God's Grace Through the Lord's Supper

• It is a regular opportunity for self-examination.  Paul tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; this is a great time to do that.

• It is a regular opportunity to check our relationships in the church.  It’s wonderful to see husbands and wives, or friends, slip out just before the Lord’s supper to reconcile some difference.  That’s exactly what Paul has in mind when he tells us to “discern the body” as we eat and drink.

• It is a powerful reminder of our forgiveness.  We are seeing something that represents what Jesus did for us so many hundreds of years ago.

• It is a reminder of the passing nature of the physical and the eternal nature of the spiritual.  As we eat that bread, we remember that man does not live by bread alone.  The Supper is bridging from what is temporary to what is eternal.

• It is a picture of heaven.  What an encouragement to look around during the Supper and get a glimpse and a hint of what heaven will be like.  So encouraging!

• It is a warning of judgment for those who don’t partake.  Perhaps someone’s been disciplined—or “excommunicated.”  Or perhaps for pastoral reasons you’ve been advised to not partake.   Or perhaps you can’t partake because of unresolved relationships in the church.  What could be a hint of heaven becomes a hint of hell.  And that is remarkably powerful.

• It is a reminder of what is at stake in our unity as a congregation.  Unity isn’t important merely because it makes life in a church more enjoyable.  It is important because it pictures Christ.  And nowhere do we see that more clearly than the body of Christ assembled around the body of Christ.

• And I’m sure there’s significance we just don’t understand!  Jesus took this remarkably seriously; it was one of the last acts of his earthly ministry.  And Paul took it seriously as well.  We may arrive in heaven someday to discover that it is a means of grace in ways we never comprehended here on earth.

Source from Capital Hill Baptist Church.