Introduction
The Lord’s Supper, instituted by Jesus Christ on the night before His crucifixion, is the foundational event behind a solemn observance that we participate in today.
While Christ’s entire life and ministry are significant, the Lord’s Supper is meant to direct our attention specifically to His death and the cost of our redemption.
It is not about celebration.
It is not about the resurrection of Christ.
It is about the death of Christ.
I. Biblical Foundation
A. Christ’s Explicit Instructions
During the Last Supper, Jesus clearly connected the bread and wine to His body and blood:
- “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19)
- “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20)
These words pointedly refer to His sacrificial death, not His resurrection or other aspects of His life.
This is incredibly clear.
Christ set two emblems to be used for this practice: one for His body and one for His blood.
Those are the only symbols used in this act of worship.
B. Apostolic Interpretation
The Apostle Paul provides clear guidance about the focus of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:26:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
This unambiguously emphasizes that the focus of the Lord’s Supper is on Christ’s death.
Not His resurrection.
Not His ascension.
Not His life.
Not His ministry.
Just His death.
II. Symbolic Significance
A. Elements of the Supper
The bread and wine used in the Lord’s Supper are symbols that Christ used to direct the attention of the disciples (and now ourselves):
- Bread represents Christ’s broken body
- Wine represents His shed blood
These elements specifically represent His physical sacrifice on the cross, not His resurrected state or other aspects of His ministry.
This is incredibly clear. With each passage of scripture it becomes clearer.
It becomes clear that the focus of the Lord’s Supper is strictly on His death.
B. Passover Context
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper during the Passover meal, which itself commemorates deliverance through sacrifice.
This context further emphasizes the focus on Christ’s sacrificial death as the means of our redemption.
III. Theological Implications
A. Reflection on the Cost of Redemption
By focusing on Christ’s death during the Lord’s Supper, our desire to focus on the resurrection or “celebrate” is short-circuited.
We are compelled instead to reflect on:
- The immense cost of our redemption
- The gravity of sin
- The extraordinary lengths to which God went to secure our salvation
What falls away is the desire to make this some happy occurrence.
The sacrifice of Christ was not happy.
While it produced redemption for us, the cross is nothing to celebrate.
B. Proclaiming His Death
Paul’s instruction that we “proclaim the Lord’s death” through this practice emphasizes its public aspect:
- We declare to the world the central message of the gospel
- We affirm that Christ died for our sins
Notice that nothing else is involved with this reflection.
We don’t proclaim his resurrection or ascension or even His life.
We proclaim His death.
That’s what the Bible specifically says that we proclaim and that is where the argument stops.
C. Self-Examination
The call to self-examination before partaking (1 Corinthians 11:28) is directly tied to recognizing the significance of Christ’s death:
- We consider our own sinfulness
- We acknowledge our need for the redemption provided by His sacrifice
This meditation will shortcircuit our desire to celebrate or ponder the ressurection if we do it correctly.
IV. Maintaining the Focus
While remembering Christ’s resurrection is vital to Christian faith, the specific context and symbolism of the Lord’s Supper point to a focused remembrance of His sacrificial death for our sins.
We can remember the resurrection any other time. We have all week to be joyful about the resurrection. But Christ has set one act of worship that calls us to focus specifically on His death.
A. Honoring Christ’s Instructions
By maintaining this focus, we:
- Honor Christ’s explicit instructions
- Preserve the profound meaning of this observance
B. Regular Reminder
The Lord’s Supper serves as a regular, tangible reminder of:
- The cost of our redemption
- The depth of God’s love demonstrated through Christ’s sacrifice
Conclusion
The Lord’s Supper stands as a solemn reminder to the central truth of the Christian faith – that Christ died for our sins, securing our redemption through His sacrifice.
We must focus on His death during this act of worship.
