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

Hill City Reformed Baptist Church

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:01

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

00:27

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

00:51

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

01:05

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.

01:13

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

01:21

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

01:28

But I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on Until that day when

01:36

I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom After singing a hymn they went out to the

01:43

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

01:54

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

01:59

The promises that you have kept Through your son

02:05

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

02:39

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

02:46

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

03:02

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

03:15

We ask this in Jesus name Amen Last week.

03:22

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

03:29

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

03:48

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

03:55

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

04:03

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

04:10

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

04:22

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

04:31

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

04:37

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

04:45

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

04:57

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

05:08

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

05:14

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

05:21

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

05:28

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

05:43

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

05:52

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

06:00

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

06:08

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

06:20

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

06:29

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

06:39

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

06:49

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

06:57

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

07:12

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

07:21

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

07:28

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

07:39

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

07:49

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

07:57

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

08:06

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

08:19

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

08:26

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.

08:40

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

08:53

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

09:02

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

09:13

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

09:27

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

09:34

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.

09:48

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

09:56

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

10:02

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

10:13

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

10:20

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

10:30

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

10:41

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

10:55

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

11:17

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

11:22

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

11:31

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

11:38

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

11:47

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

11:56

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

12:04

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

12:17

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

12:23

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

12:30

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?

12:45

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

12:50

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

12:59

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

13:09

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

13:18

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

13:24

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

13:30

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

13:42

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

13:49

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

13:55

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

14:11

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

14:17

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

14:30

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

14:39

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

14:53

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

15:00

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

15:07

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

15:25

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

15:31

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

15:44

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

15:50

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

15:59

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

16:06

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

16:21

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

16:27

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

16:39

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

16:45

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

16:50

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

17:03

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

17:11

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

17:17

Jesus Christ would be a covenant to the people And the

17:24

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

17:37

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

17:43

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

17:51

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

17:57

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

18:03

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

18:09

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

18:14

Old Testament we see what is promised in the

18:20

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

18:27

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

18:32

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

18:46

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

18:53

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

19:02

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

19:09

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

19:16

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

19:36

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

19:41

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

19:49

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.

20:09

He says in verse 29 I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when

20:15

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

20:25

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

20:35

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

20:44

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

20:55

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

21:03

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

21:10

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

21:16

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

21:23

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

21:30

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

21:42

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

21:47

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

21:55

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

22:04

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

22:14

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

22:21

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

22:28

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

22:51

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

23:00

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

23:05

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

23:13

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?

23:22

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

23:35

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

23:47

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

23:58

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

24:13

Lutheran view that came later during the during the During the

24:18

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

24:35

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

24:45

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

24:50

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

24:58

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

25:08

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

25:14

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

25:20

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

25:29

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

25:38

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

25:49

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

26:03

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

26:14

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.

26:26

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

26:32

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

26:41

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

26:55

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

27:02

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

27:09

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

27:15

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.

27:25

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

27:32

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

27:38

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

27:46

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

27:52

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

28:00

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

28:09

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

28:17

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

28:27

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

28:33

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

28:38

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

28:44

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

28:53

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

29:04

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

29:09

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

29:17

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

29:28

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

29:51

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

30:02

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

30:08

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

30:18

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

30:29

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

30:36

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

30:42

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

30:51

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

31:00

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

31:05

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

31:16

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

31:24

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

31:30

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

31:39

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

31:49

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?

31:57

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

32:04

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

32:11

Paul is writing to them about Specifically their actions during the

32:16

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

32:35

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.

32:47

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

32:55

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

33:07

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

33:17

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

33:24

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

33:29

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

33:42

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

33:48

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

33:56

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

34:04

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

34:21

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

34:28

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

34:39

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

34:47

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

34:53

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

35:04

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

35:11

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

35:19

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

35:29

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

35:37

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

35:47

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.

35:58

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

36:08

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

36:15

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

36:20

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

36:27

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

36:49

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

36:56

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.

37:02

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

37:10

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

37:19

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

37:26

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

37:38

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

37:47

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

37:53

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

38:00

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

38:18

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

38:31

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

38:38

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

38:45

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

38:53

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

39:06

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

39:14

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

39:20

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

39:25

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

39:37

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

39:46

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

39:56

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

40:03

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

40:09

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

40:19

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

40:43

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

41:05

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

41:16

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

41:23

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

41:36

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

41:43

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

41:50

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

42:04

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

42:11

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

42:17

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

42:26

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

42:31

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

42:48

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

42:55

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

43:05

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

43:19

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

43:25

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

43:38

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

43:49

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

43:58

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

44:06

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

44:26

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

44:35

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.

44:42

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

44:58

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

45:17

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

45:23

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.

45:35

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

45:48

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

46:10

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

46:20

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

46:27

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

46:36

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

46:58

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

47:03

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

47:10

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

47:18

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

47:31

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

47:40

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

47:53

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