In the Church, there are two important ordinances that we hold to and practice in our worship services. These are baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Communion. Next Sunday we will celebrate baptism. Today we will observe the Lord’s Supper. They are called ordinances because they are direct commands from our Lord (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). Let’s look at the account in 1 Corinthians.

(1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

There are several accounts of the observance of Communion in Scripture (Matthew/Mark/Luke/1 Corinthians). Two basic elements are involved: the cup and the bread. The bread symbolizes the body of Jesus, and the cup symbolizes Christ’s blood. The New Testament references the blood of Jesus by referring to it as the “cup.” One vital thing to note is not whether we use wine or grape juice, but it is the cup that represents the blood of Jesus Christ.

Communion reminds us of four vital truths.

1. God is our Deliverer

“I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I am Yahweh; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the LORD. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.

In this passage, God’s people were in bondage and made slaves to the Egyptians. But He had already promised Abraham that He would make his name great and that his offspring would become God’s chosen people. He would deliver them out of this bondage. This is finally accomplished when God sent plagues and the death angel to come over the land and people of Egypt.

Looking forward, God would send His only Son whose blood would be shed. His blood would be applied to the heart of man, and He will pass over him in His judgment. Christ took the judgment for your sins and my sins. The Lord’s Supper is the New Passover.

2. Jesus is our Sacrifice

(Luke 22:14-16) When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

Sundown marked the official beginning of the Passover. Jesus wanted His disciples to be ready for what was going to happen. The next day, when Christ died, the meaning of the Passover meal was shown to be true. Passover was both a reminder of how God saved the Israelites from Egypt, and a sign of what Christ would do on the cross.

When we drink the juice, the symbolism is that the juice came from the grape which has yielded its juice under great pressure. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the winepress (the cross) under great pressure. He suffered and yielded His blood for us under great pressure, just as the grape yielded its juice. So the symbolic nature of grape juice is not whether it is acholic or wine. It represents Jesus’ blood, yielded under great pressure and suffering.

Every time we eat the Lord’s Supper together, we are not only remembering God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and His deliverance of us from sin, but we are also remembering the Lord Jesus Christ's sacrifice. We are to remember His death. The Lord’s Supper is a special meal for the Christian because it brings honor and glory to Christ. It is a way, place, and time to remember Him.

3. God is true to His Word

(Jeremiah 31:31-34) “Look, the days are coming”—this is the LORD’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke even though I had married them” —the LORD’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the LORD’s declaration. “I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them” —this is the LORD’s declaration. “For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin.”

What's the connection between the church and the New Covenant? Is the New Covenant being preserved in the church right now? In the end, the New Covenant will be fully fulfilled when Israel is reunited with its God at the end of the Millennium. Just like the Mosaic Covenant (Jeremiah 31:32), the New Covenant was made with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). One of the most important parts of the New Covenant is that Israel will be preserved as a nation (Jeremiah 31:35–37). But even though this covenant won't be fully fulfilled until Christ rules for a thousand years, the church is already getting some of the benefits of it.

The covenant began with Christ's death (Matthew 26:27–28; Luke 22:20), and the church shares in many of the spiritual blessings that were promised to Israel (see Romans 11:11–27; Ephesians 2:11–22), including the New Covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 8:6–13; 9:15; 12:22–24). But even though the church is a real part of the New Covenant, it is not the end of God's promise. Even though Christians today enjoy the spiritual benefits of the New Covenant (forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit), this does not mean that Israel will not also receive spiritual and physical benefits. That won't happen until Israel admits its sin and asks the Messiah to forgive it (Zechariah 12:10–13:1).

4. Jesus is Coming Back for us

When Paul said, “do this till He comes,” he was reminding us that Jesus would come again. Paul says that it is a reminder that Jesus is coming back. It is also a reminder that we must keep our hearts ready and stay in a state of constant self-examination. We should be ready for Jesus when He comes. (John 14:1-3).