Shewing forth His Death till He Comes
1Corinthians 11:23-34
V23, For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: Paul received instruction from Jesus Christ for the Communion Service for the Church in the Church Age. He did not say, I received of man but, For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.
Paul was given more than one revelation of Jesus, I.e., Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks, Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus takes Paul back to when He first instituted the LORD’s Supper the same night He was betrayed, [Paul is referring to a direct communication from Jesus]
1] The significance of the Lord’s supper. This is the first reference to the communion meal in the N.T. This account is given by Jesus directly to Paul. The bread is a reminder to the believer of the body of Christ.
A] It was His body that was broken for us Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. His flesh was ripped and torn by the scourging He received and not a bone was broken but truly His body was broken.
B} It was His body that carried our sin. and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. That is how He was made sin, [2 Cor. 5:21]
C] The cup represents His blood that inaugurates the New Testament, Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. “....and without shedding of blood is no remission. [ no forgiveness] [Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.; 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.;24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:,25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;]
2] The Amazing love of Christ: the same night that He was being betrayed, He instituted the Lord’s Supper. Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
1What is eaten is called bread, though at the same time it is said to be the body of the Lord, plainly showing that the apostle did not mean that the bread was changed into flesh. The bread eaten is a symbol of His Body
In that night of being betrayed, it was His desire to eat this Passover, “..... With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:” This is His Passover, “...For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
He desired to do this before He suffered .and the setting for this is set forth in John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
The focus is on Jesus as the only one who can guarantee or promise eternal life. [guarantee and promise are synonymous terms. His promise is His guarantee, Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
The focus was Jesus before He suffered the suffering of the crucifixion. Jesus is the Saviour – they were saved by believing Him.
The focus now is Jesus after the Cross, but the promise is still the same. The guarantee is to the believer, Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
He established a fellowship with us the believer that is to be carried out until He returns, 1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
3] The Believer is to examine himself before He partakes of the Lord’s Supper, 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
A] Notice it is the word “unworthily” and not the word “unworthy.” 2[ It is too be remembered, therefore. that the word used here is an “adverb,” and not an “adjective,” and has reference to the manner of observing the ordinance, and not to personal qualifications or fitness.] For what gift of His grace are we worthy of? Answer, none. We are certainly unworthy in every aspect of our life. But that is not what the Lord is talking about here. He is speaking of the way you partake.
B] The teaching is that the believer is to examine and then to partake. 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
C] There was to be a distinction made between the meal and the Lord’s Supper, every passage relating to the Lord’s Supper in the N. T. leads to the conclusion that it took place at the end of a social meal. And in the social meal some poorer believers were shunned and were not allowed to full fellowship 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 1Co 11:22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
D] The one who does not examine himself eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. The word discerning means to “distinguish.” So, the one who does not examine himself before taking part of the LORD’s Supper does not make a distinction between this and an ordinary meal. Or you do not distinguish this as a time of remembrance of Him both in the bread and the cup.
And because of this abuse, 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. [have died] - We should make a distinction about the communion service: It is about the Lord’s body
E] This is a time of self-judgment, 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. If we [believers] judge ourselves then we will not be judged by the Lord. If we are judged by the Lord, we will be chastened by the Lord. 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. This is healing chastening, a corrective health-giving tonic not an eternal condemnation. You are His child, and He wants you to walk with Him.
1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 1Co 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
The conclusion: This is a dedicated service to the remembrance of Jesus, 1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
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