Have you ever experienced the feeling when everyone in the room is on the same page? Maybe it was a meeting at work when every team member got on board with a new project. Or maybe it was the thrill of a concert when the entire audience sang along. Or even when everyone in the living room cheered at a winning touchdown.
Harmony is a beautiful thing.
Yesterday we saw how the Corinthians used the Lord’s Supper selfishly and caused division in the church. As we mentioned before, communion is supposed to be a time when all Christians come together—where we’re all on the same page.
Read 1 Corinthians 11:23–26. After reading these verses, how would you summarize the purpose of the Lord’s Supper?
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
1 Corinthians 11 (NLT)
The Lord’s Supper has several purposes and Paul highlights three in this passage. The first is that it helps us remember what Jesus has done for us through his death. The second purpose is to proclaim Jesus’s death to each other until he returns. And finally, the third is to partake of the meal together as followers of Jesus.
Read John 19:28–37 and consider the elements of the Lord’s Supper.
28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. 33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. 34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.) 36 These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and “They will look on the one they pierced.”
John 19:28–37 (NLT)
We have the bread and the cup. The bread symbolizes Jesus’s broken body. The cup represents Jesus’s spilled blood. Take a moment to reflect, write, or draw about Jesus’s death.
How does his crucifixion affect you?
The Lord’s Supper is a sacred practice that the church has followed since it first started. The Corinthians treated it flippantly—as an intro to an indulgent, exclusive party. We can take the Lord’s Supper too lightly as well. We can forget the weight of the symbolism behind the bread and cup. We can treat it like a routine. We can zone out and think about the chores for the day.
The Lord’s Supper should bring us together. And that can only happen if we all take it seriously.
Re-read the verses in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 two more times. Then think about the last time you took communion at church [a few days ago].
What was your attitude toward it? Would you say you treated it with reverence? What would help you keep the purposes of the Lord’s Supper in mind next time you take the bread and cup?
Take a small piece of paper or a bookmark and mark 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 in your Bible. Next time you take communion, flip back to these verses. Take a few seconds to remind yourself why we take the Lord’s Supper.
Pray for our church—that we’d all be on the same page.
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for bring me and all of us together to Redemption Point so that we can learn about You, so that we can worship and praise You Lord. It is truly amazing that You brought all these different people together and we all see the same greatness of You. So I pray that You would bring peace and harmony to our Church. So that we can worship You with all of our efforts. I pray all these things in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you God for todays message as I continue to reflect on my actions towards my community and my relationship with others. I ask that you continue to lead our church to be more of a reflection of You. I also ask that you continue to soften our hearts as we continue to study Your word and challenge us as well so that we can cling onto you more. Amen