LORD'S SUPPER
One of the great and blessed facts of the gospel of Christ is that Jesus died for our sins. After many hardships, trials, mockeries, and persecutions, Jesus, the Son of God was taken and crucified, His body broken and His blood shed for remission of sins. He did this for you and me and through it made it possible for us to have remission of sins and a hope of life eternal beyond the grave. We want to study in this lesson about the institution which Jesus left for us to remember him by and some of the matters pertaining to it.
The Bible Teaches That … 1. JESUS DIED FOR OUR SINS. In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15 and beginning with verse 1, we find that he had preached the gospel to them and how it was that, "Jesus died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures" (verses 3 and 4).
The Bible Teaches That … 2. JESUS WAS BURIED. Paul mentions this in the same passage of scripture and several account in the first four books of the New Testament tell us how that Joseph of Arimathea begged the body of Jesus and buried him in his new tomb.
The Bible Teaches That … 3. JESUS ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD. Again in this same passage of scripture, Paul points out how that Jesus -"Rose from the dead the third day."
In all this, we have the power of his Son Jesus over the dead and also through it we have the promise of resurrection from the dead and life beyond the grave.
Because Jesus was willing to do this, He was given power to give unto us certain promises and also commands to be obeyed in order that we might receive of these promises.
Before Jesus died, He met with His disciples in what is described as the last supper, a final meeting of the twelve whom He had called in the beginning of his ministry to be His bosom companions in His earthly sojourn and the ones whom He wanted to teach that they might carry on His work after He ascended back to the Father.
At this supper, Jesus made mention of how that one of them would betray Him and there talked with the twelve the last time before He was crucified. It was also at this supper that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, in which He took unleavened bread and fruit of the vine and gave it to them as a memorial of His broken body and shed His blood which was soon to come to pass.
The Bible Teaches That … 4. JESUS INSTITUTED THE LORD'S SUPPER while they were eating. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, take, eat; this is My body.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29).
This was at the feast of the Passover when Jesus had arranged for them to eat together. At the Passover feast they were not to use leavened bread and thus unleavened bread and fruit of the vine were the items symbolic of the body and blood of Christ.
The kingdom was established on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ. We have already studied this in a previous lesson but will relate the four scriptures which show that the kingdom was established at that time. Matthew 16:8; Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14.
According to the second chapter of Acts there were about 3,000 added to the apostles by repenting and being baptized for remission of sins. In Acts 2:42 we read that they "continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers." This evidently was a continuation of worship as Jesus had ordained them to do.
As we continue to read through the Acts of the apostles, we find that they continued diligently in the spreading of the gospel and when we come to Acts 20:7 we find that upon the first day of the week the disciples came together to break bread; again an example of the disciples continuing in worship and remembrance of Christ.
The Bible Teaches That … 5. CONGREGATIONS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST MET FOR COMMUNION. In the first Corinthian letter, Paul wrote to them regarding the Lord's Supper and there condemned them because they had changed the manner of observance of the Lord's Supper in such a way that they were having a feast, and even some getting drunk.
The Bible Teaches That … 6. COMMUNION IS TO BE IN REMEMBRANCE OF CHRIST. Paul said that Jesus had stated at the Last Supper: "this do in remembrance of Me." 1 Corinthian 11:24. As we meet in communion we then should do so in remembrance of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 10:16: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”
The Bible Teaches That … 7. IT IS TO SHOW THE LORD'S DEATH TILL HE COMES. Paul again said: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthian 11:26).
The Bible Teaches That … 8. WE ARE TO PARTAKE IN A WORTHY MANNER. The Corinthians had partaken in an unworthy manner and Paul said that those who did this were guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:27.
The Bible Teaches That … 9. EVERY MAN IS TO EXAMINE HIMSELF. "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and dinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 1 Corinthian 11:28-29.
Christians are renewed spiritually by the remembrance of the body and blood of Christ and the great meaning that is attached to it for in it, we see not only the body and blood of the Son of God, but also the promise of remission of sins and a privilege of becoming a joint heir with Christ in the kingdom of the Father.
If you have not become a child of God by believing the gospel, repenting of your sins, and being baptized into Christ, you certainly should do so and then continue in the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers, worshipping God in spirit and truth and serving him in all other right things.
Section 1 - Fill in the blanks.(Seperate answers with comma)
Question 1 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the ______ of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break is it not the _______ of the body of Christ?
Question 2 The Bible teaches that Jesus ______ for our sins, was ______, and ______ again the third day.
Question 3 And as they were eating, Jesus took ______ and blessed it, and ______ it, and gave it to the disciples and said take, eat; this is my ______.
Question 4 And he took the ______, and gave thanks and gave it to them, saying ______ ye all of it; For this is My ______ of the ______ which is shed for many ______. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this ______ until I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Question 5 Four Scriptures that tell of the establishment of the kingdom are ______, ______, ______, ______. , , ,
Section 2 - True or False
Question 1 Jesus and the disciples met for the Passover when He instituted the Lord's Supper. TrueFalse
Question 2 All of the twelve were there at the supper. TrueFalse
Question 3 After they obeyed the gospel (Acts 2:38-41) they went back to their homes. TrueFalse
Question 4 The disciples came together upon the first day of the week to break bread. TrueFalse
Question 5 Every week has a first day. TrueFalse
Question 6 If every week has a first day and the disciples came together on the first day to break bread, we then should meet on the first day of each week to break bread. TrueFalse
Section 3 LIST IN THE FOLLOWING BLANKS AT LEAST THREE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN COMMUNION REGARDING THE PURPOSE OF IT, WHAT IT IS FOR, AND WHEN WE SHOULD PARTAKE: Points 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, any three.
1
2
3
4
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