Doctrine 9. Lord’s super.

Holding on to the twenty two doctrines of the Bible, requisite for eternity with God. 

TODAY BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE SHALL BE STUDYING IN DETAILS,  BIBLE DOCTRINE 9: THE LORD’S SUPPER

God’s Word teaches:

That the Lord’s supper was instituted by Jesus Christ so that all believers (all members of the family of God) might partake thereof regularly, to “shew the Lord’s death until He come.”

 The emblems used are “unleavened bread” and the juice of “fruit of the vine.” 

Anyone who eats and drinks unworthily brings “damnation,” punishment and chastisement upon himself – Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:17-20;

1 Corinthians 11:23-30.

Matthew  26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Luke  22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:  22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

1 Corinthians  11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:  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.  11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.  11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

In setting the worship service in the tabernacle, Moses was enjoined to do according to the pattern revealed unto him by God (Exodus 25:9,20; 26:30; Numbers 8:4). 

Exodus  25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exodus  26:30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.

Numbers  8:4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

The Lord supper must be done as instituted by Christ.

This is a command we ought to obey as we consider the doctrine and practice of The Lord’s Supper.

The institution of the Lord’s Supper is clearly shown in the gospels (Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:1,7-20). 

Luke  22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:  22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Paul amplified the doctrine in 1 Corinthians 11:20-30.

 In the gospel according to Saint Luke, we see the links between the Feast of Passover or Unleavened Bread and the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:15-20).

Luke  22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:  22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.  22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:  22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

The Lord’s Supper in the New Testament is a type of the Feast of the Passover or Unleavened Bread in the Old Testament (Exodus 12:1-28,40-51).

Exodus  12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.  12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.  12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.  12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:  12:44 But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.  12:45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.  12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.  12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.  12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.  12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.  12:50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

 This implies that just as the vicarious death of the Lord Jesus Christ replaced the Sacrifice of the Aaronic or Levitical Priesthood for atonement of sin, so for us Christians the Lord’s Supper has replaced the Feast of the Passover, as an ordinance.

Some churches refer to the Lord’s Supper as the “SACRAMENT”: Latin-sacramentum, meaning Holy Ordinance (1 Corinthians 11:2)

1 Corinthians  11:2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

. The Theologians call it the “EUCHARIST” (Greek – GIVING OF THANKS); still others name it “THE LORD’S TABLE” or the “HOLY COMMUNION” (1 Corinthians 10:16). 

1 Corinthians  10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Those who participate in eating of the Lord’s Supper are called the “Communicants.” 

The universal name is the Lord’s Supper as used by our Lord.

In spite of the fact that the Lord’s Supper has replaced the Feast of the Passover, if we apply the LAW OF FIRST MENTION as a means of studying the doctrine at hand, vital lessons and inspiration can be drawn from critically looking at the pattern of the celebration of the Feast of Passover in Exodus 12:1- 51; Deuteronomy 16:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 30:1-27.

This can be accomplished if we ask ourselves and answer the following questions:

When and why was the Passover instituted?

 (ii) Who was qualified to partake in the ordinance?

 (iii) What were the tokens or emblems employed in the service?

 (iv) Who officiated in the service and how did they prepare for the ordinance i.e. place, provision, cost and personal sacrifices?

 (v) What was the spiritual impact and how often was it done? 

Parallel questions and answers apply to the Lord’s Supper. 

The PASSOVER (Hebrews ‘Pesah’) means, “to pass over” i.e. “to spare” (Exodus 12:13,27).

Exodus  12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

 The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt (Exodus 2:11). 

Exodus  2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

They cried unto the Lord for deliverance (Exodus 3:7-10). 

Exodus  3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;  3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.  3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Pharaoh did not set them free until God sent vicious plagues upon Egypt. 

The Passover ordinance was instituted the night when the destroyer killed all the firstborn in Egypt but “passed over” or spared the Jews because of the blood on the lintel and side posts of their doors (a type of Calvary’s cross). 

The Feast of unleavened Bread was co-joined with that of the Passover. 

The two then became known as “The Passover” (Deuteronomy 16:1-8). 

Deuteronomy  16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.  16:2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.  16:3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.  16:4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.  16:5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:  16:6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.  16:7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.  16:8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

Sanctified elders and the priests handled the emblems (the blood of pure lamb and unleavened bread).

 The lamb was to be roasted and not eaten raw. No bone of the lamb was broken (Exodus 12:46; John 1:29; 19:36).

Exodus  12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

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.

John  19:32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.  19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:  19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.  19:35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.  19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.  19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

 This typifies Christ.

 The defiled, uncircumcised strangers and Gentiles did not participate (Exodus 12:43-49).

Exodus  12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:  12:44 But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.  12:45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.  12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.  12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.  12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.  12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

However, a qualified person would be cut off from among the Israelites if he refused to eat the Passover (Numbers 9:13).

Numbers  9:13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

 The Jews who did not observe it in the first month because they were not levitically pure, a second chance of eating the Passover was offered in the second month, if they were clean (Deuteronomy 16:1-8; 2 Chronicles 30:1-27).

The preparations made in terms of personal and corporate cleansing, provision of the emblems and the place for the ordinance was elaborate and thorough. 

History tells us that in the New Testament, a candle light search was made to root out any trace of leaven (impurity) from the location of the Passover.

 The HALLEL, Psalm 113 to 118 was sung (Matthew 26:30) 

Matthew  26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

and the story of Exodus 12:1-14 recounted, bringing to remembrance the deliverance from Egypt. 

Exodus  12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,  12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.  12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:  12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.  12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.  12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.  12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.  12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.  12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.  12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.  12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Prayers were also offered. It was a holy convocation.

 For the Jews, the dates for the Passover now became the beginning of months.

 It is to be observed forever as a memorial. It brought joy and renewed strength to God’s people (2 Chronicles 30:25,26; 31:1-19).

However, by the deeds of the law no man shall be justified. 

By the time of Christ, the Passover activities had been commercialised (John 2:13-17).

John  2:13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,  2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:  2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;  2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.  2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper at the last Passover, for the New Testament believers, thus signifying the end of the latter (Luke 22:1-20).

Luke  22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.  22:8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.  22:9 And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?  22:10 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.  22:11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?  22:12 And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.  22:13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.  22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.  22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:  22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.  22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:  22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

 Our Lord Jesus Christ is our Paschal Lamb or Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7). 

1 Corinthians  5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

He has delivered us from all bondages, sin, sickness, and Satan.

In 1 Corinthians 11:27-32,

 no unbeliever, fornicator, polygamist, or drunkard could join in the breaking of bread. 

1 Corinthians  11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.  11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

The syncretic and the occultic did not have part in it. 

Some became unworthy because of fighting, keeping malice, divisive, and having unforgiving spirit. 

Any restitution should be settled before the hour of the ordinance (Matthew 5:23,24).

Matthew  5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;  5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

The Lord’s Supper is not the common love feast or marriage reception food (1 Corinthians 11:20-22). 

We DISCERN the Lord’s Body (1 Corinthians 11:29).

1 Corinthians  11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

 This implies we recognize that the emblems, “the fruit of the vine” and the “Unleavened Bread” REPRESENT or SYMBOLISE the Lord’s broken body and His blood that was shed respectively. 

They are not the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. 

This calls for holiness of life and solemnity on our part as we come to the Lord’s table. 

We take the emblems to SHEW FORTH the Lord’s death.

 We call to remembrance His love and passion on Calvary’s Cross. 

The Lord’s Supper is to be taken as practicable, doing it in remembrance of our Lord, till He comes (Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-13; 1 Corinthians 11:26). 

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.  11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

We look forward to the Rapture and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). 

Revelation  19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Adequate preparations should be made by the leadership of the church to secure the emblems and a location for the ordinance.

 More importantly we must keep our total being worthy of it.

In a Bible-believing church, grave consequences can befall those who eat it unworthily. 

Weakness, sickness or even death could ensue (1 Corinthians 11:30). 

1 Corinthians  11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

If you always feel disqualified it is not certain that you will be qualified for the Rapture and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-18). 

Adults, youth, and children who have current testimony of salvation and holy living can partake of it.

Beloved brethren, have you been partaking of the Lord”s table or avoiding it.

What disqualifies you from partaking in the Lord’s supper is potent enough to disqualify you from living eternally with God.

Are you biblically born again?

Are you biblically sanctified?

If you have not, why not now?

Because tomorrow might be too late.

Isaiah  55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

2 Corinthians  6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Jesus commanded you to believe and live by this doctrine to make you live eternally with God.

Revelation  2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

Revelation  3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Let us pray.