Text: Matt. 26: 17-30

Title: "The Lord's Supper"

Subj: To explain the Scriptural basis for the Lord’s Supper

When we are discussing the Lord's Supper, we are talking about an ordinance instituted by Christ for His glory in His churches.  It was not given to individual Christians, nor was it given to just any organization calling itself a "church." 

During His earthly ministry the Lord Jesus Christ instituted and began to build His church (Matt 16:18).  This first church, which came to be known as the "Church which was at Jerusalem," was built upon the truth spoken by Peter,

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16,17).  Restated for emphasis, "Thou [and Thou alone] art the Christ [the promised Messiah], the Son of [the same as] the living God." 

And Jesus answered that, 1) "Peter, this truth was revealed to you by My Father in Heaven," and 2)

"Upon this rock [or this declaration of Christ's purpose and deity] I will build My assembly

[church].” (Matt. 16:18) 

To this church, Christ gave the authority, under His headship, to administer the kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 16:18; 18:17,18).  To this church Christ entrusted the two ordinances; baptism (Jn. 4:2) and the Lord's Supper (26:26-28).  To this church Christ gave the great commission (28:18-20).   To this church, Christ gave authority to be His witnesses or representatives to a lost and dying world (Acts 1:8).  Upon this church the Holy Spirit conferred God's seal of approval, and indwelling spiritual power to do all Christ commanded (Acts 2:2-4).   And from this church began the spread of Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching churches throughout the world, and down through the centuries to our day (Acts 8:1ff).

The point is, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper is a church ordinance, and not just any church, but it is entrusted to those churches which are faithful to the teachings of the N.T., and in fact, those same churches are called to guard the ordinances (1 Cor. 11:2)!  Is it not interesting that both ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper point to the D.B.R. of Jesus Christ, which is the foundational doctrine for all we believe, and the promise of our own resurrection from the dead. 

The first ordinance, baptism, represents "entrance" into or identification with an organized body or assembly of believers.  It publicly identifies you with the D.B.R. of Jesus Christ, it identifies you with the doctrines of that church, and it is a public declaration of your own death to sin, and walk in newness of life.

"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life"  (Romans 6:4)

The second ordinance, the Lord's supper, represents "endurance" or continuance in the things of Christ until He returns.  Both the bread and the cup are done, "in remembrance of Me."  The Lord's Supper continually keeps before us the D.B.R. of our Lord and Saviour.  It reminds us of what He accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary.  It reminds us of the terrible price that our sin extracted at the expense of the sinless Son of God.  It reminds us of what and where we were before receiving Christ, and what we now are in Christ.  And it serves to unite this body of Christ afresh and anew, and to remind us of our great responsibilities toward each other and to a lost and dying world.

The Lord's Supper (Matthew 26:17-27)

The origin of the Lord's Supper, and its elements are found in the Jewish Passover, established and perpetuated by God for the Nation of Israel (Ex. 12) .  The purpose of the Passover was to direct the Nation of Israel's eyes forward to that final, complete, sufficient sacrifice of the suffering Servant/Messiah/the Christ.  Jesus underscores this as He joined with His disciples, His church, to partake of the Passover meal.  Let's glean some truths from this change from the Passover meal to the Lord's Supper.

The Words of Christ, Our Example

1. “The Master saith" (v18) 

The only Man to have full authority over His own destiny, bowed His will to the purpose of God, and the need of mankind.

a. At the Lord's Supper we should bow our wills to the higher, purer, better purpose of God for us.   ("I know what's best....")

2. "My time is at hand.” (v18) That which was foreordained from the foundation of the world, and pictured in the yearly Passover, was now to find it's fulfillment in this final Passover and sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

a. At the Lord's Supper we should determine to know and fulfill God's purpose for us--in God's time for us.  ("But I want to......")

"He hath made every thing beautiful in His time..."  (Eccles. 3:11)

3. "I [alone] will keep ["carry out"] the Passover". (v18) The only One Who could become the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, willingly and determinately gave Himself up in our place.

a. At the Lord's Supper we should willingly determine to carry out God's will and purpose for our lives, no matter the cost.

4. "with my disciples." (v18)  The disciples constituted His church.  Christ was the head and they were the body.  Therefore the Lord's Supper was given to the church and is a church ordinance.  And when the church is assembled together, we are made partakers, in a spiritual sense, of Christ's D.B.R.  Do you remember the words of Paul?

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death."  (Philip. 3:10)

a. At the Lord's Supper we should determine to know Christ more, represent Christ better, and to live in harmony and unity with every other member of this body/church.

5. "One of you shall betray ["to deliver up treacherously"] Me." (v21)  The One Who had come to serve others, both friend and foe, was betrayed by one of His closest associates.  And this was revealed by omniscience.

a. At the Lord's Supper we should be fully aware that God knows all we know about ourselves, all we refuse to acknowledge about ourselves, and all we don't yet know about ourselves.  Every new trial or blessing reveals new aspects of our character that even we did not know.

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his goings" (Proverbs 5:21)
6. Every one of the disciples asked, "Lord, is it I?"  Each one of us is capable of the grossest sins, and each one of us is capable of justifying the least of our sins.

a. At the Lord's Supper we should always ask ourselves, "Lord, is it I?"

7. "Thou hast said." (v25)  And when the right man finally asks the right question, "Master, is it I?", the omniscience of Christ places the finger of conviction directly on the truth.

a. At the Lord's Supper we should be willing to not only ask, "Lord, is it I?", but be willing to say, "Yes, Lord, it is me."  Confess, repent, and be forgiven.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting"  (Psalm 139:23-24)

And here the Passover meal, and soon the Passover itself, fades like the glory of Moses' face.  What Christ has done in this short discourse is to reaffirm that faith in God is not a matter of externals, but a matter of an internal relationship. 

The Lord's Supper Instituted (Matthew 26:26-30)

The Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ using two elements of the Jewish Passover meal, unleavened bread and unfermented wine.  Notice that it was in the midst of the Passover meal, and that Jesus chose the 2 elements He wanted to represent Himself.

1. Jesus' body is represented by bread (v26)

a. Unleavened (sinless)

1) If you believe Jesus ever sinned, don't take the bread!

b. Blessed ("consecrated, set apart")

1) If you believe Jesus was not the promised Christ sent from God, don't take the bread!

c. Broken.  The bread was broken, not in the sense that it pictured the body of Jesus as broken, which it was not, but so the bread could be shared among the disciples.  It pictured Jesus freely giving Himself for them and their sharing in it.

"He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."  (Psalm 34:20)

1) If you believe Jesus died only for Himself, don't take the bread!

d. Given to His disciples, His church

1) If you are not a saved, baptized member of this church don't take the bread!

e. Freely offered ("take, eat").  Accept & partake.

1) If you believe Jesus' offer of pardon is untrustworthy, don't take the bread!

f. Freely accepted ("take, eat").  Partake of.

1) If you can't partake of the Lord's Supper without reservation, don't take the bread!

"This [sinless, consecrated, shared, freely offered bread] is [represents] My body."  It is not His actual body, it does not become His body, it is a picture or type of His body.  It is a memorial 'til He come.

2. Jesus blood is represented by the cup (v27)

a. Unfermented (sinless) fruit of the vine

1) If you believe that Jesus could have sinned, don't take the cup!

b. In gratitude

1) If you do not appreciate Christ's death on your behalf, don't take the cup!

c. Freely offered ("drink ye")

1) If you think salvation is grace plus works, don't take the cup!

d. Freely accepted ("drink ye all of it")

e. "This [sinless, deeply appreciated, shared, freely offered cup] is [represents] My blood."

1) "Of the New Testament" ("new covenant, agreement,")

a) New agreement of the New Testament, superseding the O.T.

b) New agreement between you and Christ

2) "Which [blood] is shed for many"

3) "For the remission [release from bondage, forgiveness] of sins."

f. Resurrection & eternal life ("that day I will drink it new with you in the kingdom")

Concl:  The Lord's Supper reminds us of all that Jesus Christ is, and all He has accomplished on our behalf.  It reminds us that we serve a crucified, but risen Saviour, who is making intercession for us.  It reminds us that this church is His body, fitly and compactly joined together to represent Him to a lost and dying world.  It reminds us of our responsibility one to another. 

Take it worthily.

Matthew 28:18-20

After His D.B.R.,  Jesus restates this authority to His churches in Matt. 28:18.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power (authority) is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.”

Jesus confirms the church's mission in v19a:

"Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations,”

Jesus confirms the ordinance of baptism in the churches in v19b:

"baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" 

Jesus confirms the purpose of His churches in v20a:

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:"

Jesus confirms His continued presence in His churches in v20b:

"and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age). Amen."

This continuing presence of the Lord is reflected in the taking of the Lord's supper:

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come" (at the end of the age). (1 Cor. 11:26)

To His churches Christ gave the two ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper.  These two church ordinances (not Christian ordinances) separate and identity Christ's churches from all other man-made religious organizations.  Every other so called "church" has perverted or changed, to one degree or another, these two ordinances.