DISCIPLES OF JESUS MINISTRY
Where He leads us we will follow
The Lord's Supper
THE LORDS SUPPER
1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
1Co 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
1Co
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner reats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
1Co 11:30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
The Lord Himself, instituted this practice in the Last Supper
The Lords Supper was central to early Christian worship. Believers would gather around one table, as they met with the Lord and with each other in unity. Many believers are sick because they do not realize what a sacred thing they do when they come around the table.
.
Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."
Mat 26:27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
Mat 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mat 26:29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Mat 26:30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the
At the time of the Last Supper our Lords body had not yet been given, nor had His blood been shed. When the Lord Jesus said, This is My body, He meant it was symbolic of His body or it was for us to visualize His body which was broken for us. To eat the bread is to remember Him in His atoning death for us. It is our time to reflect on just what the Lord has done for us.
In the same manner the Lord Jesus also took the cup after the Passover supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. The Lords Supper was instituted directly after the Passover Feast. and that is why it says that the Lord Jesus took the cup after supper.
Jesus said it was the new covenant in His blood. This refers to the covenant that God promised to the nation of
Jer 31:31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
Jer 31:32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
Jer 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jer 31:34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
This was unconditional promise by which He agreed to be merciful to their unrighteousness and to remember their sins and iniquities no more.
The covenant is also mentioned in Hebrews.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Heb 8:11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
By His blood we as Christians have been redeemed, His blood has washed away our sins.
When we partake of the elements we are to remember our Lords death until He comes. When we come around the Lords table we should remember that Jesus is there in the midst of us.
Mat
When we come to the Lords table we should come openly and surrender ourselves wholly unto God, and ask for forgiveness of anything that is interrupting the depth of fellowship with our Lord. We need to reach out to our Lord and worship Him and thank Him for all He has done for us, allowing His Holy Spirit to flow through us as we come to partake of those elements. We come to the table as Christians knowing that all of our sins have been washed away by the blood which our Lord shed for us as the new covenant says, but our minds and hearts should be focussed on our Lord as we partake of the Emblems.
We are all in ourselves unworthy, But through Christ we have been made righteous. Only true believers should partake of the elements. To eat and to drink in an unworthy manner is to eat and drink judgment to ourselves, not discerning the Lords body. The Lords body was given in order that our sins might be washed away. We need to examine ourselves in the light of a Holy God and put away sin. It is a very serious matter and all believers should gather together with their brothers and sisters to follow our Lords direction on a regular basis this in remembrance of Me." So let's all remember we should not neglect this ordinance of coming together with other believers to remember our Lords death until He comes. The next time any of us meet around the Lord's Table with other believer's let's remember to prepare our minds and hearts.
Sweet communion
SWEET COMMUNION
The bread and wine are set before us,
As we gather to worship the Lord Jesus,
This is no ritual without a meaning,
It is even more than merely remembering.
Jesus said This do in remembrance of me.
But there is clearly more He wants us to see.
For the one we behold is indeed the bread of life,
And the bread is feeding our souls with health and life.
Then we come to the wine knowing there is life in the blood,
For that blood washed away our sins in a cleansing flood,
And we come with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts,
In deep reverence and awe we come in one accord.
Thanking the One who is the true life giver,
The One who we will throughout eternity live with,
Who shed His blood on a cruel cross that we might be saved,
Through that same blood we are healed, saved and delivered.
For there is power in the blood, full resurrection power,
We must never forget the magnitude of that wonderful power,
Words are unable to express the depth of our gratitude,
For while we were dead in our sins Christ came and he died.
And he has given us a hope that is certain and sure,
That when we give our lives to the only one who is pure,
We have a glorious heritage as sons and daughters of the King,
So throughout eternity his praises we with the angels will sing.
And now as we take the bread and the wine let us rightly discern,
Just what we are doing and come humbly seeking new revelation,
Our Lord and Saviour left heavens glory, a sacrificial offering to be,
And the wonder of it all was that he done it all for such as you and me.
So we will continue to come together partaking of the bread and wine,
Until that day we with the saints from down through the ages dine,
When we the bride, meet with our dear bridegroom at our wedding feast,
And we look upon the glory of his countenance and fall at his feet.
Even so come Lord Jesus
.
Irene McGough 2008