SUMMARIES ON THE LORD'S SUPPER

Summaries

Regarding the cross, the meaning of the bread and the cup can be summarized as follows:
BREAD	CUP
Deliverance from sin	Forgiveness for sin
Deliverance from the power of sin	Deliverance from the penalty of sin
Sanctification	Justification
Crucified with Christ	Forgiven in Christ
Deliverance from sin	Deliverance from death
Deliverance from sin and self	Deliverance from death
Authority over sin and self	Authority over death (curses)
Authority over the devil and his ability to keep us in bondage to some sin	Authority over the devilâ€™s ministry of death and curses in some area of our life
He bore our grief and sorrow, our infirmities and sicknesses in His body. Our bodies are now free to function right. (Isaiah 53:4, Matt. 8:17)	He broke the curse of sickness. (Isaiah 53:5, Mark 2:5-12, James 5:14-15) Sickness seen here as a penalty for sin. The blood paid the price
Bread of Affliction (Duet. 16:3) (the pain of making an abrupt change and coming out of Egypt and sin)	Cup of Blessing (1 Cor. 10:16) (the blessing that follows deliverance and obedience)
Deliverance out of Egypt (sin)	Deliverance from the judgment of the Egyptians (penalty for sin)
Feast of Unleavened Bread	Feast of Passover
Parting of the Red Sea (picture of cross)	Angel of Death passing over the blood (picture of cross)
Scapegoat (Day of Atonement) He bore our iniquities away. Lev.16:21-22	Goat of the sin offering (Day of Atonement)

Regarding the resurrected, Spirit-filled life, the meaning of the bread and cup can be summarized as follows. At the cross, we were delivered from sin and death into the following.
BREAD	CUP
Righteousness	Life
Obedience	Blessing (Cup of Blessing)
Walking in Love	God meeting our needs
Character development	God meeting our needs
Commands (in the Word)	Promises (in the Word)
A particular command in the Word	The corresponding promise for that command
Sowing	Reaping
Action	Consequence
Being good	Godâ€™s goodness to us
Leading of the Spirit	Spirit of life
Fruit of the Spirit (the fruit displays Godâ€™s character)	Gifts of the Spirit (the gifts meet desperate needs)
The Body is for doing	The Blood is for life (Life as in nourishment, support, sustenance)
Eating the doings of Jesus	Drinking the abundant life of Jesus
Doing what Jesus would do	Seeing Jesus as my source for all of my needs (source of life)
Taking a step of faith for your healing (action lead by the Spirit)	The Spirit will give life to your mortal body (the Spirit of Life will minister power for healing in response to action and faith)
The Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil (obedience issues)	The Tree of life
Righteousness in Heaven	Eternal Life in Heaven

1 Corinthians 11:26 implies that the body and blood (bread and cup) proclaim the Lordâ€™s death. It is also true that through these elements we can see through the cross into resurrection life. The body and blood also are a picture of the resurrected, Spirit-filled life of the believer. The full meaning of the bread involves dying to self (cross) and living for God (resurrection). The full meaning of the cup involves being delivered from death (cross) into life (resurrection). Thus we have the death and resurrection seen in each element of the Lordâ€™s Supper.

Amazingly, the entire Christian life is seen and summarized in the bread and the cup; or in these two basic themes. The law and the prophets of the Old Testament; the teachings of Jesus; the doctrines of the apostles regarding the Christian lifestyle; the Lordâ€™s death and resurrection; they are all summarized by these two elements, or by the two basic themes these elements represent!

The above paragraph should make sense to us. If we eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus with understanding, we are in a sense becoming one with all of Him; we are becoming one with His whole person. We are becoming Jesus on the earth today. In a sense, eating and drinking all of Jesus would be the entire Christian life and walk.

Some might object to the above summaries. They might feel that this teaching on the bread involves people working for their salvation. The answer to this objection would be as follows: we are saved out of our sin (bread), not just from the penalty of our sin (cup).

Also, we are saved into good works (bread). Modern day theology teaches deliverance from the penalty of sin. The bread declares the rest of the story.

Some might wonder why the Lordâ€™s Supper starts with the bread, and not with a message of forgiveness. One answer to this question would be that the Lordâ€™s Supper is a picture of the Christian life. Although the Lordâ€™s Supper clearly implies what the meaning of salvation is, the entire Christian walk is the theme. Generally, people do not come to the Lordâ€™s Supper to get saved. The Lordâ€™s Supper is for people who already are saved. Also, it should be noted that in Leviticus 1, the first offering mentioned is the burnt offering which is an offering related to sanctification. The sin offerings relating primarily to justification are mentioned fourth and fifth.

Understanding the order of the elements can be had by understanding that people live subject to the rules of action and consequence. Sin (action) leads to death (consequence). The body of Christ means deliverance from sin while the blood of Christ means deliverance from death. Righteousness (action) leads to life (consequence). The body of Christ means living for righteousness while the blood of Christ means experiencing Godâ€™s life. Even for the Christian, actions release cursing or blessing.