1. Lesson 16:
The Lord’s Supper

2. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper on the Night Before His Crucifixion.
The institution of the Lord’s Supper is recorded in four passages: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
Scripture never uses the words “Eucharist” or “Sacrament.”
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper after observing the Jewish Passover with His apostles.

3. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper on the Night Before His Crucifixion.
When instituting His feast, Jesus emphasized that it was “new.”
“I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). What was “new”?
The Lord’s Supper was a “new” feast/memorial.
The Lord’s Supper was in a “new” kingdom.
The Lord’s Supper was of a “new” covenant.
The Lord’s Supper was on a “new” day.
The Lord’s Supper was “new” – a new feast, of a new memorial, of a new deliverance, in a new kingdom, by a new covenant, on a new day, for a new people.

4. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Extraordinarily Significant for the Church.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a time for communion (1 Cor. 10:15-22).
“Communion” is not just what it is called; “communion” is what is happening.
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16).
The Greek word for “communion” in this passage is koinonia, which is the word for “fellowship, participation, partnership, sharing.”
In the Lord’s Supper (emphasize “Lord’s”), we commune with Christ Himself.

5. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Extraordinarily Significant for the Church.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a time for memorial (1 Cor. 11:23-25).
God knew that His people needed memorials, in order to remember Him and to remember what He had done for them.
When it came to the Lord’s Supper, twice Jesus commanded, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24-25).
The two elements of the Supper themselves provide the key to the memorial.
In the Lord’s Supper, we are to be “discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor. 11:29).

6. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Extraordinarily Significant for the Church.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a time for self- examination (1 Cor. 11:27-30).
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”
While reflecting upon the sacrificial death of Christ, one must reflect on his own life.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as a time for proclamation (1 Cor. 11:26).
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper to be observed in a “worthy manner” (1 Cor. 11:27, 29).

7. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Observed By the Church Every First Day of the Week.
Division among denominations exists over the frequency of observing the Lord’s Supper.
It is helpful to understand that God specified the time and frequency of all of His feasts.
God did give very clear instructions on the regularity and frequency of partaking.
The New Testament church continued steadfastly in the Lord’s Supper.

8. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Observed By the Church Every First Day of the Week.
The New Testament church came together to eat the Lord’s Supper (on Sunday).
In Acts 20:7 is an apostolic example of the church coming together to eat the Lord’s Supper every week.
In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 is direction to the church to come together for the Lord’s Supper.

9. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Observed By the Church Every First Day of the Week.
The New Testament church came together every first day of the week.
When God instructed Israel, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8), which Sabbath do you suppose they understood God to be identifying?
In 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 is instruction for Christians to gather every first day of the week.

10. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be Observed By the Church Every First Day of the Week.
There is no Biblical authority for partaking of the Lord’s Supper on any other day other than the first day of the week.
By apostolic example, the church is only authorized to partake on the first day of the week, when the disciples come together (Acts 20:7).
By apostolic direction, the church is only authorized to partake on the first day of every week, when the church is to come together (1 Cor. 11:17, 20; 16:1-2).

11. The Lord’s Supper
Jesus Instituted the Lord’s Supper to Be a Special Feast for His Children.
The Lord makes a definite distinction between the Lord’s Supper and a common meal.
The Lord identifies those for whom the Lord’s Supper is intended.
Jesus promised to partake in the Lord’s Supper “in the kingdom of God” (Mk. 14:25).
Jesus observes the communion “with” those in His “Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29).
Therefore, the Lord’s Supper is for citizens in the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
Jesus intended for “all” Christians to partake of the entire feast.