OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS about…

The Lord’s Supper

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Honest questions enable a person to learn truth rapidly.

1.      The individual is seeking truth.

2.      The ear of the individual is extremely receptive.

3.      The mind is open to the answer.

4.      There are fewer obstacles in the way of learning.

 

B.      In this lesson, we will begin a series entitled, “Questions & Answers about…”

1.      We will try to do one each month for several months.

2.      We may do this series on the first Sunday morning of the month since we do our Q&A Night on the first Sunday night of the month.

 

C.     Our first lesson is entitled:  “Questions & Answers about The Lord’s Supper.”

 

I.                   WHAT IS THE LORD’S SUPPER?

 

A.    It is a very simple memorial feast that commemorates the Lord’s death.

 

B.      On many of the physical tables upon which the bread and fruit for the vine are set, there are the words:  “This do in remembrance of me.” 

1.      That statement is a direct quote of Jesus found in Luke 22:19.

2.      These were the words spoken as the Lord instituted the feast.

 

II.                DOES IT HAVE OTHERS NAMES BY WHICH IT IS KNOWN?

 

A.    Yes.

 

B.      There are at least four names found in the Bible.

1.      The Lord’s Supper (I Cor. 11:20)

 

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.

 

2.      The Lord’s table (I Cor. 10:21)

 

Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils:  ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

 

3.      The communion (I Cor. 10:16)

 

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?  The bread which we break, it is not the communion of the body of Christ?

 

4.      Breaking of bread (Acts 2:42; 20:7)

 

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

 

C.     There are other names that some use to refer to the Lord’s Supper that are of man-made origin.

1.      The Eucharist  (This name come from the Greek word meaning “to give thanks”).

2.      A Holy Sacrament

3.      Mass

4.      NOTE:  We do not use these terms for two reasons:

a.      They are not Biblical in nature.

b.      They infer teachings that are man-made and are not taught in God’s Word.

 

III.             WHERE DID THE LORD’S SUPPER ORIGINATE?

 

A.    Prior to the Lord’s death, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples (Luke 22:7-8).

 

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.

 

B.      It was during this Jewish feast that He established the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-28).

 

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying Drink ye all of it.  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

 

1.      This is a divinely authorized memorial.

2.      It is not something in which any person should engage without understanding and seriousness.

 

IV.             WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER?

 

A.    The elements are very simple, fruit of the vine and unleavened bread.

1.      In the Biblical text, the word “bread” is used (Matt. 26:26).  We know that the bread was unleavened because this was the Passover.  All leaven was excluded from this feast (Exodus 12:18-20).

 

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.  Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses:  for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.  Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

 

2.      Jesus told His disciples to drink the cup.  If you keep reading in all of the synoptic gospels, Jesus refers to it as the fruit of the vine (Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:15 Luke 22:18).

 

But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

 

NOTE:  Since is takes leaven to make alcoholic wine, and since leaven was forbidden at this feast, the fruit of the vine was simply grape juice.

 

B.      Some might ask:  “Why these elements?”

1.      Because they are easily obtainable in all lands and cultures.

2.      Because they adequately represent what they are designed to represent.

V.                WHAT DO THE ELEMENTS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER REPRESENT?

 

A.    Notice we use the word “represent.”

1.      When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He was well and alive.  The bread and the fruit of the vine did not become His actual body and blood that day.

2.      The elements still do not become the physical body and blood of Jesus today.

 

B.      The bread represents the body of Christ.

1.      I Corinthians 11:23-24

 

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread:  and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you:  this do ye in remembrance of me.

 

2.      Jesus came to earth and took upon Himself a human body just like ours (John 1:14).  It was this body that suffered during the hours of the crucifixion.

3.      The KJV says:  “…this is my body, which is broken for you.”

a.      The flesh of Jesus was broken.  It was broken and bled in many places.

b.      However, there was not one bone that was broken.  This was part of the fulfillment of the Passover lamb (See Exodus 12:46 & John 19:33).

 

C.     The fruit of the vine represents the blood of Christ.

1.      I Corinthians 11:25

 

And after the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:  this do ye, as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me.

 

2.      In Leviticus 17:11, we learn that the life of the flesh is in the blood.

a.      The shedding of blood involves the giving up of life.

b.      This was the price paid for the sins of mankind (Ezek. 18:20).

 

VI.             WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER?

 

A.    The Lord’s Supper has several different purposes.  We have a tendency to stress some of the secondary purposes instead of stressing the main purpose.

 

B.      The main purpose is to remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and the price that he paid for our sins. 

1.      Two passages:

a.      “This do ye in remembrance of me” (I Cor. 11:24-25).

b.      Every time we partake of this memorial feast we “do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (I Cor. 11:26).

2.      Jesus wanted His sufferings remembered by all.

a.      He wanted us to remember the heartache.

b.      He wanted us to remember the rejection.

c.       He wanted us to remember His loneliness.

d.      He wanted us to remember the brutality.

e.       He wanted us to remember the pain and anguish.

f.        He wanted us to remember His battered body.

g.      He wanted us to remember His precious blood.

h.      He wanted us to remember His pain.

i.        He wanted us to remember His sorrow.

j.        He wanted us to remember His death.

3.      As we partake of the bread and fruit of the vine, we have communion, fellowship in His body and blood (I Cor. 10:16).

4.      The Point:  This was done “for us.”

a.      We were the cause of His death.

b.      It was our sins the brought Jesus to Calvary and the cross.

c.       What a price was paid so that each of us could be forgiven of our transgressions.

 

C.     There are other purposes of the Lord’s Supper as well.

1.      It is an act of worship to God (Acts 2:42).

2.      It is a time when the church proclaims her unity to the world (I Cor. 10:17).

3.      It is a time for each Christian to examine himself (I Cor. 11:28).

 

VII.          WHO IS TO PARTAKE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER?

 

A.    This is a memorial feast for Christians, children of God.

1.      Christians remember the price paid for their sins.

2.      Christians proclaim the death of Jesus to the world.

3.      Christians acknowledge their fellowship with one another.

4.      Christians understand that Jesus joins them as they partake (Matt. 26:29).

 

B.      The feast has no significance to those who have not obeyed the gospel of Christ.

1.      The non-Christian has no need to acknowledge that Jesus died for his sins.

2.      The non-Christian has no need to tell the world about Jesus’ death.

3.      The non-Christians cannot acknowledge fellowship among those with whom he has no fellowship.

4.      The non-Christian has no fellowship with Christ as long as he is dead in his sins.

 

C.     The Bible does not teach the concept of “closed communion.”

1.      The leaders of the church do not decide who can and cannot partake of the Lord’s Supper.

2.      Each individual has the choice of whether he will partake or not.  (NOTE:  Each will give an account of the choice that he makes).

 

VIII.       WHEN IS THE LORD’S SUPPER TO BE CELEBRATED?

 

A.    There are those who partake of the Lord’s Supper monthly, quarterly, or twice a year.

There are those who partake of the Lord’s Supper daily.

There are those who partake of the Lord’s Supper when they desire to take it.

There are those who partake when their minister decides it should be taken.

 

B.      We know from I Corinthians 11:18, 20, that the Lord’s Supper took place when the church assembled together in one place.

 

C.     The only indication that we have as to when the church assembled to partake of the Lord’s Supper is found in Acts 20:7.

 

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and he continued his speech until midnight.

 

1.      The first day of the week is Sunday.

2.      No other day is authorized.

3.      It is the same day that a contribution is authorized to be taken (I Cor. 16:1-2).

a.      So many understand the contribution is to be taken every Sunday.

b.      They, however, do not use the same reasoning about the Lord’s Supper.

4.      Paul entered the city of Troas and waited seven days to assemble with the church. 

a.      He knew that is when they would gather together.

b.      He knew that as the day they would assemble around the Lord’s table.

c.       Anything less is too little.  Anything more is too much.

 

D.    The argument that says that doing it weekly makes it become common place instead of special has two answers.

1.      First, those who believe this need to take it up with the Lord who authorized it to be done weekly in His Word.

2.      Second, those who reason this way show that they have a very shallow, immature mindset.  We should be able to remember the Lord’s death every day and it never grow common and unimportant.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    If man had been assigned the task of creating a memorial about the death of Christ, do you think this would have been the design?

 

B.      Christ instituted something that was

1.      Small, yet significant.

2.      Simple, yet profound.

3.      Quick, yet all encompassing.

4.      Not filling, yet fulfilling.

5.      Earthly, yet divine.

6.      Cheap, yet rich in meaning.

7.      Not flashy, but illuminating.

 

C.     I Corinthians 11:26

 

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.