Its Meaning in the Present, Past, and Future
1 Corinthians 10:14-22 & 11:23-29
The Present Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
A. Eucharistia = thankfulness, gratitude, thanksgiving
- The Bible says that when Jesus “had given thanks and broke it, and give it to His disciples.
- The Christian’s thanksgiving service for God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.
B. Koinonia = communion, fellowship, close relationship
- 1 Corinthians 1:9
- 1 Corinthians 10:16 koinonia + genitive = “participation”
- The Church is the common body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:17
The Past Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
A. Covenant
In the Ancient Near East, covenants regulated the relationship between a great king and one of his subject peoples. The great king claimed absolute authority and lordship, demanded total loyalty and service, and promised to protect the subject peoples from invaders on the condition that the servants be faithful and loyal and pay tribute to the king. The subject peoples pledged absolute loyalty and service to the king. The participants in a covenant relationship called each other “lord” and “servant,” or “father” and “son.”
The Book of Hebrews describes the 2 covenants that God made with humanity: the covenant of works and the covenant of grace (or as the writer of Hebrews puts it, a “better and far superior covenant”).
In the first covenant, God promised to save and bless humanity on the condition that they obey God completely; in that covenant of works God outlined sins and what humanity must do to be forgiven their sins; the names between these two parties were “God” and “servant.” Because the first covenant was a covenant of works that was measured by God’s perfect standard, humanity could never keep their part of the agreement. So God entered into a new covenant with humanity, the covenant of grace (Hebrews 8:7-13 and Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The covenant of grace, as outlined in the New Testament, details God’s promise to forgive repentant humanity and will be their God on the condition that people accept and believe in Jesus as God’s Son and their Lord. Jesus becomes the absolute Lord, and humanity accepts Jesus’ authority and help. The covenant of grace is sealed by the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. The relationship that is established between God and humanity is that of “Father” and “child.”
B. Remembrance and Examination of ourselves.
- 1 Corinthians 11:28-29–“A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.”
- Remember, we were once spiritually dead because of our sins, and
- Remember God’s mercy and love for us that He gave His Son to pay for our sins.
The Future Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
A. The Kingdom of God, portrayed by Jesus as a great banquet, Matthew 22:1-14
- The eternal kingship and power of God, 1 Corinthians 4:20.
- The presence of the kingdom is in Jesus, the King.
- The glorified kingdom, with its king and bride.
B. The Coming of Christ, Luke 22:18