Monday, July 20, 2015

1 Corinthians 11:23–26

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Commentary 
Vs. 23-24 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

The Apostle Paul having refuted the Corinthians irreverence and inappropriate behavior during the Lord's Supper now declares to them how he himself received from the Lord the institution of the Lord's Supper and the significance of it for us all who believe. And so it is that on the night Jesus was to be betrayed that He took bread and broke it, and when He had given thanks for the bread He said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Above all else then our keeping the Lord's Supper or taking Communion is so that we who believe in Him remember what He has done to redeem us all from sin and death. Thus it is not an ordinance by which one seeks God's favor or salvation by keeping it. It is an ordinance given so that we who believe (and thus are already saved) will always remember Christ's Crucifixion death for us all, and thus the high cost of our redemption. It is then sacred, it is holy, it is our remembering the Lord Jesus Christ above all else as the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). Thus Christ gave us the the Lord's Supper to remember, proclaim, and honor His Person and Crucifixion by, not Lent and Advent. 

Vs. 25-26 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

After Jesus broke the bread to symbolize His body broken for our sins and transgressions, He then distributed the bread amongst the disciples, telling them eat the bread. Now by doing so they were acknowledging to God that this was so. That they, and now we when we do so, have likewise a need, and have received the Lord Jesus Christ's substitutionary Crucifixion death on our behalf. Thus when we partake of the Lord's Supper (or Communion) we are proclaiming Jesus Christ's broken body and shed blood is the only means of being redeemed, and that we have personally received Him, and thus His salvation for ourselves. Now the cup's importance is that it signifies Christ's blood. And it is the Lord Jesus Christ's blood which not only provides us cleansing from all our sins (Rev. 1:5), it is the means by which God has ushered in the New Covenant (Matt. 26:27-28). Just as blood brought the Israelites into the Old Covenant with God (Ex. 24:8). Thus the bread signifies Christs body, while the cup signifies Christ's blood. And it is Christ's blood which brings us into a New Covenant relationship with God. Which is distinguished by the Old Covenant in that the Old Covenant was essentially a works based covenant that required the Israelites to keep every aspect of it to remain in a right relationship with God (consider Lev. 18:5; Deut. 27:26). While the New Covenant is not based upon ones works; because you don't do something to come into God's favor; or keep doing something to remain there; rather under the New Covenant it is based on ones faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has already done through His suffering Crucifixion death and thus His broken body and shed blood to bring us all who believe in Him into a right relationship with God, and ultimately keep us in a right relationship with God, because Jesus not only suffered Crucifixion death in our place, making atonement for us all, He also rose from the dead, and 40 days later ascended back to God the Father in heaven, where He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father making continual intercession for us all who believe in Him (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25). Thus one cannot stress enough the importance of Christ's body broken and His blood shed for us all. Therefore our keeping the Lord's Supper in manner worthy of the Lord is our solemn declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ's Crucifixion death and shed blood for our redemption from sin and death. And not only our redemption from sin and death but every person who likewise sees their own need for God's salvation, and in faith calls upon the Name of the Lord, will likewise be saved from God's wrath and judgment to come (Rom 10:13). Yet not only saved from wrath, but also transformed by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit of God making them fit for an eternity with God (Titus 3:5).  

The only question then is have you received the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself? Trusting Him and Him alone for your own redemption from your sins and transgressions. If not then please do so now. By a simple prayer of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ He will come into your person and life and not only redeem your soul from God's wrath and judgment to come, but He will transform your person and life by His Holy Spirit, which will indwell you the moment you repent and believe in Him. If you believe then please pray this prayer, or something from your own heart inviting the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart and life (Rev 3:20). Therefore in faith pray something like this: Dear Lord Jesus I believe that You willingly suffered Crucifixion death for me, so that You could redeem me from all my sins and transgressions, and ultimately save me from an eternity in hell. But also you did so that by Your Holy Spirit You could transform my person and life, and bring abundant life into my person and life, by Your coming into my person and life, here and now (John 10:10). Therefore I now invite You Lord Jesus Christ into my heart and life, to be my Lord and Savior, in Jesus' Name, amen. 

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.


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