Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Matthew 26:26–29

Matthew 26:26–29 (ESV): Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Synopsis

In another short passage—so short that I won’t even bother to give a synopsis, since you can read it from the source quicker—Jesus introduces the ceremony called the Lord’s Supper (among many other names, such as the Lord’s Table, Communion, Holy Communion, Eucharist, Sacrament of the Altar, Blessed Sacrament, and probably others).

Thoughts

The Lord’s Supper is an interesting ceremony, in that it quite poignantly reminds us of how Jesus paid the price for our sins: by shedding his blood and having his body broken on our behalf. Taking part in the ceremony is a symbolic statement that Jesus is, literally, in you. The bread doesn’t literally become Jesus’ body, nor the blood literally become His blood, those aspects are symbolic, but Jesus is literally in us—if we have accepted the gift He offers to us, and allowed Him to take our punishment.

If you haven’t, then taking part in the Lord’s Supper is just bringing more condemnation on yourself (as they state in my church whenever we do the Lord’s Supper), as you’re essentially lying: if you haven’t received what Jesus offers then He is not in you, He hasn’t shed his blood or broken His body on your behalf, and you are not able to celebrate what the Christians around you are celebrating. It is, after all, a ceremony commemorating something that has already happened; the act of eating and drinking mean nothing on their own, they only have significance if they are celebrating a salvation which has already occurred. Of course, since His gift is free, you can have what He offers, and then participate in the Lord’s Supper feeling the same joy and gratitude that other Christians feel.

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