The Meaning of the Lord’s Supper

(Message delivered by Pastor at the True Life Church 10.30 am Service, Nov 7, 04)

Text: I Cor. 11:23-32
“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

1. Every regular Church, apart from preaching the Word of God must also administer Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, says Calvin. The Salvation Army while preaching God’s Word but does not baptise with water nor administer the Lord’s Supper is considered a parachurch organisation and not a Church. The Salvation Army baptises with a red flag which signifies it is baptism by fire. This was invented by William Booth its founder. I know all these things because I joined its membership for a few months after I was converted by John Sung in my young days.

2. After baptism a member of the Church is permitted to enjoy the Lord’s Supper which is partaking of unleavened bread and wine, which is pure grape juice. These signify the body of Christ which is broken and blood which is shed to pay for the penalty of our sins. It is our duty to remember Jesus’ death as often as we can which is almost universally done once a month today. In the days of the 16th Century Reformation it was once a quarter. Small groups of Brethren persuasion observe every week according to Acts 20:7.

3. The keeping of the Lord’s Supper was intruded by one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was a traitor. “It had been good for that man if he had not been born.” Not everyone who remembers the Lord’s death is a true disciple.

If we come with true repentance in our hearts then He forgives our sins as we “drink all of it”. The act of drinking confirms it gladly in our hearts according to my experience.

4. I have known of some old ladies who can afford to attend Church only once a month with the taxi fare allowance from their sons and they not only expect to have their sins cleansed but their bodily ailments taken away. That is their faith that we must respect.

5. The second part about keeping the Lord’s Supper is: Not discerning the holy elements, the bread and wine, are the body and blood of Christ is to do so unworthily. My father told us about a rich and successful dental surgeon in Bangkok who joked about not having butter and jam to spread on the bread at a Holy Communion Service. The Lord struck him with sickness that he died. “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

6. The next thing to do is: Let us examine (judge) ourselves that we be not judged. What can we judge of ourselves? I can think of the Lord’s Prayer which we recite every Lord’s Day including “Holy Communion Sunday”. And we say, “And forgive us our trespasses even as we forgive those that trespass against us.” If we don’t forgive others, how can God forgive us “and bless us with forgiveness in the Lord’s Supper”? The Lord will not condemn us with the world, but He will chasten us. Like a father He is ever lenient, but if we keep on a quarrelling spirit with a brother or sister in the family, beware the chastising cane hanging on the wall will soon come. When we come to the Lord’s Table we must get right with God and men.

7. “Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.” Lastly, some who came to the Lord’s Supper evidently came to fill their bellies which Paul says is not proper. When the Corinthians came for the Lord’s Supper in those days they were like Jesus and His disciples eating the last Passover. It was not like today when we eat just a bit. Paul said, “And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation.” In the same way when we serve food after Prayer Meeting we should not eat it like eating a big dinner.

Henceforth, let us keep the Lord’s Supper more meaningfully and properly.

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THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter VIII

John 8:1-11
The Judge of Judges andMaster-Lawyer

Readers of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) will find this passage of Holy Scripture belittled in small print, and of the New English Bible (NEB) relegated to the end of the Book like an appendage. The reason for so doing by the modernist translators of the said versions is that this passage is not found in some of the ancient manuscripts, and therefore it is no part of John’s Gospel. We believe this account of Jesus and the woman taken in adultery to be the very Word of God. Scofield’s footnote at this point supports our view. Homer A. Kent Jr., New Testament Professor of Grace Theological Seminary, quoting Leon Morris, says, “But if we cannot feel that this is part of John’s Gospel, we can feel that the story is true to the character of Jesus. Throughout the history of the church it has been held that whoever wrote it, this little story is authentic. It rings true.” The Holy Spirit will tell you in your heart after you have read it whether it is a part of God’s Word or not.

Now let us learn a beautiful lesson of transcendent wisdom from the Judge of judges. Here is a greater than Solomon. Here is a wiser than Daniel. See how at a word from the lips of the Master- Lawyer the trap that the Jews had sprung on Him boomeranged. The accusers became the accused. They became the more guilty, being pricked by their awakened conscience. The executioners became the executed.

Some inquisitive people try to guess what Jesus wrote. Some even claim revelatory knowledge from the Holy Spirit. This is impious query. This is self-deluding conceit. Let us learn from Calvin that where the Scripture is silent we should remain reverently silent – a good hermeneutical principle.

Euthymius Zigabenus, monk of Constantinople, writing in the 12th century, has good observation on the above situation: “Jesus stooped down and with His finger was writing on the ground, as they
are often wont to do who are unwilling to answer inopportune and unworthy questions.” May we call this action on His part, in the words of modern educators, “body language”?

John 8:12-20
The Light of Life in a Dark Society

This is another scene of Jesus clashing with the Pharisees. Says Dr. David Smith in his three volume Commentary on the Four Gospels, “It is now late autumn, probably the month of October, when the days were short; and as He taught by the Treasury (cf. Mk 12:41 and Lk 21:1) the shadows of evening fell, and the lamps were lighted in the Temple-court. After His wont He turned the scene into a parable: “I am the Light of the world.” We would add this observation with Scofield rather that the dark practices of the immoral Jews served also as a backdrop for His message.

Jesus’ claim to be light of the world particularly offended the Pharisees. For this was a title reserved for the Messiah. In a lesser sense Rabbis were also styled “lights”. Who was this young upstart to take such a title? They rejected Him because of His lack of credentials. Who was His reference?

Our Lord’s reply was a double-barrel shot. 1) He was His self-authenticated witness. What He said of Himself was in a realm beyond the grasp of the Jews. They therefore could not prove Him wrong. 2) He had a second witness, according to Mosaic Law (Deut. 19:15), viz., the Father who had commissioned Him. However, the Father our Lord talked about was a riddle to them. For the way of knowing the Father was through the Son, but if they did not know the Son, how could they know the Father? The Jews were once again adjudged an ignorant crowd. No wonder they seethed with hatred to kill him.

Unless you sincerely believe and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, you will also deny Him to be Light of the world. At most you will give Him a place alongside Buddha, sometimes called “Light of Asia”. Thus Jesus is taken to be one of many lights by one Southeast Asian cult called “Five Religion Society”. Another that has Christ as one of its gods is the Red Swastika Society. And we can add many more to this list beginning with these unbelieving Jews.

Junior Sunday School