REMEMBERING THE LORD'S SUPPER
Read it
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Discover It
Our scripture for today is an excerpt of a letter from the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, one of the largest and most important cities in the Greece which was a province of the Roman Empire at that time. It is in the context of a scathing rebuke of this church, much of it centering on how these Christians were misusing and defiling the Lord’s Supper! In chapter eleven of this letter Paul calls them out for divisions within the church, a focus on base human appetites rather than a focus upon God, forgetting or ignoring the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, and a casual flippant attitude towards the Lord and the observance of communion.
Ask It
1. In verse twenty-three of our scripture, Paul begins his explanation of the Lord’s Supper by saying he received this information from the Lord and is passing it along to the Corinthians. Why do you think it was important for Paul to make this point before his explanation?
2. In verse twenty-four, Paul recounts Jesus’ words, “This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Why was it important for Jesus to give his body as a sacrifice for us? How does the Lord’s Supper help us to remember this?
3. In verse twenty-five, Paul recounts Jesus’ words, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Why was it important for Jesus to give His blood to pay for our sins? How does the Lord’s Supper help us to remember this?
Live It
1. STRIVE FOR UNITY IN CHRIST – We are all so different, yet our in-commonness with Jesus Christ results people from various walks of life being able to work and serve together.
2. REMEMBER AND MEDITATE ON THE MEANING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER – Ask God for a new awareness of and fascination with the meaning of communion. Meditate on His sacrifice. After all, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
3. ELEVATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER – There are only two church ordinances given by Jesus Christ – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. So don’t treat communion in a flippant manner. Think of Jesus’s death on the Cross and remember anew His sacrifice. Strive to be more like Jesus!
Pray It
Lord Jesus, I bow before you in humility. Examine my heart today. Show me anything that is not pleasing to You. Reveal any secret pride, any unconfessed sin, any rebellion or unforgiveness that may be hindering my relationship with You. For I know that I am Your beloved child, having received You into my heart. And the price You paid with your body and blood covered me for all time, and my desire is to live for You. Thank you, in Jesus’ Name - Amen.
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