The Lord's Supper: Given for You - Matthew 26:26-30

And I hope you'll turn with me to Matthew chapter 26 Matthew chapter 26.

We're looking this morning at verses 26 through 30 and a passage that Thankfully, we're blessed to have immediate opportunity for application for that in just a few moments those of us who are

We're in Christ as we partake of the Lord's Supper shortly So again, we're starting in verse 26, we're gonna be looking at 26 through 30 this morning of chapter 26

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 and When he had taken a cup and given thanks he gave it to them and saying drink it from it all of you

For this is my blood of the Covenant Which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins

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 After singing a hymn they went out to the

Mount of Olives Father we thank you For your word we thank you that we are able in it to read the promises

You have made Throughout the pages of Scripture. We are able to see

The promises that you have kept Through your son

Jesus Christ We thank you that because of your word we are able to We are able to know you we were able to know how to follow you how to worship you rightly how to serve you and obey you that you as Peter proclaimed you have the words of life and in your grace and in your mercy you've given those to us through Holy Scriptures as a father as we

As we look at this passage this morning on the Lord's Supper Would you?

Would you guide us in all truth? Would you focus our hearts and our minds? Literally our eyes on your word our ears on your word and father, would you take your word and through the ministry of your

Holy Spirit, would you continue doing that work and Conforming us into the image of Christ Our Savior who was obedient unto death on a cross

We ask this in Jesus name Amen Last week.

We saw the disciples celebrating the Lord's Supper or the the Passover rather We saw the disciples gathering together

We considered how Jesus's atonement was foreshadowed in the Old Testament when we looked at those passages in Genesis and Exodus that Passover Really a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus of his sacrifice

We saw that in the provision of the ram that God provided in place of Isaac we saw this in the

Passover lamb that was slaughtered and the blood was painted on the doorpost the lentils of the doors of the homes of the

Israelites on The eve of God delivering them out of physical slavery

We saw Jesus's sovereignty in his provision for the place of the Passover that that Jesus Miraculously told his disciples go look for this person and that person will lead you to this room

This was not Jesus just being a really good Events planner and and sneaking out without the disciples knowing and going and arranging all of this

Jesus told them exactly who to look for that the man would be there at a certain time and he was

Because Jesus is the Son of God Jesus is the one who who caused the loaves and the fish to be multiplied

He's the one who gave sight to the blind who raises the dead to life But we also saw that not only did he ordain the the events of that particular

Passover But he also ordained the events that were to come in the following hours That it was not just by accident that that Jesus comes to the city of Jerusalem when he does

It's not just by accident that Jesus will Will be apprehended by the

Jewish religious leaders and and be put before first of all the Sanhedrin and then before Pilate and these sham trials

But it is God's sovereign plan that Jesus would be offered up as a sacrifice

At the Feast of Pentecost at the Feast of Passover as he hung on the cross on That Passover as the perfect Passover lamb, not not one action of of Jesus was unplanned

Not one word of Jesus was wasted. He perfectly fulfilled the will and the plan of his father

What is to come will be the fulfillment of those promises that were made in the Passover what we're going to see over the coming weeks

Lord willing in our Remaining study of the book of Matthew is that fulfillment of those promises that were made?

And so at the end of this final Passover meal Jesus Jesus Christ just institutes this new meal a new meal for a new covenant

Throughout our study of the book of Matthew we've seen Jesus as King That's the theme of the book of Matthew and that's what we adopted as the as the theme of this

Sermon series that we've been going through that Jesus Christ is King That's that that idea that Matthew and has underlying in his entire gospel

But we've also seen that Jesus is not only keen, but he also Sovereignly and graciously gives gifts to those who come to him in faith

He gives sight to the blind he gives hearing to the deaf So we just mentioned he gives life to the dead

But more importantly he gives forgiveness to the sinner to the one who comes to him to the woman at the well to anyone who comes to him in faith and has a recognition of their need for him as a

Savior for that Passover lamb and Previously in our study of Matthew when we looked at chapter 7 verse 11

Jesus says if you then speaking to fathers if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more? Is your father who is in heaven? Give what is good to those who ask him and because Jesus perfectly did the will of his father

Then it follows that these good gifts ultimately come through they flow through Jesus And so now as we as we enter the the final

Hours the end of Jesus's earthly ministry. We see Jesus give one other gift to his disciples

He gives the institution of the Lord's Supper again a new celebration of a new covenant

So today we're going to look at three things that Jesus gives particularly in this passage in Which he he gives he ordains he this this ordinance as we refer to it

The Lord's Supper and and we're also going to take a look at a couple of additional passages that that help us to think biblically about the

Lord's Supper We have to be careful that we don't take this ordinance too lightly nor Do we place an importance on it or rather we place a significance on it that is not in Scripture We have to be careful that we are being faithful to God's Word.

That's what it teaches us about the Lord's Supper So first of all, the first thing that we see that Jesus gives is he's giving his body to be broken

Jesus takes this bread that was a part of the Passover meal That the disciples are eating and first of all, we see that he blesses it

He takes some bread and after a blessing he broke it there's an indication here in Jesus blessing the element what we would consider what we refer to as the element that that there is a

There's a recognition that Jesus is sacrificed that what he's going to do is a provision from God When we when we say a blessing over our meals that we're acknowledging that this gift that we're eating comes from a

Father who loves us and who provides for us and so we see this with Jesus when he's giving this blessing over the bread

He's acknowledging for the disciples He's teaching us as his believers as his followers that this sacrifice is a gift from God And then he gives it to the disciples.

There's this sharing There's a participating together in this observance that's why the the the ordinance of the

Lord's Supper is an inherently Corporate act when we meet together

When we partake of the Lord's Supper it is in the context of this Local body this gathering of believers this family of believers

Jesus tells the disciples that the bread is a symbol of his body

Luke and his recording of the of the Last Supper and Paul Thinking back on Luke's words and his letter to the

Corinthians They both specified this is my body given for you This is not a it's not a phrase a clause that is in Matthew But when we read the

Gospels together, we see this this is my body given for you This is again, it is a gift that's given by by God through Jesus to his disciples

So so why is it that we have the elements of the bread and the cup we we we understand from Scripture the blood and we'll talk about that in just a minute that that the shedding of blood was a central part of the worship of Old Testament Israel But the bread and the cup after all

God could have ordained that that that the sacrifice of Jesus could could have happened quickly

He could have ordained and he could have willed that Jesus would be Be killed quickly and his blood could be shed with a minimal amount of suffering on Jesus's part

But instead in just a few short hours, we're gonna read that Jesus is beaten. He's he's scourged.

He's nailed to a cross These these sufferings that Jesus faces are are things that lead up to him dying on the cross

This was not just a mere shedding of blood Isaiah tells us that he was pierced through for our transgressions

He was crushed for our iniquities the chastening for our well -being fell upon him and by his stripes

By his scourgings we are healed Now this is a Reminder to us that there was a very real physical intense act of suffering that Jesus went through on our behalf

We can really We can really see his entire life when he takes on the form of a servant

He becomes obedient to the point of death on a cross that there's this entire life that Jesus has lived where he is known

Suffering he's known hunger and thirst He's known sorrow and sadness he's known living among people of sin and So this suffering is this breaking of Jesus's body?

It's it's culminating here in these last few hours of his earthly ministry

But but his whole life has been a life of suffering and again for what this is my body given for you

So when we see this we were reminded that there was a very real suffering that Jesus went through It was a prolonged suffering.

It was not something that was over quickly. It was not something where he took an easy way out in giving his life

This is also a counter to the heresy that existed in the early church. We don't hear about this a lot today

Although there are some minor groups who claim to be followers of Christ who adopted this heresy

But it is called Dosettism so it it's basically a heresy that that said and in some cases still says that Jesus when he came to earth, he was really a spiritual being he wasn't physical

So all the things that happened to him really didn't happen to a physical person. They happened to a spiritual being

This was Jesus not in the flesh, but really in spirit

The bread that Jesus breaks as a reminder to us and it's a declaration that he really truly genuinely took on flesh and that he really was scourged and beaten and Crushed for my sins and for your sins

This is an important and necessary part of when we come together and we celebrate the

Lord's Supper Of remembering the body of Jesus that was broken for us We also see the gift that Jesus gives of his blood it was to be shed

Again when Jesus takes this cup he gives thanks for it again. There's this idea of God's provision that permeates

This ordinance of the Lord's Supper a reminder that his sacrifice is a provision of God He instructs the disciples to drink of this cup that represents his blood

Matthew says here he identifies this as as the blood of the covenant

Again, when we read Luke's account of this Lord's Supper Luke adds this adjective.

He says that Jesus calls this a new covenant And of course, that's where we partially where we get this this this term when we say new covenant or New Testament It is from Jesus's words directly

We can look back to the life of Israel again If we look back to Exodus chapter 24 when when

God makes this covenant with the people of Israel what we refer to as the Mosaic Covenant and And the the bulls are sacrificed on the altar we read in Exodus chapter 24

At the making of this covenant this old covenant with the people of Israel Moses took

The blood and sprinkled it on the people and he said behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words

There was a sharing of this blood of the bulls that were sacrificed on the altar the people

Standing there witnessing this sacrifice had this blood sprinkled on them. They were literally wearing this blood of this covenant and So now it is fitting that Jesus calls his disciples to drink of his blood

They're drinking the evidence of the new covenant that he's making Later in the

Old Testament we would see Isaiah as he gives the words of God that the promise that God gives concerning his righteous servant

He says thus says the Lord Who created the heavens and stretched them out who spread out the earth and its offspring

Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it. I am the

Lord I have called you in righteousness I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people as a light to the nations to open blind eyes

To bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison

God through the words of Isaiah speaking directly and clearly that the suffering servant and we know to be

Jesus Christ would be a covenant to the people And the

Old Covenant God commanded that the the blood of bulls and goats be used in the worship of Israel but we also remember our study from from the book of Hebrews when we looked at Hebrews chapter 10 and the writer of Hebrews says

That the blood of bulls and goats is impossible to take away sins

But this was part of the Old Testament worship, but these animals were incapable of taking away the sins of the people

So in this new and better covenant that Jesus is instituting here. It's not the blood of animals

That is being used but it is the blood of Jesus the Son of God that is offered once for all

We see really this the sacrifice that Jesus is making being a fulfillment

It's it's being the the fulfillment of these foreshadows and these types that were given in the

Old Testament we see what is promised in the

Old Testament and the giving of the Mosaic Covenant and In the prophets, it's it's given

It's delivered what was promised and the Mosaic Covenant covenant is given in the new covenant

Jesus's blood is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins this is a a clear contradiction to those false teachers who deny substitute substitutionary atonement

Does this this notion that Jesus really didn't die for your sins? He died to show his love for you.

Well, okay Jesus did die to show his love for us. Absolutely 100 % but Jesus died to take away

The wrath of God that was rightly ours because we were of a rebellious against God because we had a disobeyed

God's laws because we are in need of a Savior Yes, indeed

Jesus died he shed his blood so that sinners might be forgiven and This is the promise that God had made centuries before in Every animal that was all offered on the altar every drop of blood that was shed at the temple at the tabernacle

At the other altars that were built prior to the tabernacle These were all done

Pointing forward to the day that Jesus would come and he would give his life as a ransom for many

And so we see this blood that would be shed Third we see that Jesus also gives the promise of a feast that is to come and Saying this fruit of the vine here.

He says in verse 29 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 and Using this word this Jesus is connecting what the disciples are doing here to this feast

That he will celebrate with them in the future And this points forward to that this event that we see in the book of Revelation Sometimes we refer to this as the marriage supper of the

Lamb or the wedding supper of the Lamb This this ceremony this this feast that will take place in heaven

As God brings us brings the people of God into the kingdom and We are united with our

Savior for all eternity in the absence of sin and in perfect communion and fellowship with him

See in chapter 19 verses 7 through 9 of Revelation John relates this vision that he saw

Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to him for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride

Has made herself ready It was given to her to clothe herself in the linen bright and clean

For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the Saints And he says to me right

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb And he says to me these are the true words of God So as we observe the

Lord's Supper, we also look not only back to what Jesus has done for us on the cross

But we look ahead to that day when we will be in perfect fellowship with him Well, we will be an unending fellowship with our

Savior Apart from time apart from sin We see this feast that is to come

So so we've considered these elements in the Lord's Supper the things that Jesus Gives to us and their significance

We've also seen that the Lord's Supper points forward to this unbroken communion that we will have with our

Savior That we will have with God in heaven we're also aware that the

Lord's Supper this ordinance is one that Unfortunately has been misunderstood and it has been misapplied throughout church history sometimes with a very grievous effect in some in Some groups and some movements that that consider themselves to be followers of Christ so so it's important when we come to a passage like this to think about what the

Lord's Supper is and and What the elements are and what they are not? If we're thinking biblically we're thinking rightly about the

Lord's Supper So first of all that the elements there throughout church history

There have been these different views on the elements and some of us may have May have varying levels of awareness of what these views are

But I think it's important that we talk doctrinally about The Lord's Supper and when we look at this bread and when we look at the cup, what do we what do we think about those?

What what are they? What are those substances The Roman Catholic and and Eastern Orthodox Church has developed similar views they have different terms for them, but but it

Essentially follows what the Catholic Roman Catholic Church calls transubstantiation which is this this view that when the when the elements when the bread and the wine are

Consecrated or blessed by the priests that they really and truly turn into the body and the blood of Jesus Again transubstantiation is the term they use the

Eastern Orthodox Church uses a different term But essentially the views are the same that when the priest bless blesses the elements they turn into the body and the blood of Jesus the

Lutheran view that came later during the during the During the

Reformation the Protestant Reformation the Lutherans developed a view that that is now called consubstantiation and And and they said well, it doesn't turn into the body and blood of Jesus But it's like the body and blood of Jesus are above it and under it and around it

And so when you partake of the elements you're simultaneously Taking of the bread and of the body or of the wine and of the blood

So there's this This position that comes close to it, but they say well, we're not

I mean, we're not part of Rome anymore So we can't say that we agree with that particular doctrine

Erlich Zwingli a a leader of the Reformation and Switzerland looked at these passages that we've talked about the the

Gospels and and Paul's words and First Corinthians and when Jesus when

Jesus says these words do this in remembrance of me and And and other passages which we'll look at in just a minute

He concluded that the Lord's Supper was was to be a memorial of Christ's death. These Elements were symbolic of the bread

Of the body of Jesus and the cup was a symbol of the of the blood that was shed

And then finally we have a view called sometimes the the spiritual presence or the mystical real presence view this was developed by Calvin in response really to the

Lutheran view and the Zwingli and or the memorialist view and Calvin developed really this view as a as a middle ground between these two there there is

Basically a period of time where where Calvin is is trying to hold together this coalition in and around the city of Geneva And there are these two groups that are at odds with one another and this was a well

This was a middle view that in many ways was a compromise of the two And in this view, there's the the idea that in some way that Well, the elements don't transform.

They're not changed into the body and blood that there's a special significance to the celebration of the

Lord's Supper so so how are we to think about the elements and And the observation that the observance of the

Lord's Supper the purpose of it I think there's a few passages that really help us to think rightly about that and and passages that are given to us not directly at the time of the giving of the

Lord's Supper But but definitely ones that that Jesus speaks to in relation to his body and to the blood

One of those is in John chapter 6 verses 47 358 John says truly truly

I say to you He who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life

Your father's ate the manna in the wilderness and they died This is the bread which comes down out of heaven so that one may eat of it and not die.

I Am the living bread that came down out of heaven if anyone eats of this bread He will live forever and the bread also which

I will give for the life is the world of the world is my flesh Then the

Jews began to argue with one another saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus said to them truly truly

I say to you Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in yourselves

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day

For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him

As the Living Father sent me and I live because of the Father So he who eats me he also will live because of me

This is the bread which came down out of heaven not as the father's ate and died He who eats this bread will live forever

So first of all, Jesus is saying here not that you're going to eat something that turns into my body

But he's saying literally he's saying actually that you must eat of my bread of my body

You must drink of my blood But he's also giving this analogy.

He's tying as the Giving of his of his body as the bread back to the giving of the manna and the wilderness

The manna, of course was evidence of God's very real provision for the Israelites We think back to that to that account that event that time period when the

Israelites were wandering in the wilderness and God would give them What they needed for each day

No more no less Except the day before the Sabbath. He would give them twice as much so they would not have to gather on the

Sabbath The point of this was to to show the Israelites of their continual daily need for him

Jesus is saying here that to to eat his flesh and drink of his blood is Really, whatever happens what happens in the heart of a sinner whenever they come to Jesus for faith in faith for salvation that as as I come to Jesus Christ in faith, and I recognize my sins and my need for him and I find forgiveness

That I am eating of his body and I am drinking of his blood It's the reason that that Jesus uses this analogy and says look the people

People who who eat of my flesh and drink of my blood are not going to be like the Israelites who ate physical bread

That's the whole point. He's making that's not what is going to convey salvation But it is who comes to me in faith

So Jesus is clearly saying here that it's not that the elements become the body and blood of Jesus Nor is it like the

Lutherans who say that the body and the blood kind of go over it and under it and around it But to eat

Jesus as the bread of life and to drink his blood means that we have claimed his faith and faith his sacrifice

For our benefit that Jesus dying in our place that substitutionary atonement

Means that Jesus's body was broken for our spiritual nourishment It's nourishment that we we have that we we we need

It's not like this this physical nourishment that we have that we're going to eat today at lunch

And then a few hours later, we're going to be hungry and ready to eat again this

Body and this blood that was shed for us poured out for our spiritual nourishment

Another passage that's helpful for us to understand the biblical meaning and significance of the

Lord's Supper is found in 1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16 Paul's talking to this church at Corinth that had some had some issues

Always kind of chuckle a little bit whenever I see a church that's named Corinth Baptist Church or Corinth Church I get what they're saying, but but Corinth wasn't a church you wanted to be like, okay

It wasn't going to be like the pastor was going to go around and do all the on the on the speaking lecture circuit, right?

Corinth had some issues and one of them was a lack of unity a

Self -serving and self -seeking attitude that permeated the membership many of the people in the church

Paul is writing to them about Specifically their actions during the

Lord's Supper and Paul says is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ It's not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ Since there is one bread we who are many are one body for we all partake of the one bread

So in the context of this passage if you read the preceding chapters and the chapters that follow after that Paul is is referring here.

He's talking about this this fellowship that's sharing About the unity that should exist in the body of believers

This unity that is or should be on full display in the Lord's Supper He's not speaking here really about a

Unusual Sharing or a unique sharing that happens during the Lord's Supper That could be but this is not what he's talking about here

He's talking primarily about the fellowship that should be present among believers as they are partaking of the

Lord's Supper together This word rendered sharing here is is the

Greek word koinonia, which means fellowship Sometimes it's translated as communion So again, this is inherently corporate this idea this concept that is happening here

And again the problem for the church at Corinth if you read the preceding chapters and the following the chapters that come after this

The problem with the church at Corinth is that they were not observing the Lord's Supper in this spirit in this attitude they were

They were basically just eating for themselves There were factions the language that Paul uses almost makes it like there was a group over here that was celebrating the

Lord's Supper And there's a group over here and there's another group that leaves and goes somewhere else. That's not what he's saying but this this language he's using makes it very clear that the there's no unity among these believers and It's for it's for this reason

That Paul is saying he and he'll say later on a few few verses down that that some of the

Believers at the church of Corinth have have gotten sick. Some of them have died It's because of this this grave injury that they are doing and in observance to the

Lord's Supper An observance that should be filled with unity Should be filled with worship instead.

It's it's it's filled with selfishness just as the

Israelites partook together of the manna and the wilderness and each home Like they could go out of their tent and they could see everyone around them going and gathering the manna

They could go to bed that night Physically satisfied knowing that they all had been sustained

Provided for by God himself This is the attitude Paul saying that we should be we should experience when we celebrate the

Lord's Supper together That we should we should be able to look around and see our brothers and sisters in Christ and see that as we partake

We're remembering that grace that God shed and showed to us that we're able to worship together and rejoice together

We can remind first of all, I can remind myself as I taste of the the bread and the cup

But also as we see one another taking of these elements, but that also that those who are not believers would see that They would see our fellowship.

They would see our love for one another They would see this grace that God has extended to each of us and that the gospel in that would be proclaimed

So this is this is not an act that conveys Salvation as we partake of the

Lord's Supper This is not a case of the salvation tank running low

And so we got to come over here and get a little more before it goes on empty That's not what we're doing

This ordinance of communion of the Lord's Supper has has many times and in some groups has been referred to as a sacrament and And a term that conveys with it that there is some some salvific grace that comes as a part of partaking as a doctrine that's been used by groups, like the

Catholic Church throughout history to to keep members in line that if you If you disobey the teachings of the

Pope, then you're not able to take communion And if you're not able to say communion, then you're not you're not saved.

You're in danger of damnation And so it's for this reason that traditionally we as Baptists have referred to the

Lord's Supper along with baptism as ordinances not not sacraments this was a

Terminology or a term that was was first used by Benjamin Keech at least the first reference that I know of to it

Of referring to this as an ordinance But again, this is in contrast to a sacrament that that implies at least if not directly certainly indirectly

That there is some special grace or salvific power that accompanies the partaking of the elements

Instead as we as we read scripture, it's clear that the Lord's Supper. First of all is a physical act

It's a physical act using these symbols that that that reminds a believer of the grace that has already been shown

First of all already been shown in the sacrifice of Jesus as he died on the cross the grace that continues to be shown to those who follow him in faith and the grace that will be shown in the fullness when we

Eat of the marriage supper of the Lamb with our Savior in the kingdom of God It's a memorial of Christ's death when he came to earth and suffered and died as we saw in 1st

Corinthians It's a reminder of what Jesus did when we first came to faith in him

When we first partook of his flesh and his blood as John records in John chapter 6

It's a reminder of the grace that God continues to show us day after day Again going back to John 6 that the the reliance of the

Israelites The reliance on God for their literal daily bread It's the sign of the reliance of the believer that we must have on God for our spiritual daily bread

That we receive grace upon grace Beloved we don't receive

The grace that is represented in the Lord's Supper just once a month

We We don't we don't need the grace that is represented in the

Lord's Supper just once a month We don't need it. Even every Lord's Day. We need the grace that this meal represents every day

Every evening when I lay down to sleep. I need this grace that this meal represents to me

This table is a reminder of the grace that has been shown The grace that is being shown even this very minute and the grace that will be shown

When our faith is made sight when our fellowship with God will be perfect.

It'll be eternal It will be unbroken by time and unmarred and unspoiled by sin

So ultimately we cannot relegate The Lord's Supper to a simple object lesson that is devoid of any spiritual significance

It's not a it's not a flannel graph for believers But at the same time we can't go where Scripture clearly does not go and Assign some weight or identity to the elements that just aren't in God's Word We have to be faithful to Scripture We must conclude according to God's Word that the observance of the

Lord's Supper is a reminder of this grace that is evident in the believer because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross as we remember his grace in our salvation as we rejoice in his ongoing grace as he continues to sanctify us and sustain us as an adopted

Drafted in Child of God And as we look forward with expectation and with longing to that perfect communion feast that is to come

So in just a moment We were going to have an opportunity to celebrate the

Lord's Supper And the natural response to this this passage should should be one of worship and Thanksgiving We're told that the disciples sang a hymn before they went to the

Mount of Olives after they after they shared this Lord's Supper together This is a place that is in the on the

Mount of Olives the Garden of Gethsemane is at the base of the Mount of Olives and it it Faces the city of Jerusalem.

It's across the Kidron Valley from from that eastern gate And as they went as they left the room and as they were going they still probably had these words in their minds

We read Psalms 116 this morning, which is one of the Psalms that traditionally was sung after the

Passover meal Psalms 113 through 118 Are sometimes referred to as the

Hallel a group of Psalms that are our praise to God It's on 114 tells of the

Israelites deliverance from Egypt We've been talking about that a few times that last week in this week

Psalm 115 talks about the importance of Worshiping the one true God the impotence of idols and the inability of idols to save Psalm 116 that we read earlier speaks of the gracious love of God Psalm 118

Speaks of the salvation of God it declares in Psalm 118 the stone which the builders rejected has become

The cornerstone this is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes a verse that would be

Spoken of later in the New Testament and applied directly to Jesus Christ The celebration should cause us to give thanks to God for his goodness for his love and his mercy

For the grace that he has shown that he continues to show and that we know that he will continue to show according to his word

But it's not all show should be an opportunity to consider your identity with and in Christ First of all, whenever we observe the

Lord's Supper Paul reminds us that we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes As a believer faces persecution and affliction

Paul reminds us that we carry with us Every day around with us this death of Christ As he reminds the

Church of Corinth in his second letter to them This brings to mind the words that we looked at just a few weeks ago of the woman worshiping

Jesus pouring this costly oil on him and Jesus says this woman is preparing me for my burial for my death and wherever the gospel goes this story is going to go with It the atoning act of Jesus's death is inseparable from the proclamation of the gospel

Do you identify with Jesus's death today? Do I identify with Jesus's death?

Or is Jesus someone who simply makes your life better? Life's life's just better with Jesus. Well that that's that's true.

But also He must be the surfer suffering servant who says if anyone wishes to come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow after me if you've allowed the

Pursuits and the cares of this world to drown out this call to obedient faith in God obedient denial of self there's an opportunity for Us to confess and repent before we who are as believe who are believers partake of the

Lord's Supper an Opportunity for us to partake with rejoicing and thanksgiving for what

God has done for us and with a thankful hope and Expectation for what he will do when he makes an end of sin once and for all father.

We we are so awed and Humbled when we when we read of the words of the

Old Testament of your giving of the law and the prophets and recognizing that We are able to see in in in clear view the words

You have spoken to us that every promise of God is yes in Jesus Christ That we are able not only to read of how our

Savior Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises that you have made but we were also able to experience the ministry of the

Holy Spirit as We open your word and we read it and we are taught and fed by you

Father we thank you for the reminder This morning that if we are in Christ that we are continually and constantly fed by you we as we come to your word and as we read it and As we fellowship and we worship together and even as you continue to work all things together for our good

We are fed and we are nourished in ways that we are not even aware of as your children

And so father we thank you that we are able to come this morning to the

Lord's table that we are able to partake of These elements of the of the bread and the cup and we're able to remember

What you did for us through Jesus Christ on the cross what you continue to do for us as we come to the throne of grace with boldness and confidence and Father what you will do for us

When you make a final end of all sin Father as we observe the

Lord's Supper now, would you would you prepare our hearts? That we would have a fresh awareness and a thankfulness of this great love which you have poured out on us

Father with that would we live lives of thankfulness? Thanksgiving to you we ask of this in Jesus name.