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THE LORD’S SUPPER
THE great object for commemoration, under the Jewish dispensation, was, the redemption of that people out of Egypt: and that which ought to occupy our minds is, the infinitely greater redemption which has been vouchsafed to us, from all the miseries of death and hell, through the mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The one was typical of the other, both in the means and in the end. The deliverance of the Jewish first-born from the sword of the destroying angel was effected by the blood of the Paschal lamb sprinkled on the doors and lintels of their houses; and that which we experience is through the blood of God’s only dear Son, shed for us, and sprinkled on us. In remembrance of the former, the Passover was instituted, and the people ate the Paschal lamb: in remembrance of the latter, the Lord’s Supper was instituted; and we receive the consecrated bread and wine as memorials of the body and blood of Christ. The latter of these ordinances supersedes the former; and will itself continue to the end of time in remembrance of our Redeemer’s death. To enter fully into the passage before us, we must notice the Lord’s Supper,
I. As instituted by Christ—
It was instituted at the close of the Paschal Feast, and with a special reference to the circumstances with which that ordinance was administered. But, without entering into minute particulars, which we have only on the authority of Jewish Rabbins, and which are more curious than useful, we may observe, that this Supper was instituted,
1. As a commemorative sign—
[Our blessed Lord was just about to suffer and to die for the sins of men. In order, therefore, that this mystery might never be forgotten, he brake the bread, in token of “his body given for men;” and poured out the wine, in token of “his blood shed for them;” and expressly commanded, that in all future ages this ceremony should be observed “in remembrance of him [Note: ver. 19.].” It was to be a “shewing forth of his death till he should come again” at the end of the world, to take all his redeemed people to himself [Note: 1Co_11:26.]. The one great end for which he died was also in this way to be made known to all succeeding generations. The redemption of mankind was the subject of a covenant entered into between the Father and the Son; the Son engaging to make his soul an offering for sin; and the Father engaging, that, when this should be effected, his Son should see a seed who should prolong their days; and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hands; yea, “he should see of the travail of his soul, and should be satisfied [Note: Isa_53:10-11.].” By the shedding of Christ’s blood this covenant was ratified; and the cup which was administered in remembrance of it, was to be to all mankind a memorial, that, on the Redeemer’s part, every thing was effected for the salvation of men, and that all who would embrace the covenant so ratified should assuredly be saved. “The cup was the New Testament in his blood;” or, in other words, it represented the new covenant which that blood had both ratified and sealed.]
2. As an instructive emblem—
[The killing of the Paschal lamb was not sufficient: the people must feed upon it, in the manner which God himself had prescribed. So neither is it sufficient that by the breaking of the bread, and the pouring out of the wine, we commemorate the death of Christ. Were the ordinance merely commemorative, that would have answered the end: but it is intended emblematically to shew forth the way in which we are to obtain an interest in the Redeemer’s death. We must apply it, every one of us, to ourselves: we must feed upon it; and by so doing declare our affiance in it: we must shew, that, as our bodies are nourished by bread and wine, so we hope to have our souls nourished by means of union and communion with our blessed and adorable Redeemer. Hence the command given to every one, to eat the bread, and to drink the cup. And a more instructive ordinance cannot be conceived; since it shews, that it is by an actual fellowship with Christ in his death, and by that alone, that we can ever become partakers of the benefits which it has procured for us.]
But my text leads me to notice the Lord’s Supper more particularly,
II. As still honoured with his peculiar presence—
When our blessed Lord said that “he would no more drink of the fruit of the vine, till he should drink it new with his Disciples in the kingdom of God,” he intimated, that there was to be at least some period when he would again hold communion with them in that blessed ordinance. In his life-time he did not: for, on the very day after he had instituted it, he was put to death. Nor did he at any time during the forty days of his continuance on earth, after his resurrection. For, though it is true that “he ate and drank with his Disciples after he was risen from the dead [Note: Act_10:41.],” yet he never again partook of the Passover, or of the Lord’s Supper; but merely ate and drank, in order to shew that he was not a Spirit only, but that he possessed a body that was capable of performing all the proper functions of the body. Nevertheless, he had, and ever will have, communion with his people in that ordinance; for he has said, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them:” and again; “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world.”
His kingdom, properly speaking, is now come—
[The Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, continually represent the Christian dispensation as the establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom upon earth. This kingdom is called “the kingdom of God;” and it is that which the Father establishes, through the agency of the Holy Ghost. And this is the kingdom spoken of in my text: for, when Christ had accomplished the redemption of the world by his death and resurrection, then was all that had been typified in the redemption from Egypt, all that had been prefigured in the Paschal feast, and all that was shadowed forth in the Supper of the Lord, “fulfilled [Note: Luk_22:16; Luk_22:18.]:” and, consequently, the time was come for the renewed manifestations of his presence in this sacred ordinance. True, indeed, corporeally he appears amongst us no more: but spiritually he does; and, according to his promise, “he comes to us and makes his abode with us [Note: Joh_14:21; Joh_14:23.],” and “sups with us [Note: Rev_3:20.].”]
Now, therefore, does he execute what he gave us reason to expect—
[He truly, though spiritually, feasts with us, when we are assembled around the table of the Lord. It was not only because of the command that the ordinance should be observed, but on account of the blessing which they obtained in the administration of it, that the first Christians observed it every day [Note: Act_2:42; Act_2:46.], and for ages continued the observance of it on the Sabbath-day [Note: Act_20:7.]. And, though I am not aware of any express promise of a more than ordinary manifestation of the Saviour’s presence in that sacred ordinance, yet I believe that he does seal it with a peculiar blessing; and I will venture to appeal to the experience of many before me, whether he does not then more particularly “draw nigh to those who there draw nigh to him [Note: Jam_4:8.]; and whether he has not again and again, in a more abundant measure, “made himself known to them in the breaking of bread [Note: Luk_24:35.]?” I think that of spiritual worshippers, there are few who will not attest the truth of these remarks.]
But we shall not have a just view of the Lord’s Supper, unless we contemplate it,
III. As realized and completed in the eternal world—
Then will the whole mystery of redemption be complete; and then will the kingdom of the Messiah, which is now established upon earth, “be delivered up to God, even the Father, that God may be all in all [Note: 1Co_15:24; 1Co_15:28.].”
Then shall we spiritually renew this feast—
[Of that time our Saviour spake, when he said, “I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel [Note: Luk_22:29-30.].” There we read, that “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are sitting at the table,” with all the myriads of the redeemed [Note: Mat_8:11.]; and there is Lazarus leaning on his bosom [Note: Luk_16:23.], exactly as John leaned on the bosom of the Lord Jesus at the Paschal feast, when this Supper was instituted [Note: Joh_13:23; Joh_13:25; Joh_21:20.]. There shall all the redeemed of the Lord be in due time assembled; and there will the great work of redemption occupy all their minds, precisely as it does when we surround the table of the Lord. There, at this moment, they are “singing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth [Note: Rev_5:9-10.].” This, by its reference to the redemption of the world, may well be called “The Song of Moses and of the Lamb [Note: Rev_15:3.]:” and to all eternity will “this wine be new” to those who drink it; the wonders of redeeming love being more and more unfolded to every admiring and adoring soul.]
And will the Lord Jesus Christ partake of it with us?
[Yes, he will: “The very Lamb of God himself, who is in the midst of the throne, will feed us, and lead us unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes [Note: Rev_7:17.].” Did he break the bread, and administer the cup to his Disciples when on earth? So will he at the feast in heaven: as he himself has said, “He will gird himself, and make us sit down to meat, and himself come forth and serve us [Note: Luk_12:37.].” It is indeed but little that we know of the heavenly world: but this, at all events, we may say: He will appear there as “a Lamb that has been slain [Note: Rev_5:6.];” and under this character will he be the light, the joy, the glory of all the hosts of heaven [Note: Rev_21:23.], administering to all, and glorified in all [Note: 2Th_1:10.].]
Upon this subject I would ground the following advice:
1. Get just views of this ordinance—
[Respecting those who profane it, as a mere qualification for civil offices, I say nothing. I leave them to God and their own consciences. They may be well assured I can say nothing in their favour: nor do I think that it is a light account which they have to give to Him who appointed the ordinance for other ends, which, alas! they altogether overlook. But there are two mistakes which I would endeavour to rectify; the one is, that the ordinance, as an act, recommends us to God; and the other is, that no one should venture to observe the ordinance till he has made attainments of the highest order in religion: the one of these errors leads to the indulgence of self-righteous hopes; the other operates to the production of slavish fears. Respecting the sanctity of the ordinance, I would not say a word that should diminish the apprehension of it in the mind of any human being. But we should remember what it is, and for what end it was appointed. It is precisely what the Paschal feast was: and as every child of Abraham partook of that, so should every one who truly believes in Christ partake of this. And, in fact, the whole body of Christians did, for many ages, observe it. No one felt himself at liberty to neglect it: nor would any man have been accounted a Christian, indeed, if he had neglected it. This then shews, that none who desire to serve and honour God should abstain from it. They should come to it, to express their gratitude to the Lord Jesus for what he has done for them, and to obtain fresh supplies of grace and peace at his hands. Yet no one should think that the performance of this duty has any such charm in it, as to recommend him to God, and to conciliate the Divine favour. It is Christ alone that can save us: and, whether we seek him in this or any other ordinance, it is He alone that can reconcile us to God. It is not the act of praying, or the act of communicating at his table, that can form any legitimate ground of hope: it is on Christ, as apprehended by faith, that we must rely; and it is only so far as we exercise a simple faith on him, that we can justly hope for acceptance with our God. Let the ordinance, then, be viewed aright. It is a memorial of the death of Christ, and a medium of communion with Christ, whose body and blood we feed upon in the sacred elements, and by whom we are strengthened for all holy obedience. Let the ordinance be observed in this way, and we shall find it a good preparative for heaven, yea, and an earnest and foretaste of heaven itself.]
2. Seek to realize the great truths declared in it—
[Here you behold Christ giving himself for you. In the bread broken, and the wine poured forth, you behold his agonies even unto death, even those agonies which have expiated your guilt, and obtained the remission of your sins. O let the sight fill you with holy joy and gratitude; and let it encourage your access to God, even though you had a thousand times greater guilt upon you than ever was contracted by any child of man! The death of Christ was a propitiation for the sins of the whole world: and if every sinner in the universe would look to him, it would suffice to conciliate the Divine favour in his behalf, and to save them all, without exception. In a full confidence of this, take the sacred elements within your lips, and expect from God all those blessings which his dear Son has purchased for you— — —]
3. Look forward to the feast prepared for you in heaven—
[Soon, very soon, shall you be called to “the supper of the Lamb in heaven,” and there see the Redeemer and his redeemed all feasting together in endless bliss. May we not well say, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of our God [Note: Luk_14:15.]?” Anticipate, then, this blessed day. Watch and wait for your summons hence: survey the glories that shall then encompass you on every side: and let it be your one endeavour now to get “the wedding garment,” that shall qualify you to be acceptable guests at that table. Remember, that “Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us [Note: 1Co_5:7.].” Remember that even in this world it is your privilege to “keep the feast” from day to day. And be assured, that the more constantly and entirely you feed on Christ below, the better shall you be prepared for the nearest intercourse with him above, and the fullest possible communication of all his blessings to your souls.]