remember the Lord, but rather it is to show that we remember Him always – “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David” (2Tim. 2:8).

III.   A PROCLAMATION

A.      Most proclamations are verbal, but this proclamation is made without saying a word.

                                                             1.      Notice 1Corinthians 11:26 – “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”

                                                             2.      It is by the thoughtful and symbolic acts of eating and drinking that we make a proclamation about our Lord Jesus Christ.

B.      Consider what we proclaim when we observe the Lord’s Supper.

                                                             1.      We proclaim that Christ died to save us from sin and give us eternal life (John 3:16).

                                                             2.      We proclaim that Christ was raised from the grave to live again (Rom. 1:4; 1Cor. 15:20).

                                                             3.      We proclaim that Christ ascended into heaven to assume authority on the throne of David at the right hand of God (Acts 1:9-11; 2:33; Eph. 1:20-21).

                                                             4.      We proclaim that Christ will come again to receive us to Himself (1Thess. 4:13-17).

                                                             5.      We proclaim the new covenant in Christ’s blood through which we have hope (Heb. 8-9).

                                                             6.      We proclaim that Jesus is our Lord, Christ, and Savior (Acts 2:36; Heb. 5:9).

C.      Notice that if we refuse or fail to observe the Lord’s Supper, then we do not join in the assembly’s proclamation of these things.

IV.    A COMMUNION

A.      A communion is an act of association and fellowship in which something is shared in common.

                                                             1.      Consider 1Corinthians 10:16-17 – “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.”

                                                             2.      Communion is not something we take, but rather it is something we do.

B.      Consider what we demonstrate by communing together in the Lord’s Supper.

                                                             1.      We show our joint participation and fellowship with Christ and other Christians by sharing in the body of Christ.

                                                             2.      We likewise show our unity in Christ as one body, one church (Eph. 4:4).

V.      OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

A.      The Lord’s Supper is to be observed simply.

                                                             1.      The memorial to Christ is simply a matter of thoughtfully, symbolically, and reverently eating and drinking.

                                                             2.      This requires only the unleavened bread, the fruit of the vine, and the devoted hearts of Christians.  No great monuments, no ornamental ceremonies, no expensive utensils, and no overt shows or displays are needed.

B.      The Lord’s Supper is to be observed frequently.

                                                             1.      The Lord said, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1Cor. 11:26).  Certainly, Christ deserves to be commemorated often.

                                                             2.      The only reference to the timing of the Lord’s Supper in the Scriptures is found in Acts 20:7.

a.       In this passage, the saints at Troas gathered on the first day of the week to break bread.  This appears to be a reference to the observation of the Lord’s Supper.

b.       Non-biblical, historical evidence (early church writers Barnabas, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement, Origen, Cyprian) indicates that the early churches did indeed observe the Lord’s Supper on the first day of each week.

                                                             3.      Therefore, it is fitting for Christians to observe the Lord’s Supper on the first day of each week.

C.      The Lord’s Supper is to be observed in the assembly.

                                                             1.      The instructions of Paul in 1Corinthians 11:17-34 demonstrate that the church is to come together for observing the Lord’s Supper.

                                                             2.      The example of Acts 20:7 and the requirement of communion and fellowship (1Cor. 10:16-17) show that individuals cannot properly observe the Lord’s Supper by themselves.

D.      The Lord’s Supper is to be observed in a worthy manner.

                                                             1.      The Supper must be observed with a proper reverence for the Lord.

a.       Notice 1Corinthians 11:27 – “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.”

b.       To make light of this memorial puts one in equal standing with those who mocked Christ as He hung on the cross.

                                                             2.      The Supper must also be observed with self-examination.

a.       Notice 1Corinthians 11:28-29 – “But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.”

b.       We must take the Supper while reflecting upon our own spiritual condition and the price of Christ’s body and blood that was paid for our redemption.

VI.    CONCLUSION

A.      Observing the Lord’s Supper is a privilege for believers in Christ.

B.      Understanding every aspect of the Supper will elevate the experience every time we observe it.

C.      The Lord’s Supper is a blessing to be cherished and a time to draw nearer to God.

D.      Observing the Lord’s Supper is what Christ wants us to do.