The Lord’s Supper: The Gospel Visually

The Lord’s Supper: The Gospel Visually. 1Corinthians 11:17-34 It came from the Lord, who commanded us to partake of this choicest of feasts. It is not from man’s ideas of what we are to eat and how we are to eat that which depicts the sacred event that fell on Christ till righteous wrath was spent. Entrusted to Paul was teaching to give us the meaning of the Lord’s Supper by which we remember our Savior and His death on the cross. He received it from God to deliver to us so that we will remember the cross and the redemption price He paid to save us.

To many people who want to feel good about themselves and be considered a “good Christian,” the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, or communion of which they partake depending on what their denomination teaches and how they feel at the time, the wonderful and fundamental truths of the kingdom of God are entirely missed. The Lord’s Supper is an expression of the unity, fellowship, and new life resulting from the Gospel message being proclaimed. The focus is misplaced when it is on ourselves rather than on the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to earth, found in fashion as a man, with flesh and blood as proof that He was a real man. He was fully God veiled in human flesh as a sinless human being. The first visible representation in the Lord’s Supper is of our Lord Himself, who wants us to remember Him as the God/Man who came to earth to redeem us and bring us to God.

The second visible reminder is of the good news of the Gospel as we make a public declaration of the Lord’s death. “Christ for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” The bread on the table testifies to the fact that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” The cup visually represents the “precious blood of Christ” and the new covenant that makes it possible for God to be legally satisfied with the payment Jesus made for our sins. He gave His life as “a ransom” for us and God gives us eternal life as a result of Christ’s atonement. We are justified by His grace, His blood, and His resurrection. That justification becomes real and personal to us when our faith is in Him alone for salvation.

The third visual meaning of the Lord’s Supper is a public testimony to the Living Savior who ascended to heaven and promised to come again and receive us unto Himself. He is going to return! He has promised to come again! The Lord’s Supper reminds us of the unfailing promises of God and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Lord’s Supper is a temporary “feast of remembrance.”

Even more than that, we are to show forth His death by publicly proclaiming it to angels and onlookers. That was not a small thing that was done out of desperation so that we could have a new life. It was planned before the world was made. Through what Jesus did when He took our place there on the cross, He paid with His blood all we owed and satisfied God’s righteous justice against our sins.

When my Lord says, “Remember Me,” it is important to Him. How much more important should it be that I do this because He cleansed me from sin? He wants us to show, with sincerity and truth, how much we appreciate His death on the cross and how much it was worth. We will remember when we come together in worship, all He was to God. We will remember it was He who stood in our place. We will show His death weekly so that people can see in a visible way all Jesus accomplished when He died on the tree.

In the past, Israel was to worship only where the Lord had placed His name, and it was to be regulated by the Word of God. The truth couldn’t be shared with error, nor the notions of men with the authority of God. To preserve the holiness of public worship in the Old Testament, God appointed…. A Divine Center. Deut. 12:5. 12: 6-7. God’s people were to bring their gifts and offerings there. 17:8-13. Discipline was carried out there. 18:6-8. God-appointed ministry was given there. 26:1-11. Appreciation of the nation was expressed in what they brought there.

In the New Testament, just before the Lord was crucified, He appointed… A Divine Institution. Mat.26:26-30. “He took bread.” The Son of God became human. “He blessed it.” He was thankful to do it. “He broke it.” Voluntary sufferings of the Lord Jesus. “He gave it…” He paid the ransom price; He made the atonement.

The Lord’s Supper in its Institution [Mat.26:26-30]. The setting forth of the doctrinal truths of Christ’s incarnation, His deity, His humanity, His substitution, and His atonement.

The Lord’s Supper in its Position. Between the two comings of Christ: a look backward and a look forward; the memorial of a departed Friend (in remembrance of Me); the parable of a present Friend (where two or three are… there am I); the prophecy of a returning Friend (till He come). Every symbol in the church reminds us of the fact that it is night: “Stars,” “lamp-stand,” “supper.” It is night, but morning is coming.

The Lord’s Supper as regard to time. Acts 20:6-7 indicates that it was a specific objective of the believers’ gathering. It indicates that it took place on the first day of the week. It suggests that Paul waited until the first day of the week in order to be with the believers at the “breaking of bread” meeting. No other time frame is made reference to in the scripture as to how often this should be done. Therefore, using the time reference given and the fact that certain other things are unique to the first day of the week, it is done each first day of the week rather than the first day of the month or the first day of the year. Believers were to lay aside God’s portion to be given on the first day of the week: Responsibility. John the Apostle received the truths of our Lord’s Person in Revelation on the first day of the week: Revelation. Our Lord Jesus Christ rose from death on the first day of the week, beginning the day of the Gospel of the grace of God: Resurrection. The Lord’s Supper took place on the first day of the week: Remembrance.

The Lord’s Supper as regards participants. In Acts 2, we read that they “gladly received his word” (salvation: disciples are made by Gospel preaching), “were baptized” (obedience: disciples are marked by baptism by immersion), and “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, the fellowship, breaking of bread and in prayers” (reality: disciples are molded by the teaching and practice of the Word of God). We learn then that only baptized believers who were living consistent lives as followers of Christ were participants at the Lord’s Supper.