I appreciate so much the enthusiastic way in which Pastor Matt’s leads us in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and the importance he gives to it in our service. He succeeds in making it special each week, and deservedly so, for the Lord’s Supper in symbolic enactment is perhaps the highlight of our Christian experience on earth. Because Matt’s time is understandably limited as he speaks about the bread and the cup, it is my hope that this brief study will flesh-out the abbreviated sermon he gives as he explains their significance. I have found in my own ministry as a pastor that the familiarity most Christians have with the Lord’s Supper sadly has done little, in my opinion, to diminish the lack of understanding.

The first Lord’s Supper – which will be the focus of this study – is also called the “Last Supper,” because it was the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion. The first Lord’s Supper could also be seen as the first Thanksgiving, for surely it is a distinctive time for Christians to express their thankfulness for the body and blood of Christ given in love to pay for their sins and satisfy God’s wrathּ.

The scriptural context for this study will be taken mainly from the book of Matthew. Matthew’s treatment is a particularly lovely passage of Scripture. Of the Synoptic accounts, I find it the most poignant. It is profoundly moving. The Lord Jesus Christ is about to die and He is sharing this final meal with His closest disciples…

Hear the Word of God on the Lord’s Supper from the book of Matthew…

NAS Matthew 26:17-30 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”  18  He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 20 When it was evening, he reclined at Table with the twelve. 21  And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” 26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29  I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus said the night before He was to go to the Cross these memorable words in the Upper Room to His disciples, “This is My Body…” and, “This is My blood.” When He said these words, He no more meant that they actually became such than by saying “I am the door” (John 10:9), He meant that He was a hole in the wall or a large piece of wood. In all these cases He spoke symbolically: “This symbolizes My body… this symbolizes My blood.”

It is important to note the first Lord’s Supper, as presented to us in the Bible, the event we now hold so central to the church, actually took place in an Old Testament context. On the night in which the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper – the night before He went to the Cross – He and His disciples were observing the Jewish Passover, one of the major Jewish feasts, an ancient custom even in Jesus’ day, a special feast celebrated each year for the last 1450 years before that night in the Upper Room.

To attempt to capture this important O.T. sense, let’s read Exodus 12:1-14…

KJV Exodus 12:1-14 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.

4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5  Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8  They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

When Jesus originated the Lord’s Super, He was actually continuing the biblical tradition of the Jewish Passover.

But the Lord’s Supper is not the Passover. In the setting of the Jewish Passover, Jesus started something new. The Lord’s Supper is a new covenant, a different covenant. This new covenant refers to the covenant promised in the O.T. (Jer. 31:31-34), but really had no precedent; it was a new thing. The O.T. covenant of Exodus 12 was confirmed by the blood of a lamb; the new covenant initiated at the Lord’s Supper 2,000 years ago was sealed with the precious blood of the Savior Himself.

NKJ Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Look at v. 26…

NAS Matthew 26:26 And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Note the word “while”; your Bible may read “as.” This little word tells us a lot about the first observance of the Lord’s Supper. It also tells us that today we may be observing the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper in a way that is actually more traditional than it is biblical.

The first observance of the Lord’s Supper was during the Passover meal, and was not a separate ceremony. Some believe quite strongly that Christians should be observing the Lord’s Supper only as a part of the Christian Agape, also known as the “Love Feast,” the supper Christians began to regularly observe – and sometimes abuse (1 Corinthians 11:17-22) – in the first century. We would think of the Agape as a potluck today.

When Jesus blessed the bread, He in all likelihood used these traditional Hebrew words:

ברוך אתה יי אלהתנו מלכ הום המוציא לחם מן־הארץ

Baw-ruch a-taw A-do-noi E-lo-hay-nu me-lech haw-o-lawm ha-mo-tzee le-chem meen haw-aw-retz (“Blessed art Thou, O Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, Who bringest forth bread from the earth.”)

These are Hebrew but Jesus may well have been speaking Aramaic to His disciples. After the Jews came back from captivity in Babylon (c. 538 B.C.), Aramaic was their more common language. But the two languages are very similar and this gives you a sense of what the words may have sounded like.

Matthew chose not to record these words probably because they were so familiar. Instead, Matthew records only the startling and unfamiliar words…

“THIS IS MY BODY”… Notice He broke the bread before He said these words, which surely would have startled His disciples.

In 1 Corinthians 11 the apostle Paul adds these words:

NAS 1 Corinthians 11:24 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.”

The old King James translates 1 Corinthians 11:24:

KJV 1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Most scholars do not accept this reading. I agree with them. The KJV is a wonderful translation. However, sadly, it has left us with some false impressions. There are textual issues. For one, there is issue of the image the KJV suggests of Jesus’ physical body being broken. That presents a problem with several verses. For one example, the Scripture tells us that not a bone of Jesus was broken (cf. Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20)…

NAS John 19:36 For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.”

“THIS IS MY BLOOD”…

NAS Matthew 26:27-28 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

“Blood”… poured out”….. This language is unmistakably sacrificial. Compare Matthew 26:28 with the amazing, memorable words of Isaiah 53, written over 700 years before the Cross, pointing to Jesus…

NAS Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Jesus’ words echo Exodus 24:8. God’s relations with His people had always depended on the sacrificial shedding of blood; this new covenant is no exception…

NAS Exodus 24:8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Jesus Christ was the Lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world.

KJV John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

NAS 1 John 3:5 And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

His blood was shed for you and for me, instituting a new relationship.

“This is My blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:27). “A new basis of membership of the people of God was being instituted. The ancient Passover which brought about the formation of the nation Israel under the Sinai covenant (cf. Ex 24:8) now points forward to a new redemption constituting a new relationship with God.” – France

Before we move on, I feel I must point out that the translation found in the King James Bible is simply not correct. Practically all scholars agree that the verse in the Greek cannot be translated as the KJV has it in v. 27…

KJV Matthew 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

The verse should read – as all modern translations do – “Drink from it, all of you.” Now v. 29…

NAS Matthew 26:29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

The language of this verse suggests Jesus Himself partook of the bread and the wine, although the Bible does not specifically say that He did. This is a beautiful verse. Jesus’ words over the bread and the cup have focused on death. But now the focus shifts beautifully to life.  Remember that the Lord Jesus is the source of life:

NAS John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

NAS John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

The requirements to come to the Table: As Pastor Matt rightly and lovingly emphasizes each Sunday, the Lord’s Table is open only to the Lord’s children, that is, exclusively to Christians, only to those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ…

“As the Lord’s Supper was given to the disciples of Jesus Christ, only believers who are a part of the body of Christ, that is, the church, are entitled to partake of it. By its very nature as the communion of the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16) the Lord’s Table is set only for those who have a share in him and His salvation.” – Saucy

But at the same time, the Table is never closed to the penitent sinner. An unbeliever can believe the gospel and become a believer, and then come to the Table cleansed with his or her now brothers and sisters. Pastor Matt, therefore, invites everyone to the Table. By believing you become a Christian. By believing you are cleansed of your sins. By believing you may come to the Table forgiven…

KJV Acts 16:31 … Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…

THE GOSPEL… UNBELIEVERS, THIS IS WHAT YOU MUST BELIEVE…

• Jesus Christ died for your sins…

KJV 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

·     He was buried…

NAS 1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

·     He arose from the grave victorious over death…

NAS 1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

·     He was seen

NAS 1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (cf. vv. 6-7)

These, you might say, are the facts of the gospel, a kind of list of essential events about believing in Christ that form the basis you must know about salvation. We often say in order to be saved you must believe; believe what exactly? These highlights are probably the best answer to that question. Here are some of numerous other “gospel” verses:

NAS Colossians 2:13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

KJV John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

NAS John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

NAS John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

NAS John 20:30-31 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

AND FOR BELIEVERS, the Lord’s Supper (among other things) is a time for confession of sin and repentance. For the believer the Lord’s Supper should be a beautiful time of renewal and recommitment, an experience of cleansing, a celebration of thankfulness and a humble recognition or the inestimable incalculable cost of salvation.

Believers, you should confess your sins before coming to the Table cleansed:

NIV 1 Corinthians 11:28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

NAS 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Each person decides where he or she will spend eternity…

Jesus Christ ended the Passover and instituted a new memorial to Himself. It would not look back to a lamb in Egypt, but to the very Lamb of God. Celebrating deliverance from slavery in Egypt is a weak substitute for celebrating deliverance from sin and eternal life in heaven…

KJV Colossians 1:12-14 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Matt likes to remind us during his introduction to the Lord’s Supper that this is a special time also to recognize the reality of God’s wrath. We are saved from something horrible. This effectively underscores the seriousness of salvation. But thankfully it is also a time to appreciate anew God’s incomparable love poured out in His Son’s dying on the cross. Thanks be to God for loving us enough to save us from His wrath!

NAS Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?…

“THIS IS MY BODY… THIS IS MY BLOOD… DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME…”

NAS 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 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 He took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

– Professor Thomas A. Rohm