Brian G. Najapfour is Pastor at Dutton United Reformed Church and author.
For a brief bio on Brian see: http://biblicalspirituality.wordpress.com/brief-bio/.
The Lord’s Supper is a:
1. Celebration with
thanksgiving: “and when he had given thanks” (v. 24a). If Jesus
celebrated the Last Supper with gratitude to His Father, should we not also
celebrate the Lord’s Supper with gratitude to Jesus for what He has done for
us? Through the finished work of Christ we have received eternal life.
2. Commemoration of
Christ’s death: “Do this in remembrance of me” (v. 24b & 25b). In the
Lord’s Supper we remember Christ, specifically His atoning death. Christ died
that we might live forever.
3. Command: “Do this”
(vv. 25-26). It is an ordinance; and thus, believers in Christ must participate
in this sacrament. A person who claims to be a Christian and constantly refuses
to partake of the Lord’s Supper is living in disobedience to God.
4. Consecration: “Let
a person examine himself” (vv. 27-30). The Lord’s Supper is sacred. Hence we
also call it Holy Sacrament or Holy Communion. For this reason, God asks us to
examine ourselves to make sure that we come to the Lord’s Table with a clean
heart, a heart cleansed by the blood of Christ.
5. Communion: “When
you come together” (vv. 17-22). In Holy Communion we are given a special
opportunity to fellowship with our triune God and with our fellow believers.
6. Covenant: “This cup
is the new covenant in my blood” (vv. 23-25). It is new in contrast to the old
covenant. In the old covenant, we only have the blood of an animal; whereas, in
the new covenant we have the blood of Jesus Christ—the blood that has the power
to cleanse us from our sins.
7. Communication of
the gospel: “you proclaim the Lord’s death” (v. 26). It is an acted
proclamation of the gospel. Here the gospel is proclaimed not through the
written word but through the sacred sacrament. In the celebration of the Lord’s
Supper, the gospel of Christ is communicated to us.
8. Contemplation of
the coming of Christ: “until he comes” (v. 26b). While in the Lord’s Supper, we
specifically contemplate Christ’s death, we also meditate upon His Second
Coming. Therefore, as we come to the Lord’s Table, let us not stop at Calvary.
Let us also look forward to Christ’s glorious return. The Lord’s Supper is a
foretaste of our heavenly banquet with Christ.
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