What do you think about when partaking of the Lord’s Supper? What are we to remember? Is it right for us to do it in the right way? These are questions that should be asked.
When I was young and it came time in worship to participate in the Lord’s Supper, we had a member who would very vividly and accurately bring our minds back to Calvary. It actually brought tears to his eyes as he recalled through what the Lord went.
The reason for this article is to take notice of Scriptures that men read during the Lord’s Supper but fail to observe. Here is one reference in full.
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, 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.” In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant of my blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
Notice several things of importance.
- When Jesus had given thanks, He broke the bread (11:23-24).
- In the same manner, He also took the cup (fruit of the vine) (Matthew 26:29; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
- In verse 26, we are told that when we eat the bread and drink the cup that we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
- We are to partake in a worthy manner (11:27).
- It is a period of examination (11:28).
- We are to discern the Lord’s body (11:29).
In my travels, I’ve noticed that during the Lord’s Supper, those offering comments sometimes mention that we also remember the Lord’s burial and resurrection. I have not found a Scripture that teaches us to observe or remember the resurrection of Jesus during the Lord’s Supper. From what we read, we are to remember His death, not His burial and resurrection. Men who are leading us in this observance need to make sure that they actually give thanks for the bread and the cup when they pray for them. Men often remind us in prayer to observe it in a worthy manner, which is good, but forget to give thanks. It might even be the case that men will spend more time talking about the day of observance than the giving of thanks or about the sacrifice of Jesus.
Maybe we have failed to do as the Scriptures teach sometimes because we have taken for granted what the Lord has commanded us to do. Just give it some thought.
