Stories Around the Cross - The Supper

Easter is a few weeks away and CityLife Church will be presenting a 3-part experience called “The King Is Among Us”. Leading up to that time, we are sharing "Stories around the Cross" - The Supper, The Betrayal and The Denial. Today we will look at The Supper (Mark 14:12-26).

Part of our God-given humanity is the instinct to celebrate significant moments with significant meals (e.g. Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries). Sharing a meal bonds a family, a group of friends, a team, a collection of colleagues together. The meal says more than words - about who we are, how we feel about one another, and the hopes and joys we share together. We become a people who shared that meal together, with all that it meant to us.

The Jewish Passover celebration was such a meal, linking together generations around the story that told them who they were - God's people rescued from Egypt. Jesus takes this story and infuses it with new meaning, changing the script to point towards the work He would do through His death and resurrection. He instituted a new meal for us to connect deeply with Him and each other.

This sacred meal is known by a number of terms including “breaking bread”, “the table of the Lord”, “communion”, and “the Eucharist (which means thanksgiving)”. Jesus instituted this practice when eating with His disciples just before His death. Luke shows how the first disciples carried out the instructions of Jesus as they broke bread together regularly (Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7, 11. Luke 24:19, 30). This practice was originally associated with a meal (Luke 22:20. 1 Cor.11:25) but later became a separate celebration. Paul also spoke about it in his writings (1 Cor.11:23-26).

Six Dimensions of the Sacred Meal
Partaking in communion is not merely a religious exercise or tradition. It is intended to be a meaningful experience of God and His will for our lives, both personally and as a community of Christ-followers. We must not allow the routine of partaking of communion regularly turn it into a ritual rather than the significant celebration that Jesus intended for it to be. One helpful way to ensure that we retain the meaning of this sacred meal is to explore the breadth of its meaning. As we partake, we should look in at least six directions:

1. Look Backward.

In the Lord’s Supper, we look backwards to the redemptive work that Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross. His death was not an accident or that of a martyr. His death was a substitution in that He took our place and paid the price for our sins once and for all so that we could be forgiven. This was a complete act of grace and not because of any goodness or merit on our behalf. We can now rest in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross, knowing that He has done everything that needs to be done for us to be right with God. He suffered for us. His body was broken and His blood was spilt for our salvation. Communion is a powerful reminder of this foundation of our faith, which is in the finished work of the Cross of Jesus Christ, which is central to the Christian faith (Gal.6:14. Col.1:20). It may seem foolishness to those who do not believe but may it never be foolishness to the contemporary church (1 Cor.1:18). May we never forget the sacrificial gift of Christ’s life for us!

2. Look Forward.
Communion is much more than a morbid recalling of The Passion. Believers “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Cor.11:26).” In the Lord’s Supper, we look forward to the time when the Kingdom will come in full and we will enjoy personal fellowship with Jesus in a celebration meal together. We look forward with confidence each day knowing that our future is secure, whether we live or die. We look forward with joy at His return to earth to right all wrongs and to deliver us from sin and death. We look forward to a new heavens and a new earth – whether there will be no more sorrow, crying, pain or death (Rev.21:1-4). This accounts for the joy and gladness of heart in which the communion was celebrated (Acts 2:46).

3. Look Inward.
Paul reminds us that the celebration of communion is also an important time of self-examination. Those who live in blatant sin when approaching the table are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord (1 Cor.11:27-28). Communion times can be important occasions of looking inward at one’s heart and holding oneself personally accountable before God. The original Lord’s Supper was partaken of in the context of betrayal and denial. This should serve as a warning to us and a sober reminder to take heed lest we fall. Paul says that some become weak, sick and even die because of not handling this dimension of communion properly (1 Cor.11: 29-30). No doubt, Jesus’ teaching about reconciliation applies (Mt.5:23-24).

4. Look Upward.
The Lord’s Supper also looks upward as we remember that Jesus’ death on the Cross and burial in the tomb was not the end of the story. His resurrection seals the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and that His death accomplished our full salvation. We now look up with conviction and joy knowing that the Saviour lives and that He is seated at the right hand with the Father, interceding for us (Heb.7:25). Jesus is alive! His resurrection is the foundation of our faith and the assurance that we too, have been raised to walk in the power of a new life. As citizens of a new kingdom, we seek for His will to be done and His kingdom to come in its fullness.

5. Look Around.
Communion is also a time to reinforce the communal nature of this sacred meal. In John’s description of this time in Jesus’ life, he includes the well-known story of Jesus taking on the role of a servant by washing the disciple’s feet (John 13:3-16). It was a powerful reminder of the calling we have to serve one another (Matt.20:20-28). That same evening, Peter boastfully declared that he would never deny Jesus, even if the others did. This self-deceptive pride set him up for certain failure. Without others, we can so easily fall away. We need each other’s friendship, encouragement, and accountability to stay faithful as we follow Jesus together. Communion is a time to look around and remind ourselves that we need each other. We are one body in Christ, regardless of our differences.

6. Look Outward.
Finally, there is an outward dimension to the Lord’s Supper. As Paul reflects on the communion, he reminds us that as we partake we “proclaim the Lord’s death” until He comes (1 Cor.11:26). We live in a world where people need to know the good news that Jesus has provided salvation from our sins through His death on the Cross. Communion is a time to remind ourselves of those who haven’t heard or responded to this message. As we go from the table, we go with renewed commitment to pray, to love, and to share the good news of Jesus.

As we can see, there is rich and deep meaning to this ancient practice. At communion, we are to look backward (to Christ’s death), look forward (to Christ’s return), look inward (in self-examination), look upward (fellowship with God), look around (fellowship with each other), and look outward (to proclaim God’s word to others). May we all experience more and more of God’s amazing love for us as we celebrate communion together.

Discussion Questions
1. Which direction do you find most meaningful or easiest to look to, when taking communion?
2. Which direction is new to you or something you haven’t thought much about?
3. Discuss the symbolic meaning of the bread and the cup in communion.
4. In the Old Testament, the entire family partook of the Passover meal together, including the children. What implication does this have for whether children should partake of communion or not today?
5. Share with your family, friends or Life Group about what communion means to you. Pray for each other and then partake of communion together.