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The Lord’s Supper: A Longing or Distraction
Posted by Chris Johnson in Baptist Life, Bible & Theology, Church & Missions
In the church culture of today, the command and call of our Lord to remember Him becomes for many a confusing distraction and a somber memory. Somehow it has become a remembering that is seldom remembered, and not as often as some think it should be. Why does the Lord’s Supper seem to be a distraction for many? Is it that we have missed the remembering because we have focused on the “wrong person” in our attempt to appease God; or in our attempt to conform His command to a liturgical exercise or an act of self-sanctification? When we focus on anyone but Christ, the Lord’s Supper becomes a lasting and alien distraction filled with silence; offering little meaning in the life of the church.
The Apostle Paul outlines the basis for the Lord’s command and offers some reasons for participating with Him in great joy!
Romans 7:24-8:4 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? (25) Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. (8:1) Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (3) For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, (4) so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
1. Christ in us,… The longing to remember what God did.
Christ earnestly desired to eat this Passover with His disciples. It was a longing taught through His Hebrew expression “with desire I have desired”. This eating was a sharing in his body and in his blood. The Apostle Paul understood it this way… 1 Corinthians 10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?” Christ’s Supper was a longing for His own adopted children to be a part of a new covenant eating and drinking with the life of the Spirit of Christ. (Romans 8:6-10;1 Peter 1:10-16)
Luke 22:15-22 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; (16) for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (17) And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; (18) for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” (19) And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (20) And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. (21) “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. (22) “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
2. Christ in us,… The longing to eat outside the camp near the broken Christ.
Christ provided the sacrifice of lasting eternal proportions so that “as we eat” we are not carried away by strange teachings, but are strengthened by grace. We long to eat according to our Lords command so that we know His strength and run with great patience to Him, outside the camp. May we be willing to be identified with him, and follow Him to Calvary, holding His hand as friend and proclaiming Him as the lover of our soul (Psalm 23).
Hebrews 13:8-13 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (9) Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. (10) We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. (11) For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. (12) Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. (13) So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
3. Christ in us,… The longing to drink what God has poured out in the New Covenant.
Christ hears my voice, because He has inclined His ear to me. Therefore, I shall call to Him…. this is the longing to drink from the cup with great joy and desire. The Lord’s Supper does not become to me just “another meal” (1 Corinthians 11:20-21) or a distraction several times a year or once a month. (Revelation 3:15-19). It is not a cup to ignore because my sin is somewhere beyond Christ to remove. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Saints to drink and eat as he delivered this same eating and drinking given by our Lord. He encouraged the Saints to inspect their lives and once again recognize Christ as the remover of sin and gratefully partake of the Supper with great joy and remembrance, waiting on one another.
Psalm 116:1-13 I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. (2) Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. (3) The cords of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. (4) Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!” (5) Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. (6) The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. (7) Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. (8) For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling. (9) I shall walk before the LORD In the land of the living. (10) I believed when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.” (11) I said in my alarm, “All men are liars.” (12) What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? (13) I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the LORD.
It is no great wonder that in a day when we are so anxious to sanctify our own lives, when we are encouraged to busily be about the task of meeting certain requirements in order to be able to satisfy God, we stumble down the path of missing what Christ has left for us in His Supper. My hope and prayer is that we can actually remember and understand our participation with Christ through the Holy Spirit as we run to Him outside the camp. That we are prone to remember our Savior and long for His command and summon. Because the Lord’s Supper is a Supper like no other, of which we are never distracted or discouraged by Christ, but in great contrast urged to consume it by His command …..preparing now to have it again with Him, in His Kingdom!
Blessings,
Chris
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I heartily agree that in the main, SBC churches don’t celebrate the Supper as often as we should. Our church went to monthly observances several years ago and I believe it was a good decision. I myself would partake even more often but I doubt it would fly.
I wonder if you would speak to this idea of “examining ourselves” before the supper? Most of the time, I believe the ministers are urging people not to take the elements if they have “unconfessed sin” in their lives (don’t we all). I don’t think that is what examining ourselves means. It seems ironic that an awareness of our own sinfulness would lead us NOT to observe and remember the event that took away our sin. I believe the examining is a caution against those who are truly not of the faith from participating, or to keep people from participating with wrong motives (e.g. hunger).
BTW: I know there are churches who are horrified at the thought of having the LS more than quarterly, judging the practice of frequent communion to be “too Catholic.”
I think many people misunderstand the “remembrance” aspect of the Last Supper. Is it really about calling memories to mind? Yes, but there is more.
Re-member is the opposite of dis-member. When we re-member, we bring back together that which was taken apart.
Paul (1 Cor 11) says those who eat and drink without discerning the body bring judgment on themselves, and that is why many are sick. This is a strong hint that there is more going on here than just telling stories around the table.
John 6 is also instructive in this regard.
We, too, have gone from a quarterly to a nearly monthly observance, and I sometimes wonder if that is enough. Worship in the NT is cross-centered, and communion is the highest act of remembrance of the cross. I sometimes wonder if we should be like other denominations that do the supper every week.
But when we do communion, we try to focus the service on the Lord’s Supper, not just tack it on at the end.
Brother Bill
Thank you for your comments and an excellent question…..about “this idea of “examining ourselves” before the supper?”
1 Corinthians 11:26-29 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (27) Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. (28) But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.”
The answer lies in how one understands “body” in this section. Some may rely on translations that give the impression that the “body” at the end of vs 29 is speaking of someone other than the Lord, when in fact Paul is encouraging the examiner to judge the body (our Lord) rightly, while examining our own manner of proclamation. Some do not proclaim the Lord because they do not examine themselves (this is really all of us at any moment)….and have in fact become so callous to the Lord that the remembering is no different than last nights meal.
So, I believe your right,…self-examination does not lead to a moratorium on participating,… when in fact it should spur on, or lead to the faithful practice in earnest of what has been delivered by the Apostle from the Lord.
Blessings,
Chris
Patrick and Dave,
You both have brought forward that remembering is not “just remembering”,..that there is much more going on is true, because Satan can remember, but not in the same way we do as adopted children through the power of the Holy Spirit. I have seen churches try to tack on the Lord’s Supper at the end of a service,…it does leave a lot to be desired and gives a wrong indicator to the congregation concerning the importance of the matter.
Good thoughts,
Blessings,
Chris
The LS is a powerful and unique way of proclaiming the Gospel. It is also a way of identifying with the (fictional, in some people’s minds) universal church. When I have the opportunity to preside over the LS, I usually remind the congregation that although methods and understandings vary, we are participating in a ritual (it’s not a bad word) that has been observed by Christians of all creeds, confessions, and nationalities all over the planet for over 2000 years.
Bill, when you consider that the LS is actually the fulfillment of the Passover meal, it’s been more like 4,000 years. The ritual is a direct link from the captives in Egypt to us today. I find that thought mind-boggling.
I don’t know what the “correct” frequency for observing the Lord’s supper is. In the church that my wife, daughter and I attend we have the Lord’s supper — at most — 4 times a year.
We have been attending our current church since Spring of 2005. As I recall, we have only partaken of the Lord Table once or twice in that time. I think most of the times that the church practiced the Lord’s Table were on Sunday evening. Due to my wife’s MS she does not have much energy in the evening so we don’t attend the Sunday evening service. However, we attend the Sunday School and Sunday morning worship at least 50 weeks out of the year.
In the old days (maybe still today) there are some Chruch of Christ congregations that have the Lord’s Table every Sunday morning.
I don’t know what is the “proper” frequency for the Lord’s Table is. I would say for most Baptist congregations the Lord’s table is secondary (if not tertiary) in importance.
I have a list (it is a few years out of date but it is “more or less” accurate) of the “megachurches” in the SBC. As a matter of personal research I’ve listened to Sunday morning services via podcast of many of these over the last several months. During whatever “random” Sunday morning service that I happened to listen to none of them included the Lord’s table in their service. It could be that due to the randominess of my selection I just happen to choose the “wrong” Sunday morning. However, I sampled scores of services without a single hit so I think there is at least anicedotal (but not scientific) evidence that the Lord’s Table does not play a major role in SBC churches.
Roger Simpson Oklahoma City OK
As to time, what of, when needed? While in the pastorate I led our church to celebrate the LS with a Tenebrae Service on Good Friday evening and a service on Christmas eve, then at other times as I felt the need. It was always a service unto itself, unless accompanied by baptism. Usually an evening service but at times on a Sunday morning as well. Always a very well attended service.
I would agree that the Lord’s Supper is not a point of emphasis in the SBC in most, but not all cases. I have done some reading on it, including a book written by Ben Witherington, and I have studied the Scriptures on it as well. But I think we miss a key component in understanding it, when we separate it from its ties to Passover. I wrote a post at my blog about a month ago on this topic if anyone would be interested in reading it.
Brother Jeff,
I read your article…it was very good. The feasts and what God gave in the Passover was a wonderful typification of what we now have realized in Christ. The Apostle Paul took advantage of these feasts year after year in the pursuit of gospel preaching. Your article meets that point out very well. I think though, it is important to teach that Christ brings fulfillment and closure to the Passover much like the Hebrew writer expresses when he wrote….
Hebrews 10:1 “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.”
Hebrews 10:8-10 After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), (9) then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. (10) By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
I think it is valuable to remember the history and reality of the typification, yet we do not remember the shadow of the Passover, we remember the reality of the Christ who is our Passover (fulfillment). Even as important as the Passover meal of the Law was, it has been taken away in order to establish the second….. which gives us all the more reason to remember and partake with great joy and celebration!
Blessings,
Chris
Brother Roger,
I had to think on your post for a while…because it is the saddest commentary of all. When we forget Christ and what He is actively doing…as I expressed in the article, we become so very persistent with our self-sanctification. A misguided understanding of sanctification is probably the reason that more churches see the Lord’s Supper as just a distraction, and never long for the sweet fellowship with the King. Oh, how I pray that God shows us the error of our ways …. We need discipline so that we can begin to understand how God sanctifies.
Blessings,
Chris
Brother Chris,
I would like to point to an important distinction. The feasts such as Passover do not belong to the Law of Moses. They belong to the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ. They are called the “Lord’s Feasts” in Scripture (Ex. 12:11, Lev. 23, Num. 9:10 as some examples) and there is implication in Scripture that they are to be ongoing. The feasts weren’t a means of salvation. They were a means of communication of God’s plan to all who participate or observe. In that way, they have much in common with the Lord’s Supper. The writings of Paul and the book of Acts seem to indicate that the early church continued to keep these feasts, particularly Passover.
I agree with you that Christ brought fulfillment to Passover, but if by closure you mean that He put the celebration and observance of Passover to an end, I would respectfully disagree. Christ typifies the Passover as God always intended it and in so doing brings it to its full understanding. The Bible states that these feasts are everlasting or eternal and so is God’s Law. The point of all of them (the feasts and the Law) is Jesus Christ. These feasts display His story and give a rich testimony to the fact that He is the Son of God.
The Lord’s Supper was given to us as a more frequent reminder and teaching opportunity than the once a year observance of the Passover.
Brother Jeff,
I think we are in agreement here… and I am not nitpicking for the sake of arguing, so thank you for being patient with me.
I would like to exercise this thought a little more though. The term “Passover” seems to be a very high term describing the entire ordinance described in Exodus which places it nearest the original (Christ). What I like about the thought of Passover is that Christ passes by quickly and that he has done the sparing from the foundation of the world.
The Passover, eternal only in the substance of Christ, belongs to the Lord as something like Moses intimated when he said…Leviticus 7:9 “Likewise, every grain offering that is baked in the oven and everything prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who presents it.”
I also like what you said here…. “The Lord’s Supper was given to us as a more frequent reminder and teaching opportunity than the once a year observance of the Passover.” …that is certainly corroborated by the Acts of the Apostles as we see the frequency increase more than once a year focusing our attention on Christ because Christ is our Passover…the literal one that has passed by because of His work and blood.
I guess the reason that feasts and levitical law are so vivid in my mind is I have just returned from Israel. And if you get caught in the elevator of a hotel at the right time on Friday (Sabbath and Shabbats) then you are in for a long ride, stopping at each floor, simply because the traditional keepers of the Oracles of God still have not realized that the Law is holy yet brings death, when in reality it has been fulfilled by Life ….
Romans 4:13-15 “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. (14) For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; (15) for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.”
1 John 1:1-4 “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– (2) and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us– (3) what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. (4) These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”
The traditional Jew is continually pointing to someone (another Messiah), but if they could realize that the pointing has already stopped (in Christ), we could all have a quicker elevator ride and be in unity with each other. A good reason to share the gospel of God.
You have made me think about what is real and what is not….
Thank you,
Blessings,
Chris
Our church follows the “typical” Baptist pattern to do the LS once a quarter. However, we are a little different because we do not perform the LS as an addendum to the service. Rather, it becomes the focus of the service (as Billy stated his church does).
Furthermore, we also perform the LS on the Wednesday of Resurrection/Passion week (Easter week for most, I prefer not to use that term however) as well as other times where it is appropriate outside of the “scheduled” quarters.
I don’t think our church has it “right” any more than I would think any other church has it “right.” I just think we have a great biblical balance in our celebration of the LS.
In my internet surfing I found several examples of SBC churches having the Lord’s Table available every Sunday in a designated room.
For example, one church in the Houston area has the Lord’s Table in the “bride’s room” every Sunday between certain hours. I don’t know if this replaces or augments having the Lord’s Table service during a regular morning or evening service.
The benefit of this is that people who have committments outside the main Sunday morning/evening service (such as working in kid’s church or the nursery) can still participate. Also, the separate service is in a more intimate atmosphere where the elements are served when people are seated at a table. I believe in these contexts the Lord’s Table is served by an assistant pastor (such as pastor of outreach) augmented by several deacons/elders.
Roger Simpson Oklahoma City OK
Brother Chris,
I think we are in complete harmony. Anything can be overdone in legalism, and as Southern Baptists, we have a history of finding ways to do just that more than I care to remember. Your example from Israel is well noted as a perfect example of legalism carried out in modern days like it was Jesus’ day.
The reason I think it is important for Christians to pay attention to and even emphasize the Lord’s Feasts is that they do point to Him. Last year, I did a preaching series explaining the feasts and how they told and still tell Christ’s story. I have noticed that some Christian preachers in the “prosperity gospel” vein have taken these up and started to corrupt their understanding in the same way that they do with much of the rest of the Old Testament. The feasts can be used as a testimony to Jews and to unbelievers of God’s plan in action. The fact that the Jews “acted out” God’s plan every year for 1500 years before Christ came on the scene is just as powerful a testimony as any other fulfilled prophecy.
Another reason to know about and understand the feasts is that it brings the New Testament into better understanding. I just did a paper for a class in New Testament I about John’s use of the feasts in his gospel to show Jesus as the Messiah, and I am amazed at how much Paul referred to them in his writings. Paul used common feast references in his letters that many Christians simply don’t see, because they don’t know the terminology.
Thanks for your patience with me as well. I hope I don’t come across as preachy, but I do have a passion to share what I have learned when I think it can benefit others as well.
Thanks and God bless,
Jeff
Brother Jeff,
I like your kind of preaching! …and passion as well.
Blessings,
Chris
Brother Chris,
Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy the chance for friendly dialog and discussion, iron sharpening iron as it were.
Blessings,
Jeff
There is a baptist church near my city (here in the Middle East) that celebrates Communion weekly. I don’t know the whole story behind it, but really, can one find ANY example in all of Eastern Christianity of anything otherwise?
That baptist church was planted, btw, by SBC folks many years ago.
My own life represents a move from Baptistic Christianity to Anglicanism precisely because I (and my wife, also from a Baptistic background) felt that celebrating Communion weekly (with its accompanying liturgy–still evangelical though) was edifying and healthy for us.
Perhaps a move back to a more frequent re-member-ance of our Lord’s life and sacrifice, resurrection and return, will be a great blessing to the mission of SBC churches throughout the world. I certainly think it will be.
Brother Abu,
That was kind of the point in my post,…. if the Lord’s Supper is not a distraction to ones life… then just what value does it engender?
It appears to me…that in Western (individualistic) culture, the command to remember the Lord is not well understood. You are right to say it is worth considering the implications of shunning our participation with the Lord.
Thank you for your input.
Blessings,
Chris
Greetings,
Two things. Everyone should try to find an out of print book by a scholar at Spurgeon College ( I can’t remember his name) entitled “Baptist at the Table.” It is an examination of baptist practices regarding the LS down thru the 1500-to present.
I am a bapist pastor who is about to start a mission outreach at our associational chapel conducting a service modeled on the four fold method of worship. It is basically going to be a liturgical baptist service that will include the Table each week. We are having it twice a month.
I think baptist have the LS way too infrequently. I have some conservative anglican friends and even though I’m more memorialist than they, I have learned much from them and their traditions.
Regards,
Austin