Paulโs words reveal the wondrous grace of the Lordโs Supper:
โThe Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,
โTake, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.โโ (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)
The bread symbolizes Christโs body, given for us on Calvaryโs cross. When we partake, we remember His sacrificial deathโhow He bore the wrath due to us, glorifying God through it all.
The cup reminds us of His blood shed for us:
โThis cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.โ (1 Corinthians 11:25)
Each time we eat the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lordโs death until He returns.
Our hearts should overflow with adoration as we recall the immense love expressed in His death for our sins. Christ gave Himself, asking only that we remember Him until He comes again in glory to receive us as the fruit of His suffering (Romans 8:29).
The cross and glory are inseparably boundโthe full redemption of the believer comes through both.
We must settle our relationship with God before partaking. The Lordโs Supper is for those who are saved; it is a remembrance of the One who died for our salvation.
Paul warns:
โWhoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself.โ (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)
Every Christian is positionally worthy, but unconfessed sin makes participation unworthy, bringing Godโs chastening (1 Corinthians 11:32). Paul tells of the Corinthiansโ experience: many were weak, sick, and some died because of careless participation.
Self-examination and repentance are essential to avoid judgment.
The Lordโs Supper is not just about benefits received but entering into Godโs perspective on Christโs death. We worship within the veil, reflecting on how precious Jesus was to the Father as He bore sin and obeyed unto death (Hebrews 10:19-22).
Our hearts are filled with adoration, praising Him:
โTo Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.โ (Revelation 1:5-6)
Though we receive much, we come as giversโoffering worship, praise, and thanksgiving because we are redeemed through Christโs death.
Gathered around Him with the bread and cup, our affections are drawn out, His love penetrates our souls, and we bow in adoration. This sacred moment makes us long for the day we see Him face to face and worship Him forever.
โ E. Dennett, edited