1. It is a time of examination. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup" (1 Corinthians 11:28). Do we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for all of our salvation from sin and acceptance with a holy God? Is Christ alone our food, our drink, our life, our righteousness, our salvation, our all in all?
2. It is an institution given by our Lord. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread..." (Matthew 26:26). This is one of only two divinely appointed ordinances, the other being baptism.
3. It is a recollection of Who Christ is, what He did, why He did it and where He is now. "This do in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:24). The Lord’s Supper is about the Lord, it is not about us. As we partake, we remember our dear Redeemer, His sufferings and death which were by divine appointment.
4. It is a symbolization of His death. "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Savior had no sins of His own, but "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). The bread symbolizes His body, wounded and bruised for our iniquities. The wine sets forth "the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:19), the price of our redemption. The great design of this ordinance is to declare that Christ Jesus died for the sins of His people.
5. It is a proclamation of the results of His death. "This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Christ’s death answered the demands of a broken law, brought in everlasting righteousness, enabled God to be both Just and Justifier, and remitted the sins of all for whom He died.
6. It is an illustration of faith in Christ. "Take, eat; this is My body" (Matthew 26:26). Receiving the bread and the fruit of the vine pictures our willing reception of Christ by the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit. "As many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name" (John 1:12).
7. It points out the unification of the church. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ. For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). The bread which we shall eat this morning was of one loaf and the wine which we drink from one vessel. Even so, all believers are one in Christ Jesus.
8. There is to be a continuation of this ordinance until His second coming. "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death till He come" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The Lord’s Supper, like a great preacher, will constantly remind us of the Savior’s substitutionary sacrifice until He comes again and "we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).
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