(1 Corinthians 11:22-34)…..22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.
I have been thinking about the Lord’s Supper, and remembering what Christ did on that cross where He shed His blood and gave His body as the propitiation for our sin and judgment. Who is worthy of such a gift as salvation, being purchased from the kingdom of darkness and being delivered into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Who is even worthy to come to the table of the Lord? Not me! Not you! And yet by His invitation, here we sit as believers in Jesus Christ. The praise from your lips should overflowing as you ponder that truth.
An instance occurred in Spurgeon’s church that made him blush with embarrassment. Certain members were not partaking of the Lord’s Supper because, in their judgment, inconsistent and unworthy persons were coming to the table. Never lacking in wit, Spurgeon responded, “That is highly probable; and he may be wearing your coat, and looking out of your eyes.” He continued, “Is the Lord’s table to be a judgment-seat, whereat we are to revise the verdict of the church?…it is idle for you to be looking out for perfection.” Instead, he encouraged his members, “if you have the faintest, feeblest faith in Jesus, come and welcome.” Spurgeon loved the Lord’s Supper because he loved Christ. Partaking of the bread and wine brought to his memory Jesus as his “covenant head and surety.” In Spurgeon’s day, many Christians in England were drifting towards Roman Catholicism and thus wrong practices of the Lord’s Supper. Seeking to protect his congregants from error, Spurgeon often reminded them the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper.
For how Spurgeon dealt with fencing the table when visitors were present, see Dr. Geoffrey Chang, “How Did Spurgeon Fence the Lord’s Table?,” Historical Theology, March 4, 2019, https://www.historicaltheology.org/articles/2019/3/4/how-did-spurgeon-fence-the-lords-table.
Take note of the word proclaim in (v.26). It is the word (kataggello) {kat-ang-gel-lo} which means to declare openly, to declare plainly, or to tell out loud. Whenever we share together in the Lord’s Supper we are making a public confession of faith. We are making an open declaration of our salvation in Jesus Christ. A bold announcement that we believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s supper then, by means of symbols for His flesh and blood, preaches Jesus Christ crucified.
Jesus Christ is the sin bearer, the substitute, the mediator, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). We are proclaiming in a public way our biblical beliefs, that…….
- That Christ was substituted for us
- That God was satisfied with Christ’s substitution
- That man can now be justified – because God is satisfied
d. Let’s address these three truths…….
- As a substitute He bore our sins – (1 Peter 2:24-25) (Hebrews 9:28)
- As a substitute He carried our guilt – (Isaiah 53:4, 5, 8, 12) (Galatians 3:13)
- As a substitute He died our death – (Hebrews 2:9)
- As a substitute He became the sin-offering for us
- Read: (2 Corinthians 5:21) (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
So it is preached from the Lord’s table that Jesus became a curse in our place. That He bore the wrath of God’s judgment and the necessary penalty of our rebellion in His own body. That His innocent life was given, His flesh was torn like a veil, His righteous blood was poured out. All so that you and I who are guilty might live forever. Who is unworthy to sit at His table? It is me! It is you! But here we sit completely redeemed! I love You Jesus!