Join us in a thoughtful exploration of the Last Supper, as we discuss its historical context and spiritual teachings. Learn about the early church’s practice of the Lord’s Supper, and how it serves as a weekly reminder of Christ’s sacrifice. This study seeks to enrich our understanding and devotion, encouraging listeners to partake in this significant Christian observance with renewed appreciation.
The last supper of Jesus Christ. Oh, my. His final meal on this earth. And, you know, friends, that meal still feeds many today. Let’s see who and how. That’s today from the International Gospel Hour. Please stay right here.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. We’re so glad you’ve decided to listen to our program today. In a world of challenges, we need God’s Word to help us face those challenges. Thank you for joining us in this period of Bible study with our speaker, Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. So let’s listen today. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web for his kind words. And greetings to all of you. Great having you with us here on our studies from the International Gospel Hour. You can reach out to us anytime through our toll-free number, 855-444-6988. We’d love to hear from you, our listeners. If you ever would like to give us a call and just tell us the station you’re listening to our broadcast, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. That’s internationalgospelhour.com. Feel free to peruse our website. You can go to our previous shows link and hear programs before. You can also hear our Hispanic podcast with our brother and friend Marlon Ratana of the SpanishBibleSchool.org. You can also write to us at P.O. Box 118 Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334. That’s P.O. Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334. Again, we appreciate you listening to us and studying the Word of God with us. And our study today will look at the last night of the life of Christ and the Last Supper. Now, we read of that in the Gospel accounts of Matthew 26, verses 17-30, Mark 14, 12-26, and Luke 22, 14-22. Through inspiration, the Apostle Paul refers to that night in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, to where he refers to the Lord’s Supper. And through inspiration, Paul takes the Last Supper and instructs how we are to remember through the Lord’s Supper this day. A meal then still feeds many today. 1 Corinthians 11, 23-26 says… For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you, do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner he also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, this do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till he comes. In 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 20, Paul calls this the Lord’s Supper. So the Last Supper of Christ instructed the early church, and yes, the church of Christ today, to remember or proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes by partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Now there are other phrases in Scripture for the Lord’s Supper. The phrase, the breaking of bread, from Acts 2 and verse 42, Acts 20 and verse 7, and 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 16. In Acts 20 and verse 7 we find where they gathered upon the first day of the week. And in the context, every first day of the week, the church remembers the death of our Lord through the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. It is interesting that upon the first day of the week, we were commanded to lay by in store or to give, 1 Corinthians 16, 1 and 2. Isn’t it strange that there are churches today that will give every Lord’s Day, but they will remember the Lord’s Supper only on occasion? Yet, the phrase, first day of the week, remains the same. What about the cup of the Lord or the table of the Lord? The Lord’s Supper is referred to there, 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 21. The phrases is what I’m trying to say, the cup of the Lord or the table of the Lord. Also to gather for communion, 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 16, as the church communes together with one another and with Christ in remembering His death through the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. So yes, friends, the Last Supper of Christ still feeds many today as the Lord’s Supper. We’re going to think further on this avenue of worship that churches should observe every first day of the week. We’ll be back in just a few seconds and continue this study.
SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 01 :
Consider with me a couple of areas. First, the deliverance of the Lord’s Supper. Now again in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 23, Paul says this is a delivered command. The word delivered is what is received from the Lord. So we make no mistake about it. The Lord’s Supper is divinely given by our Lord Jesus Christ. He expects His church that He promised and that He purchased, when assembled together on the first day of the week, to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Now, friend, might I graciously ask, does the church where you assemble observe the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day? Can one imagine a church not doing so? The very one who promised and purchased the church should be remembered through the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. They also took bread, and it was unleavened bread, for it was from the Passover feast. Now, again, we refer back to the gospel accounts. No other type bread was used then, nor should a different type be used now. And the bread reminds us of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they took of the fruit of the vine, or the grape of vines. Scholars teach that that was some of the very best diluted in a type of fruit of the vine. The fruit of the vine reminds us of His blood. So the Lord’s Supper is a command as the church comes together, how Christians are to partake, and they are to proclaim the death of the Lord. So we understand the Lord’s Supper is delivered, it is received from the Lord, instructed for us to remember the Lord’s death upon the first day of the week. Now the proclamation of the Lord’s Supper, let’s consider that. Back to 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 26, we are to proclaim or show the Lord’s death until He comes. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, it reminds us through the Lord’s death of how we should live and conduct our lives. We are to discern the Lord’s body. We note that as we look toward the end of 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 29 that we’ll see in a moment. We are to discern the Lord’s body or to make it separate and understand what we are doing at that moment to show His death. May we submit to you a three-fold direction in the proclamation or the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Let’s look back at the cross where He died. We show His death. We look toward the return till He comes. We saw that in verse 26. So we long for the Lord’s return and we remember His death so He will not forget us for eternal life. And then we look at ourselves. We look inwardly. Listen to verse 27 of 1 Corinthians 11. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner… will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. The phrase unworthy manner is to partake in a disrespectful way, not according to the delivered teaching, to remember the Lord’s death upon the first day of the week. When we dig deeper in the context of 1 Corinthians 11, there were individuals bringing their meals from home and making that the Lord’s Supper. Paul instructed them such was not the case, that they should eat that at home, but he also reminds them of the body and the blood of the Lord. He goes on in verse 28 and says, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. In other words, he’s not understanding and following according to what has been delivered, the teaching of the Lord’s Supper. He is to show the Lord’s death by partaking of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine upon every first day of the week to remember His death until He comes. Friends, this is a humbling thought, as one assembles each and every Lord’s Day, and how thankful we are for these thoughts and instruction about the Lord’s Supper. Sometimes it is said, well, if you take it every Lord’s Day, doesn’t it become old hat or do you just go through the motions? Well, friends, that could be with everything. If we’re going through the motions, then we need to get back to the emotion and the devotion of what the Scripture says. Oh, no, friends, it doesn’t get old. It keeps the Christian new to think of the death that redeemed him in remembering the death of our Lord through the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. Friends, maybe we prompt you to think on other things through our studies. We hope that we do. We hope that you will search the Scriptures to see if these things are correct. And we also love to offer a number of free tools. Everything we offer from International Gospel Hour is free. I’m going to pause for our J-Web to tell you very quickly about our Bible study course by mail that we’d love for you to try absolutely free. Then I’ll come back and wrap up our broadcast today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Our well-received Bible study course by mail is available to everyone absolutely free. Would you like to try it? All you do is call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. Again, it’s free. Give it a try. And it’s from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, friends, again, how thankful we are to look at the Last Supper of Christ and to see the Lord’s Supper today as the church assembles. Let’s continue our studies from the Word of God at another time, and thank you for joining me today here on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening today. May this study prompt your search of God’s word for his will in your life. To assist you in your study or to listen to our other programs, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com. To God be the glory. God be with you till we meet again.
