Introduction:

1. The Lord’s Supper is the centerpiece of the Lord’s Day assembly.

2. The meaning of the entire Christian system hinges on the events commemorated in this act of worship.

Discussion:

I. The Centrality of Communion

A. Biblical and extra-biblical writings show the Lord’s Supper’s centrality to the Lord’s Day assembly (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-22; 11:17-34).

B. “To break bread” is an infinitive of purpose naming the reason for the assembly in Acts 20:7.

C. This is not to demean the other acts of worship, but apart from His sacrificial death, nothing else matters.

II. The Reason for Communion

A. The backdrop of communion is the Jewish feast of Passover (Matthew 26:17-29; 1 Corinthians 5:7).

B. Jewish feasts commemorated historic events and drew the people nearer to God (cf. Exodus 12:1-28).

C. Communion commemorates history’s greatest event (1 Corinthians 11:26).

III. The Transcendent Beauty of Communion

A. To see the beauty of the event, we ponder the language describing it.

B. Thanksgiving: Eucheristeo is used in all four narratives of its institution (Matthew 26:27; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:17, 19; 1 Corinthians 11:24).

1. This parallels eulogeo (to speak favorably) “bless” (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; 1 Corinthians 10:16).

2. It is a time of blessing and thanking our Lord.

C. The Lord’s Supper is our most common designation.

1. Lord’s: kuriakos= belonging to the Lord (Thayer)

2. Supper: diepnon= “the chief meal, feast” (Strong)

3. This meal is peculiarly His (1 Corinthians 11:20-21).

4. It is Christ’s table where His people commune with Him and one another (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).

D. It is a commemoration of God’s redemptive work in the past (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; cf. Exodus 12:14).

E. It is also a proclamation of that redemption (1 Corinthians 11:26a).

F. It is a foreshadowing of the consummation of the scheme of redemption at His return (1 Corinthians 11:26b).

G. Participation in the blood and body of our Lord (1 Corinthians 10:16-22).

1. Communion: koinonia= “partnership, participation, fellowship” (Strong); “the share which one has in anything” (Thayer)

2. Jesus’ figurative language in Matthew 26 comes to life in this act of being nourished and filled with Him in communion.

3. Table fellowship indicated closeness and sharing (cf. Matthew 9:11).

4. It being Christ’s table indicates closeness and sharing with Him.

5. Partaking of the one bread makes us one body (1 Corinthians 10:17).

IV. Proper Attitudes in Communion

A. Such a rich event demands right attitudes.

B. This includes several key elements to consider:

1. Self-examination: partaking in the right way (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)

2. Thanksgiving/blessing (1 Corinthians 10:16)

3. Focus on Christ and His body (1 Corinthians 10:17; 11:23-26)

4. Singular devotion to Him (1 Corinthians 10:20-21)

1. The significance of this weekly memorial cannot be overstated.

2. Many argue that a weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper makes it less significant, but interestingly this is never said of the weekly collection.

3. How could fellowshipping the Christ who died for us become insignificant?

4. The only way is to lose touch with the principles laid out above, which is far more likely in the absence of the memorial than in its presence.

5. May we gather to take this memorial with eagerness each Lord’s Day.