Reflecting on Truth #46
Q: What is the Lord’s Supper?
A: Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourishing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father’s kingdom.
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 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.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “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. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Why does this matter?
One significant point we learn is that the Lord’s Supper is a corporate meal. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper when the whole church gathers. The Lord’s Supper is the meal of the church, so we celebrate it at the gatherings where the whole church is expected to attend, and not at smaller group gatherings such as CG, or even individually, in our own homes.
It also means that we only invite those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation and have publicly declared their commitment to him and his people through baptism to celebrate it with us. We remind others that in and of itself, the elements have no power to save, and invite them to share in Christ instead. This applies to the children in our midst as well - we should help them rightly understand the significance of the Lord’s Supper and invite them to trust in Jesus.
What does this mean for us?
As individuals, we can approach the Lord’s Supper by mindfully and seriously (and joyfully) participating in the 5 ‘looks’ that we are led through each time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.
Look Up to God in praise and thanksgiving.
We give thanks to God for our salvation is His marvelous plan, by His grace and mercy.
Look Back at the Cross, and remember what Christ has done.
We look with joy, awe, wonder and thanks at the salvation provided that covers any sin. We remember that no sin is too big for God to forgive.
Look Within in humble self-examination.
We examine ourselves and confess our sins. But we don’t stop there. We look back again at the Cross and remember that our guilt is gone and our debt is paid.
Look Around in fellowship with one another.
We don’t just close our eyes and confess our sins in a private experience. We look around and marvel at the diversity of people that the gospel has made one, and we rejoice in the unity we have. We also consider if we have any sins against a brother or sister that needs to be confessed to them and reconciliation made.
Look Forward to Christ’s return.
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” We enjoy this great feast now, but a greater feast awaits. This is but a foretaste. And so, we look forward with confident hope and expectation to the day that Jesus returns and we eat and drink with him in the new creation.
“When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we reaffirm our trust in Christ and our commitment to his people. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we embrace Christ all over again, and we also embrace all who are his.”