thelordssupper

THE LORD'S SUPPER
"WHAT'S IT REALLY ALL ABOUT"?

church of Christ

BY TA BAISDEN

What is the Lord's Supper?
Where and how do we find out about it?
How often are we to do it?
What do we uses?
In what way do we it?
Why do we do it?
Do we still do it today?

Where do we fine out about it.
The Answers to all these Questions are found in the Bible which is God's words.
The Lord's Supper is spoken of in these verses.
Matt. 26: 26-29 Mark 14:22-25 Luke 22:19-20 I Cor. 11: 24-26
The Lord's supper is not mention in the Gospel of John.

To get a clear picture of the "The Lord's Supper" we must clear our minds of man's opinion,thoughts and traditions and focus our thoughts on God's Word only.

Now let's examining what we can find in the Bible about all these question's.

The Lord's Supper is referred to in the New Testament(NT) in several ways.
1. Breaking of the Bread. Acts 20:7
2. Cup of blessing and the breaking of bread. I Cor. 10:16
3. Table of the Lord. Rev.
4. The communion. 1 Cor 10:16

Christ instituted the Lord's Supper himself. Matt. 26: 26-29
Luke tells us it was following the Passover supper. Luke 20:22
Paul tells us it was before Christ crucifixion. " that the Lord in the night HE was betrayed HE took bread" "in the same way HE took the cup after supper" I Cor. 11:23-26

Before we try and answer these questions we must remember that the Lord's Supper is not a time for forgiveness of our sins. Each and everyone of us need to remember THIS important point. It is a Thanksgiving Service to our Lord. Christ gave Thanks.

Why we do it?
The Lord's supper is one of the acts of worship in the NT.
IT is a "commandment" of God's. Though the examples of the apostle and the early Church given in the Bible we know what we are to do when the Church comes together each Lord's day.
This is the way that God and Christ and the Holy Spirit said it is to be.

The Apostle Peter tells us that we need to be reminded less we forget..
II Peter 1:9 "forgotten", II Peter 1:12 "remembrance".

Our whole spiritual life's depend upon the valve and benefits of our Lord's death.
The Lord's supper is to remind us of his love, his suffering, his thirst, the beating, the mocking, the scouring that left his back raw and bleeding, his mercy, his death, the cross he carried, his resurrection. Our dependence on him for the hope of heaven and to believe he will keep his promise that he will come again. That he gave up heaven for us to come to earth for 33 years. They spit upon him. His mock trial, crown of thorns. His nakedness, the solider gambled for the Lord's only earthly possessions he owned which was his clothes and his coat. The humiliation, shame that he had to go through. Most people don't think about the great temptation Christ had even on the cross that with all the people shouting and calling him name's and making fun of God and him, that it was in his power to show them who he truly was but he didn't because he loved God and us and he did as he was command to do. How alone he felt. Not even our Father was with Him at the cross for He was made to represent our sins and sin is what separates us from God. The great pain he was in . It reminds us to live as he directs us to do and to go out and teach his gospel to the world. The sound of the pounding of the nails into his feet and hands, the dropping of the cross into the hole. The fellowship we have with God and each other. God's wonderful and unending grace. These things and many others should come to mind as we partake of the Lord's Supper.

When and where:
We are to partake of the Lord's supper on the first day of EVERY week also called the Lord's Day which is Sunday. Every week has a first day of the week. In Act 20:7 and Act 2:42 it speaks of the first day of the week, they came together, and it was done with preaching and other acts of worship. When the Church of Christ comes together each and every Lord's day it is to be done.

On the First Day of the week:
Christ arose- Matt. 28:10
The Holy Spirit came- Acts 2
The Church was established- Acts 2
The plan of salvation was given- Acts 2
The Lord's Supper was observed- Acts 20:7 & Acts 2:42
Gospel offering "Lay by him in store" (only on Sunday) I Cor.16:1-2
The Lord's Day Rev. 1:10

What is used: Act 20:7 & I Cor. 10:16
We are to partake of the bread and the fruit of the vine. The bread had to be unleavened bread for that was the only bread allowed at the passover feast. The fruit of the vine was grape juice.

Some people believe that it is his literal(earthly) body and blood,but as you have already seen Christ was a live at the partaking of the first supper. Christ is not with us here today in his earthly body but he is here in spirit with us.
It "represent" his body(bread) and his blood(vine). God did not tell us to be cannibals.
Here are two other example. Christ said he was the door(John 10:9)
and he was the vine(John 15:5). Now we know he is not a earthy door or an earthly vine growing somewhere on earth.
Some people also believe that the vine he used was wine. Do you think that our Lord and Savior would encourage us to drink even a little.
Some also believe in the "one" cup, if it is only one cup how would it be humanly possible for the whole world on the Lord's Day to drink from it.

Is it done today:
The Bible gives us examples in how how God wants and expects us to live our life till the end of time, in the way that pleases him. Would he not also tells us though example what way he desires his Church to be that is pleasing to him till the end of time also. The apostles(though the guidance of the Holy Spirit) set up the Lord's church in the way that God/Christ wanted it to be. We only have there example to go by and unfortunately most people don't follow their example.
Acts 2:42 3000 people "breaking bread".
Act 20:7 Apostle Paul reminds the church in Troas that even though they were breaking bread and partaken of the vine they where doing it for the wrong reasons.
Some times today Christians just do it mechanically or just as a some ritual. Close your eyes and place yourself there on that day and all that took place. Hear the sound, see the acts done to our Lord on that day, feel the beating and maybe the Lord's supper will mean more to you.

What does a memorial mean then:
Memorial means "it done to keep something alive".
We do it to keep our Lord alive in our hearts and minds and to remember what he did for people who don't deserve anything from God/Christ but because of God's grace and great love for us he gives to us anyway.
In the old testament the Passover was memorial to God for the deliver- ance of their first born(man and beast)by the putting of the blood of a lamb on the posts of their houses and when he(God) seen the blood he pass by them and none were taken.(Ex.12:07-14) The Lord's Supper is a memorial of our Lord's death and the deliverance he made possible for us from the bondage of sin/death we where in.

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