CD - Benefits of the Lord’s Supper? - Romans 6:8-9

It has been said, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” In the Lord’s Supper the main thing is bread and wine, body and blood and forgiveness of sins. In the Lord’s Supper we are being given bread and wine and body and blood. What does it mean, then, if a person does not recognize the bread and wine in the supper, or what if a person does not recognize the body and blood in the supper? Jesus took bread and said, “Take eat, this is My body.” He took the cup (of wine) and said, “Take drink, this is My blood.” How can we and who are we to say that there is no bread or wine or no body or blood?

The main thing of the Lord’s Supper is bread and wine and body and blood. With this bread and wine and body and blood we are given forgiveness of sins. As our Bible reading says, “if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” “Do this in remembrance of Me” means that we are participating in the Lord’s death and resurrection. His death becomes our death. His resurrection becomes our resurrection. He died the eternal death penalty for us, in our place, thus we have complete forgiveness of sins. And with forgiveness comes the gifts of life and salvation. Heaven is ours by God’s grace. Heaven is ours, made ours by Jesus’ death and resurrection and our forgiveness.

The main thing in the Lord’s Supper is bread and wine and body and blood and forgiveness. In his Gospel John begins by telling us the “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and tented among us” (John 1:1,14). Jesus is the Word. In the Lord’s Supper He is the tangible Word. He is the Word which we feel and taste as we are given His body and blood in, with and under the bread and wine.

The main thing of the Lord’s Supper is bread and wine and body and blood and forgiveness of sins. An extra benefit of the Lord’s Supper is a shared communion with others who confess what we confess, thus the name, Holy Communion. This Holy Communion is not the main thing, but is an added benefit. To come to the table to share in the Lord’s body and blood does not make us one in faith. It is our oneness in faith which brings us to share in this means of bread and wine and body and blood. It is not the homecoming celebration which makes us members of the class, but the class that brings us to the homecoming celebration.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Supper. Thank You for Your body and blood in, with and under the bread and wine. Thank You for forgiveness, life and salvation. And thank You for the fellowship with others in this Your Holy Meal. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.