“Communion And
The Believer in Christ”
Today we are going to partake of the elements of the communion table. So I’ve decided to speak on the subject “Communion And The Believer in Christ.”
Why do you think the LORD wanted His Church to have a “Table of Remembrance”?
The OT Scriptures present a number of occasions when God called the Jews to remembrance.
a. The Sabbath: Deut. 5:15 Weekly reminder that the LORD rested on the Sabbath.
b. The memorial stones in the Jordan River: Josh. 4:4-24. Stones were reminders of what God did at the Jordan.
c. The Feast of Purim Esther 9:26-28 A day to remember what happened when God delivered the nation from the Anti-Semite Haman.
d. The seven annual Jewish feasts.
1,2. Passover and unleavened bread– remembering their deliverance from Egypt.
3. Firstfruits – remembering God’s promise to supply their needs
4. Pentecost - remembering God’s provision
5. Trumpets – remembering God’s call to worship
6. Day of Atonement – remembering their need for cleansing from sin
7. Tabernacles – remembering to give thanks to God
And the reason God commands these days of remembrance is obvious. God knows our hearts. He knows that we easily forget. So He has sent them reminders. And He has also sent us reminders. The LORD’s Table is one of those reminders.
The LORD spells this out in a number of passages.
Luke 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.”
I Corinthians 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. (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.”
So today, as we prepare to come before the table of the LORD, my heart is set on turning your heart to some very important things.
What specifically does this table remind the Believer in Christ of?
First and most importantly, Jesus tells each of us to remember Him when we come to His table. You see, it points to the Cross and to the purpose for Jesus coming into this world. He came here to die.
The cross was His place of sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. You and I, the sinners, have a Sacrificial Lamb. His name is Jesus. At the cross Jesus became your Substitute. He died in your place.
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.”
Romans 5:6 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
II Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (15) And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
II Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
I Peter 2:24 “Who 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.”
This is what Jesus was referring to when He said “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
We are given the privilege of partaking at this table when we remember what He did.
When you come to this table, you don’t recall your faith or your goodness or your efforts to save yourself or your accomplishments. You come to His table with Him on your mind. He died. He was wounded for our transgressions. He died for all. He was made sin for us. He bore our sins in His body on the tree.
Here’s what John the Baptist says about Him. John saw Jesus as the Lamb provided of God to be sacrificed as the payment for the sin of the world.
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
John 1:36 “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”
Here’s what the Apostle Paul says about the LORD’s table. I Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.”
You see, it’s critical that you remember Christ at His Table. But what do you recall? Do you remember that Christ died? And that He died as a sinner? And that He died as a Sacrifice? And that He died in your place?
Jesus said it very simply. “Do this in remembrance of Me.” The focus is on One Person – Jesus, the Son of God and His handling of your sins.
First, remember Him – His work on your behalf.
Second, remember His forgiveness. And what should we remember about the LORD’s forgiveness? At least this: it is complete.
In one of the Apostle Paul’s first sermons, he said this. Acts 13:38 “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:…”
The Old Testament teaches this. Ecclesiastes 7:20 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Why do you think the LORD wanted His Church to have a “Table of Remembrance”?
The OT Scriptures present a number of occasions when God called the Jews to remembrance.
a. The Sabbath: Deut. 5:15 Weekly reminder that the LORD rested on the Sabbath.
b. The memorial stones in the Jordan River: Josh. 4:4-24. Stones were reminders of what God did at the Jordan.
c. The Feast of Purim Esther 9:26-28 A day to remember what happened when God delivered the nation from the Anti-Semite Haman.
d. The seven annual Jewish feasts.
1,2. Passover and unleavened bread– remembering their deliverance from Egypt.
3. Firstfruits – remembering God’s promise to supply their needs
4. Pentecost - remembering God’s provision
5. Trumpets – remembering God’s call to worship
6. Day of Atonement – remembering their need for cleansing from sin
7. Tabernacles – remembering to give thanks to God
And the reason God commands these days of remembrance is obvious. God knows our hearts. He knows that we easily forget. So He has sent them reminders. And He has also sent us reminders. The LORD’s Table is one of those reminders.
The LORD spells this out in a number of passages.
Luke 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.”
I Corinthians 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. (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.”
So today, as we prepare to come before the table of the LORD, my heart is set on turning your heart to some very important things.
What specifically does this table remind the Believer in Christ of?
First and most importantly, Jesus tells each of us to remember Him when we come to His table. You see, it points to the Cross and to the purpose for Jesus coming into this world. He came here to die.
The cross was His place of sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. You and I, the sinners, have a Sacrificial Lamb. His name is Jesus. At the cross Jesus became your Substitute. He died in your place.
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.”
Romans 5:6 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
II Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (15) And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”
II Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
I Peter 2:24 “Who 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.”
This is what Jesus was referring to when He said “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
We are given the privilege of partaking at this table when we remember what He did.
When you come to this table, you don’t recall your faith or your goodness or your efforts to save yourself or your accomplishments. You come to His table with Him on your mind. He died. He was wounded for our transgressions. He died for all. He was made sin for us. He bore our sins in His body on the tree.
Here’s what John the Baptist says about Him. John saw Jesus as the Lamb provided of God to be sacrificed as the payment for the sin of the world.
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
John 1:36 “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”
Here’s what the Apostle Paul says about the LORD’s table. I Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.”
You see, it’s critical that you remember Christ at His Table. But what do you recall? Do you remember that Christ died? And that He died as a sinner? And that He died as a Sacrifice? And that He died in your place?
Jesus said it very simply. “Do this in remembrance of Me.” The focus is on One Person – Jesus, the Son of God and His handling of your sins.
First, remember Him – His work on your behalf.
Second, remember His forgiveness. And what should we remember about the LORD’s forgiveness? At least this: it is complete.
In one of the Apostle Paul’s first sermons, he said this. Acts 13:38 “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:…”
The Old Testament teaches this. Ecclesiastes 7:20 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”