A study of communion, Exploring history, symbolism and divine directives of the Lord's Table.

1. 1
Don’t Be Late for Supper
A Study of Communion

2. Big Idea
But a man must examine
himself, and in so doing he is to
eat of the bread and drink of
the cup.
1 Corinthians 11:28 NASB 2

3. Surprise! Trouble at Corinth
But in giving this instruction, I do not praise
you, because you come together not for the
better but for the worse. For, in the first place,
when you come together as a church, I hear
that divisions exist among you; and in part I
believe it. For there must also be factions
1 Corinthians 11:17–22 3

4. Surprise! Trouble at Corinth
among you, so that those who are approved
may become evident among you. Therefore
when you meet together, it is not to eat the
Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one
takes his own supper first; and one is hungry
and another is drunk. What! Do you not have
1 Corinthians 11:17–22 4

5. Surprise! Trouble at Corinth
houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you
despise the church of God and shame those
who have nothing? What shall I say to you?
Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.
1 Corinthians 11:17–22 5

6. Coming together is a bad
thing?
But in giving this
instruction, I do
not praise you,
because you
come together
not for the
better but for
the worse.
6

7. The Problems
There are Divisions
There are Factions
Disrespect Communion
7

8. Love Feasts
Corinthian
Style
Common meal
Selfishness
Gluttony
Drunkenness
Sinfulness
8

9. Let’s Explore
9
History
Symbolism
Directives

10. Prelude to
Passover
430 years in Egypt
Slavery
Moses chosen to lead
Let my people go!
Plagues
10

11. Instituted by
God
The LORD said to Moses
and Aaron in the land of
Egypt, “This month shall
be the beginning of
months for you; it is to be
the first month of the
year to you.
Exodus 12:1–2 11

12. Choose a lamb
“Speak to all the congregation of Israel,
saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they
are each one to take a lamb for
themselves, according to their fathers’
households, a lamb for each household.
Exodus 12:3 12

13. The Lamb of God
For Christ our Passover also
has been sacrificed.
1 Corinthians 5:7 13

14. Jesus is no doubt the Lamb
Hebrews 7:27 says, “He sacrificed for sins, once for all,
when he offered himself”, and Hebrews 9:28, ”Christ was
sacrificed to take away the sins of many people.” John the
Baptizer said, ”Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world.” Peter, in 1 Peter 1:19 says, ”You were
redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or spot.” In the book of Revelation twenty
or more times it refers to Christ as the Lamb. Revelation
5:6 says, “Then I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain,
standing in the center of the throne…”. Revelation 12:11 –
”They overcame by the blood of the Lamb…”
14

15. A sign
Moreover, they shall take
some of the blood and
put it on the two
doorposts and on the
lintel of the houses in
which they eat it.
Exodus 12:7 15

16. On Earth and Heaven
and to Jesus, the mediator of
a new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood
Hebrews 12:24a 16

17. The meal
They shall eat the flesh that same night,
roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with
unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not
eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water,
but rather roasted with fire, both its head
and its legs along with its entrails. And you
Exodus 12:8–10 17

18. The meal
shall not leave any of it over until morning,
but whatever is left of it until morning, you
shall burn with fire.
Exodus 12:8–10 18

19. Unusual Cooking
Roast everything
Eat everything
Eat with bitter herbs
Only unlevened bread
Burn any leftovers
19

20. Be ready for action
Now you shall eat it in this manner:
with your loins girded, your sandals
on your feet, and your staff in your
hand; and you shall eat it in haste—
it is the LORD’S Passover.
Exodus 12:11 20

21. Not a relaxing meal
Ready to leave- coat and shoes on walking stick at
the ready. Eat quickly.
It’s the Lord’s Passover!
21

22. Judgment and Grace
For I will go through the land of Egypt on that
night, and will strike down all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and
against all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgments—I am the LORD. The blood shall
be a sign for you on the houses where you
Exodus 12:12–13 22

23. Judgement and Grace
live; and when I see the blood I will pass over
you, and no plague will befall you to destroy
you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:12–13 23

24. The Sign of Blood
Against the people, the animals even the false
gods. The idea that sin judgement is death. The
blood (substationary death of the perfect lamb)
24

25. Permanent part of being Jewish
Now this day will be a memorial to you,
and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the
LORD; throughout your generations you
are to celebrate it as a permanent
ordinance.
Exodus 12:14 25

26. Teach
And when your children say to you, ‘What
does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It
is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who
passed over the houses of the sons of Israel
in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but
spared our homes.’
Exodus 12:26–27 26

27. Seder Meal
What did the Passover look like in Jesus’ day
27

28. Karpas
Parsley hyssop
Prosperity to slavery
Dipped in saltwater (tears)
28

29. Charoset
Sweet fruit paste
Mortar for the cities built for pharaoh
Hard work is sweet
29

30. Maror
Bitter herbs horseradish
Bitterness of slavery
Brings tears
30

31. Zeroa
The lamb
Shank bone charred
31

32. Beitza
Roasted egg
Cycle of life
32

33. Matza
3 pieces of unleavened bread
33

34. The Last Supper
The first communion story
34

35. Thursday
Mark 14:12–16 (NASB95)
12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was
being sacrificed, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go
and prepare for You to eat the Passover?” 13 And He sent two of His
disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you
carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; 14 and wherever he enters, say
to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is My guest
room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ 15 “And he
himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare
for us there.” 16 The disciples went out and came to the city, and found
it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
35
Mark 14:12–16

36. Foot washing
John 13:3–20 (NASB95)
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going
back to God, 4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. 5 Then He poured
water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 So
He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do
not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” 8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him,
“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my
hands and my head.” 10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you
are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are
clean.” 12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do
you know what I have done to you? 13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 “If I then, the Lord
and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 “For I gave you an example that you also
should do as I did to you. 16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater
than the one who sent him. 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 “I do not speak of all of you. I
know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL
AGAINST ME.’ 19 “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I
am He. 20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him
who sent Me.”
36
John 13:3–20

37. The Betrayal
Matthew 26:21–25 (NASB95)
21 As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that
one of you will betray Me.” 22 Being deeply grieved, they
each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 And
He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the
bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24 “The Son of Man is
to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by
whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been
good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 And Judas,
who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
37
Matthew 26:21–25

38. The Supper
And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall
never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take
this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not
drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of
God comes.” 19 And when He had taken some bread and given
thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body
which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in
the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying,
“This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My
blood.
38
Luke 22:15–20

39. A new commandment
John 13:31 (NASB95)
31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of
Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;
John 13:32 (NASB95)
32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and
will glorify Him immediately.
John 13:34–35 (NASB95)
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all
men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another.”
39
John 13:31 -33

40. A song
Mark 14:26 (NASB95)
26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the
Mount of Olives.
Psalm 118
40
Mark 14:26

41. Don’t be late for Supper
Back to 1st Corinthians
41

42. The Seriousness of Communion
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the
cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be
guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a
man must examine himself, and in so doing he is
to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he
who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to
himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
1 Corinthians 11:27–29 42

43. How
serious?
Guilty of the body and
the blood
You eat and drink
judgment on yourself
43

44. Severe
How much severer punishment do you
think he will deserve who has trampled
under foot the Son of God, and has
regarded as unclean the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified, and
has insulted the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:29 44

45. Judgement
For this reason many among
you are weak and sick, and a
number sleep.
1 Corinthians 11:30 45

46. How do we
avoid this?
Judge ourselves
46

47. We need this
But if we judged ourselves rightly, we
would not be judged. But when we are
judged, we are disciplined by the Lord
so that we will not be condemned
along with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:31–32 47

48. Judging ourselves is a discipline
Test yourselves to see if you are in the
faith; examine yourselves! Or do you
not recognize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you—unless
indeed you fail the test?
2 Corinthians 13:5 48

49. This is part of a loving relationship
Those whom I love, I
reprove and discipline;
therefore be zealous
and repent.
49

50. Communion
What does it mean?
50

51. Holy Communion
For I received from the Lord that
which I also delivered to you,
1 Corinthians 11:23a 51

52. The Bread
…that the Lord Jesus in the night in which
He was betrayed took bread; and when
He had given thanks, He broke it and
said, “This is My body, which is for you;
do this in remembrance of Me.”
1 Corinthians 11:24 52

53. The bread his body
For communion Jesus did not identify as the lamb
perhaps too close to the old covenant. He chose
instead the bread to symbolize unity.
1 Corinthians 10:16–17…Is not the cup of blessing
which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not
the bread which we break a sharing in the body of
Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many
are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.
53

54. His prounouncement
This is My body, which is
for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.
54

55. The Cup
In the same way He took the cup also after
supper, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant in My blood; do this, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
1 Corinthians 11:25 55

56. The Cup of the New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NASB95)
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the
covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to
bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I
was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. 33 “But this is the covenant which I
will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will
put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people. 34 “They will not teach again, each man his
neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all
know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD,
“for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
56

57. Christ’s Pronouncement
do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance
of Me.”
57

58. What is Communion?
For as often as you eat this bread
and drink the cup, you proclaim
the Lord’s death until He comes.
1 Corinthians 11:26 58

59. 59
Don’t Be Late for Supper
A Study of Communion