Sermon Idea: The Lord’s Supper is a means of grace through which God builds up and nourishes the church with his promised presence.
Introduction: In a recent and delightful book by Baptist historian Michael Haykin, I learned of a communion hymn written by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is called “Jesus’s Presence Delightful,” and it beautifully communicates what I hope to show us this morning.
Amidst us our Beloved stands,
And bids us view His pierced hands;
Points to His wounded feet and side.
Blest emblems of the crucified
What food luxurious loads the board,
When at His table sits the Lord!
The wine how rich, the bread how sweet,
When Jesus deigns the guest to meet!
If now with eyes defiled and dim,
We see the signs, but see not Him,
O may his love the scales displace,
And bid us to see Him face to face
Those beautiful words express a particular understanding of the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace through which the Lord Jesus ministers to his people with his presence. You can hear in the title, “Jesus’s Presence Delightful” and in the lyrics “amidst us our beloved stands,” “bid us view,” “Points to his wounded feet,” “deigns the guest to meet” an unapologetic belief that the person who is primary in the Supper is Christ Jesus. It is his table, his Supper, he provides the bread and wine, and he defines their significance.
It is in this spirit that I offer this sermon this morning, so that we will joyfully embrace the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace through which God builds up and nourishes the church with his promised presence.
In order to do that, I first want to explain briefly the origin and meaning of the Lord’s Supper. The bulk of our time, however, will given to thinking about how the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace. If all I say this morning is old news to you; I trust that as lovers of Christ, you’ll appreciate reflecting on such rich truths again.
For the rest of you, I pray that this morning is a real encouragement that allows you to view the Lord’s Supper as more than just a celebration that the church observes. I hope that you’ll leave here with a deeper love for God in Christ because you have a deeper understanding of the benefits of the Lord’s Supper in and for the church.
So let’s refresh our memories as to the origin and meaning of the Lord’s Supper.
The Origin of the Lord’s Supper
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mk 14:22–25)
The origin of the Lord’s Supper is the transformation of the Passover meal by Jesus. As Jesus partakes of his last Passover meal with his disciples, he gives the meal new meaning in light of his impending death, burial, and resurrection. Passover was and still is for many the annual celebration for God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. God judged the firstborn sons of Egypt, but graciously provided a substitute for Israel. They slaughtered a lamb without blemish and marked their homes with the blood of that lamb. So when the judgment of God came, it passed over all the homes covered by the blood of the lamb.
Jesus’ choice to institute the Lord’s Supper at the time of Passover places his sacrificial death in the place of sinners at the center of observing the meal. So as believers in Christ partake of the bread and wine they are remembering the sacrifice of Christ in their place and the satisfied wrath of God that passes them over because of the blood of spotless lamb, Jesus Christ.
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the church was faithful to observe this Lord’s Supper as primary part of worship.
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Ac 2:42)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Co 11:23–26)
Paul makes it clear that the church is to observe the Supper in obedience to Christ and the church’s participation has rich meaning. So before we talk specifically about how the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace, let me first review what our participation means.
- We remember- When Jesus institutes the Supper he says plainly, “do this in remembrance of me.” So when the church gathers to observe the Supper, we remember Christ’s death in our place and his shed blood for our sins. It is a gift that God would provide a regular practice for us to remember in a tangible way, using multiple senses the truth that not only saves us but sustains us.
- We fellowship- As the church observes the Supper, the many members of the body of Christ are united in fellowship with one another because they take from one bread and one cup.
17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Co 10:17)
The regular observance of the Supper is a visible act of worship that rejects rugged individualism. It confesses belonging to Christ and to his people. It is how the many individual members recommit to being one body in Christ as demonstrated by sharing one bread and one cup.
- We proclaim- The Lord’s Supper, like baptism, is a visible word. As we participate in the breaking of bread we proclaim the death of Christ and as we take the cup we proclaim the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor. 11:26)
As food for thought, no pun intended, we should consider if our practice of observing the Supper appropriately symbolizes fellowship and proclamation. Do we take from one bread visibly expressing our unity in Christ? Is it visibly broken before the congregation to proclaim the crucifixion of Christ before our eyes again and again? You may be tempted to think these things don’t matter, but we lose something important when we lose the symbolism the New Testament says has theological significance for us as a church.
- We anticipate- As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we look back in remembrance and forward in hope. Listen again to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians, “26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor. 11:26)
The Supper further instills hope in the church, as we are directed to look forward to Christ’s return.
It also serves as a dress rehearsal for our future dining with the Lord at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Re 19:7–9)
- We give thanks- Before breaking the bread and passing the cup, the Gospel writers tell us that Jesus gave thanks. As we partake in the Supper we are to prayerfully thank God for his gracious provision for us in the gospel and in the ordinance given to us as a means of grace. For this reason, the Lord’s Supper can be called the Eucharist which is simply a transliteration of the greek term for thanksgiving. Partaking in the bread and the cup should protect the church from ungratefulness and cynicism.
Remembrance of Christ and the forgiveness of sins, fellowship and unity in the body of Christ, proclamation of Christ’s death, anticipation of Christ’s return, and thanksgiving for all the blessings God gracious provision in Christ. This is the rich meaning of the Lord’s Supper from the perspective of our observance of it.
Thinking about the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace means that must go beyond its meaning as we participate, but consider what God is doing while we observe the Supper in faith.
I.) The Lord’s Supper is a meal of covenant blessing and renewal
The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal, so that every time we partake in it God reassures us of the promises of the new covenant and we renew our covenant commitment to God in response to his grace. The association between the Lord’s Supper and the new covenant is strong in the Gospels.
“Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:27–28)
24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Mk 14:24)
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood (Lk 22:20)
If you’ve studied Exodus you’ll know that the old covenant was ratified by the shedding of blood followed by a covenant meal. All of these passages in the Gospels echo Exodus 24:1-11 where God instructs Moses sprinkle the blood of sacrifice on the alter and on the people of Israel. After this they ate and a drank in the presence of God.
7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” 8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. (Ex 24:7–11)
Just as both blood and a covenant meal ratify the Old Covenant, so the new covenant is ratified by the blood of Christ and the meal of Christ, the Lord’s Supper.
This means that every time we partake in the Supper, God assures us again of his promises in the new covenant. To take the bread and the cup in faith is to hear again that we’re in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we know the Lord.
It is also a means of grace, though, because as a covenant meal, it provides the opportunity to renew our covenant commitment to the Lord. Every time we partake of the bread and the cup in faith, we reaffirm our allegiance to Christ. It allows us the opportunity to put off sin and renew our commitment to Christ, not empowered by self-discipline, effort, or works but powered by the grace of God promised to us in the Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal and an act of covenant renewal, so it is a means of grace.
II.) The Lord’s Supper is communion with the presence of Christ
We said earlier that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death of Christ, but it is more than a memorial. It is a means of grace through which we have communion with the presence of Christ in the Holy Spirit.
Throughout church history, the question of how Christ is present in the Lord’s supper has been very divisive. The Roman Catholic Church believes that the bread and wine turns literally into the flesh and blood of Jesus.
Lutherans say that bread and wine remain bread and wine but that the body of Jesus is still mysteriously present in them.
Others say that the Supper is strictly a memorial.
A more biblical and richer view than these three is that Christ is spiritually present, and all the benefits he accomplished for us are present in the Supper. This means that when believers take the bread and cup in faith, we share in a real communion with Christ, who is spiritually present. The bread and wine remain bread and wine, but by faith and through the work of the Spirit, we have communion with the body and blood of Christ.
Where might we go for biblical support of this position? Look with 1 Cor. 10:16-17
16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 1 Co 10:16–17
The key word is “participation.” This is the Greek word Koinonia. Consider the way it is translated in other English versions: ‘sharing’ (NASB, CSB) and ‘communion’ (KJV, NKJV). To help us better understand what Koinonia may mean, we can consider an earlier use of the word in 1 Corinthians.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship (Koinonia) of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Co 1:9)
So in the Lord’s Supper we have present (!) fellowship or communion in Christ’s blood and body.
“If Paul is taking about a present communion with ‘the blood’ and ‘the body of Christ’ and if Christ is no longer dying or dead, then the communion he is referring to is communion with the living, exalted Christ now. This is present communion with the living and exalted Lord of glory. The communion must be with the present benefits procured by his broken body and shed blood, for his body is no longer broken and his blood has finished its shedding.” – Richard Barcellos
To observe the Lord’s Supper is to eat Christ’s provided meal at Christ’s provided table in his promised presence.
III.) The Lord’s Supper is spiritual nourishment from the Spirit of Christ
Since the Lord’s Supper is meal that signifies the body and blood of Christ, since it is remembering and proclaiming the gospel, since it is to hear new covenant promises and an act of covenant renewal, since it is communion with the promised presence of Christ—it is spiritual nourishment from the Spirit of Christ. Just as bread and wine offer physical sustenance to the body, so the Supper taken in faith is spiritual nourishment by the work of the Spirit.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (Eph 1:3)
The phrase “spiritual blessings” refers to the blessings bestowed by the Holy Spirit. They are spiritual blessings in that they are the blessings applied by the Spirit. The blessings signified in the Lord’s Supper are certainly blessings in the heavenly places.
When we take the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Spirit indwells us, nourishes, strengthens and sustains us.
How might this change your perspective on observing the Lord’s Supper? Does it change your view of how frequently it should be celebrated? Does it cause you to prioritize being present when the Lord’s Supper is celebrated?
“Often, many Christians treat the Lord’s Supper as only an occasional occurrence when we think about the death of Jesus, but it is so much more. A visible sermon is heralded, and the Holy Spirit ministers the spiritual presence of Christ to the faithful participant. Oh what a joy, believer! Our souls are fed and our faith is nourished as we partake of this meal. What a feast, and what a Savior who does everything necessary to grant you a seat at the table. Christian, this is more than just a time to think about the cross; it is a very real feast with Jesus—a feast where your very faith is enriched, strengthened, and increased.” – J. Ryan Davidson
Nathaniel R. Martin 