If many in the church were honest when asked about the Lord Supper, a majority of people would probably admit to having little if any understanding of why we do it. This past Sunday I spoke to our church about how we should think about the Lord's Supper according to the Scriptures and below is a summary of what was said.
THE LORD'S SUPPER IS A MEMORIAL
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.' Luke 22:19-20
This passage is clear that one of the purposes of the Lord's Supper is that it is to serve as a reminder to God's people of the person and work of Christ—that Jesus came from heaven to earth and gave his life for us.
When Jesus says, "This (bread) is my body" he is saying that when we take the bread, we are to remember that God took on flesh and dwelt among us--we are to remember Immanuel--meaning God with us. When he says, "This cup is my blood" he is saying that when we take the cup, it is to serve as a reminder to us that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for us.
THE LORD'S SUPPER IS A COMMUNION
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is critical of how the Corinthian Christians are taking the Lord's Supper. He says, "When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk" (1 Cor. 11:20-21). Paul's point here is that this meal is not just about you and God and you getting close to God as much as it is about you in God’s community taking the Lord’s Supper together.
When the church comes together to take the Lord’s Supper it is to be a communion—a community of people who have gathered for the purpose of recognizing and proclaiming to God, to one another and to unbelievers that might be in the congregation, that God took on flesh and dwelt among us and that he went to the cross and gave his life in our place as a sacrifice for sin.
Many churches have a tendency to just look at the Lord’s Supper as a memorial. Though this is important, this meal should also point us to the future. In Luke 22:16, Jesus says, "For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” The "it" in this verse refers to this meal.
After instituting this Lord’s Supper meal, Jesus tells his disciples “He is not going to eat this meal with them again until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." This future event that Christ is referring to here is when he returns for his church.
There is a day that is coming when Christ will return for his church and after that there is going to be a meal. Revelation 19:9 says, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” So he is instituting the first meal on this night, but when he returns there is going to be a feast. So what we are to be doing until that time is looking forward to that day by taking this meal.
So the Lord's Supper is a memorial, a communion and celebration in anticipation of that day when the Lord Jesus returns for his own and we have this banquet with him.
