A:When it comes to the Lord's Supper, we believe the Bible teaches the "Real Presence" of Jesus Christ. That when Jesus said,
"take and eat...this is my body" and
"take and drink...this is my blood" (Matthew 26:26-28), we believe Jesus meant what he said. That as we eat the bread and drink the wine, we also receive the risen presence of Jesus Christ in a miraculous way. We can't completely understand it; we simply believe it happens because Jesus promised it would. That Jesus Christ is present in this meal makes it very important.
Believing the bible teaches the "Real Presence" of Jesus Christ in the Lord's Supper, using the acronym R.E.A.L., here are some other reasons this meal is important.
"R"emember history to understand the importance of the Lord's Supper.
The Bible tells us the Lord's Supper originated during the annual Passover Celebration Jesus shared with his disciples. That means the roots of the Lord's Supper go back to the days of Moses, when God brought judgment on all of Egypt for not freeing His people from slavery.
A second part of history that makes this meal important is that Jesus Christ instituted it before His death. Similar to a "Legal Will", Jesus said what I am sharing with you is important --
"Do this – that is ‘celebrate this meal' - in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19b; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25). And just as Jesus made this meal important, we celebrate it today.
The third part of history that gives importance to this meal is that God has always been "present in a real way" in the lives of His created people.
- He was present at the Garden
- He was present at the burning bush with Moses
- He was present when his people lived in the wilderness
- He was present in the person of Jesus Christ.
What would happen when Jesus left? Would God cease to work as He had worked? No. Jesus said, "Here is a meal where I promise to be present...
This is my body...this is my blood...given and shed for you." God's commitment to His created people has always meant His "real presence".
Another important component of the Lord's Supper is that we are to "E"xamine ourselves before participating.
1 Corinthians 11:26-29 says,
"For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." (NIV)
The important work of "examining one's life" is central to this meal. As with examinations in school, "examining our life" involves the answering of questions such as these:
- Are you a sinner, sorry for your sin?
- Do you need God's help and forgiveness?
- Do you believe that in the Lord's Supper you receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ along with the bread and wine?
If we answer "Yes" to these important "examination questions" we can come to the meal with joy and thanksgiving.
That leads us to our next letter. The Lord's Supper is important because it has the "A"bility to forgive sins when received. Matthew 26:26-28 says, While they were eating,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Then
he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them,
saying,
"Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
This promise of Jesus Christ (that sins are forgiven in this meal) is foundational to the body and blood of Jesus Christ needing to be present, in addition to the bread and wine. Everyone would agree, simple bread and wine cannot forgive sins.
Paul confirms the "real presence" of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 10:16 when he says,
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (NIV)
Now if you're asking, "How can bread be body and wine be blood?" You're right it is indeed a mystery, but let us not forget who is speaking at this meal, in this moment in history! God Himself . . . Jesus Christ.
As we look to the Bible we see that when God speaks transformation happens!
The Bible says God spoke the words,
"Let there be light…and their was light." Psalm 33:9 says,
"For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm."
It is the same God speaking when Jesus Christ says,
"This IS my body...this IS my blood." What the word of man cannot do, the Word of God accomplishes! Bread and wine would remain "ordinary elements" without the Word's of Christ attached to them.
As we participate in the Lord's Supper, God's "L"ove is shown to us in a personal way.
The Bible tells us that an "impossible burden" needs to be carried – the weight of your sins, my sins, the sins of the entire world. Brought to our knees in desperation over the weight we cry out,
"Jesus, as you love me help me out of this sinful situation I've gotten myself into."
Jesus hears those words, and He does what love requires. Jesus pulls, carries, and takes away that which we cannot pull, carry, or take away ourselves – our sin! Jesus says,
"Take and eat...take and drink...for the forgiveness of your sins." This is an act of love, shown in a personal way.
At the Lord's Supper Jesus says to us the words of Matthew 11:28,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."