April 8, 2004 - Maundy Thursday, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Open It
For what kinds of occasions does your church sponsor meals?
How does your church observe the Lord's Supper?
Explore It
What essential truths about the Lord's Supper and Jesus' redemptive work are presented in this passage? (11:23-26)
Why should Christians celebrate Communion? (11:24)
What is accomplished by eating the bread and drinking the wine of the Lord's Supper? (11:26)
What role does Communion play in the task of evangelism? (11:26)
What should a person do before partaking of the Lord's Supper? (11:28)
Get It
How important is the Lord's Supper in your life?
Why is the Lord's Supper important?
What additional wisdom have you gained from these instructions on Communion?
How have you prepared yourself for Communion in the past?
How is Communion practiced in your church?
Why is a spirit of reverence important when partaking of the Lord's Supper?
Apply It
How do you want to prepare for the next time you take Communion?
What advice would you give to a new Christian who wants to participate in Communion?
NOTES
1 Corinthians 11:17-34: The Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20) is a visible representation of the Good News of the death of Christ for our sins. It reminds us of Christ's death and the glorious hope of his return.
1 Corinthians 11:24-25: What does the Lord's Supper mean? The early church remembered that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper on the night of the Passover meal (Luke 22:13-20). Just as Passover celebrated deliverance from slavery in Egypt, so the Lord's Supper celebrates deliverance from sin by Christ's death.
Christians pose several different possibilities for what Christ meant when he said, "This is my body." (1) Some believe that the wine and bread actually become Christ's physical blood and body. (2) Others believe that the bread and wine remain unchanged, but Christ is spiritually present with the bread and wine. (3) Still others believe that the bread and wine symbolize Christ's body and blood. Christians generally agree, however, that participating in the Lord's Supper is an important element in the Christian faith and that Christ's presence, however we understand it, strengthens us spiritually.
1 Corinthians 11:25 What is this new covenant? In the old covenant, people could approach God only through the priests and the sacrificial system. Jesus' death on the cross ushered in the new covenant or agreement between God and us. Now all people can personally approach God and communicate with him. The people of Israel first entered into this agreement after their exodus from Egypt (Exodus 24), and it was designed to point to the day when Jesus Christ would come. The new covenant completes, rather than replaces, the old covenant, fulfilling everything the old covenant looked forward to (see Jeremiah 31:31-34). Eating the bread and drinking the cup shows that we are remembering Christ's death for us and renewing our commitment to serve him.
1 Corinthians 11:25 Jesus said, "Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." How do we remember Christ in the Lord's Supper? By thinking about what he did and why he did it. If the Lord's Supper becomes just a ritual or a pious habit, it no longer remembers Christ, and it loses its significance.
1 Corinthians 11:27-34: Paul gives specific instructions on how the Lord's Supper should be observed. (1) We should take the Lord's Supper thoughtfully because we are proclaiming that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 11:26). (2) We should take it worthily, with due reverence and respect (1 Corinthians 11:27). (3) We should examine ourselves for any unconfessed sin or resentful attitude (1 Corinthians 11:28). We are to be properly prepared, based on our belief in and love for Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:27-34 When Paul said that no one should take the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner, he was speaking to the church members who were rushing into it without thinking of its meaning. Those who did so were "guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord." Instead of honoring his sacrifice, they were sharing in the guilt of those who crucified Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:29 "Without recognizing the body of the Lord" means not understanding what the Lord's Supper means and not distinguishing it from a normal meal. Those who do so condemn themselves (see 1 Corinthians 11:27).