God’s royal priesthood gives Him glory and thanks all through the week. The Lord’s Supper each Sunday,6 therefore, serves as a wonderful climax to a week filled with worship. It launches an even greater week of priestly service ahead. On the Lord’s Day we, the holy priesthood, gather around our High Priest.7 We bring many priestly gifts, but in the Lord’s Supper we celebrate the unique and “indescribable Gift” given by God Himself.8 We are “living sacrifices,” but in the Lord’s Supper we honor the ultimate Sacrifice, the one that freed us from our sins “once for all.”9
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
The unleavened bread (standing for Christ’s body) and grape drink (standing for Christ’s blood) remind us regularly of the source of our salvation. They renew our complete assurance of victory. Whether we are babies or adults in the faith, whether we are weak or strong, whether we had a good week or a bad week, we are all saved in the same way – by God’s overflowing grace. If we depend on ourselves, we will fail. But the Lord’s Supper strengthens our dependence on Christ’s sacrifice, which keeps us safe from Satan.
… he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him (1 John 5:18). M
6. Research Subject – Lord’s Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-21; 11:17-34
First Day of the Week: Acts 20:7 cf. Revelation 1:10. Note that the first day of the week is the day of Christ’s resurrection, Matthew 28:1-10 and Pentecost. Some early followers of the apostles wrote about their assemblies. Here is a description from Justin Martyr, written about A.D. 150: “On the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all in a given city or rural district. The memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. Then when the reader ceases, the president [presiding speaker] admonishes and urges the imitation of these good things. Next we all rise and send up prayers. When we cease with our prayers, bread is presented and wine and water. The president in the same manner sends up prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people sing out their assent, saying the ‘Amen.’ After thanks, each person shares in the distributed elements, and to those who are not present they are sent by the deacons. Those who have means and are willing, each according to his own choice, gives what he wills, and what is collected is deposited with the president. He provides for the orphans and widows, those who are in need on account of sickness or some other cause, those who in bonds, strangers who are traveling, and in a word he becomes the protector of all who are in need. We all make our assembly in common on Sunday, since it is the first day, on which God changed the darkness and matter and made the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead on the same day. For they crucified Him on the day before Saturn’s day [now called Saturday] and on the day after (which is the day of the Sun) [now called Sunday] He appeared to His apostles and disciples and taught these things, which we have offered for your consideration” (1 Apology, 67).
7. Matthew 26:29 Research Subject – High Priest: Hebrews 10:19-25 cf. Matthew 18:20; 1 Corinthians 5:4; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14-16; 8:1; Psalm 110:4 with Hebrews 5:1-10; 6:20; 7:1-28 cf. Leviticus 16:32-34; 21:10-15; Numbers 3:32; 18:5-7; Haggai 2:4; Zechariah 3:1-9; Acts 23:5
9. Hebrews 7:27; 9:12,26; 10:10 cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Picture: The Lord took the bread and the cup (1 Corinthians 11).