46-The Last Supper And The Communion Service - NKJ

1. Jesus Was The Lamb Of God. The Lamb Was An Important Part Of The Passover.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming _toward_ him, and said, "_Behold_! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

2. The Account Of The Communion Service In The Four Gospels.
Matthew 26:26-30 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the _disciples_ and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." [27] Then He took the cup, and gave _thanks_, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. [28] For this is My blood of the new _covenant_, which is shed for many for the _remission_ of sins. [29] But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My _Father's_ _kingdom_." [30] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of _Olives_.

Mark 14:22-26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." [23] Then He took the cup, and when He had given _thanks_ He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. [24] And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new _covenant_, which is shed for many. [25] _Assuredly_, I say to you, I will no _longer_ drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the _kingdom_ of God." [26] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the _Mount_ of _Olives_.

Luke 22:14-20 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. [15] Then He said to them, "With _fervent_ desire I have _desired_ to eat this _Passover_ with you before I suffer; [16] for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is _fulfilled_ in the kingdom of God." [17] Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among _yourselves_; [18] for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." [19] And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in _remembrance_ of Me." [20] _Likewise_ He also took the cup after _supper_, saying, "This cup is the new _covenant_ in My blood, which is shed for you.

John 13:1-17 Now before the feast of the _Passover_, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should _depart_ from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. [2] And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, [3] Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, [4] rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded _Himself_. [5] After that, He _poured_ water into a basin and began to wash the _disciples_' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. [6] Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You _washing_ my feet?" [7] Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not _understand_ now, but you will know after this." [8] Peter said to Him, "You shall _never_ 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, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" [10] Jesus said to him, "He who is _bathed_ _needs_ only to wash his feet, but is _completely_ clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." [11] For He knew who _would_ betray Him; _therefore_ He said, "You are not all clean." [12] So when He had washed _their_ feet, _taken_ His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? [13] You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. [14] If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also _ought_ to wash one another's feet. [15] For I have given you an _example_, that you should do as I have done to you. [16] Most _assuredly_, I say to you, a _servant_ is not greater than his _master_; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. [17] If you know _these_ things, _blessed_ are you if you do them.

3. Paul's Account Of The Communion Service And Its Purpose.
1 Corinthians 11:23-29 For I _received_ from the Lord that which I also _delivered_ to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; [24] and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." [25] In the same manner He also took the cup after _supper_, _saying_, "This cup is the new _covenant_ in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." [26] For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you _proclaim_ the Lord's death till He comes. [27] Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be _guilty_ of the body and blood of the Lord. [28] But let a man _examine_ himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [29] For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks _judgment_ to himself, not _discerning_ the Lord's body.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we _break_, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? [17] For we, _though_ many, are one bread and one body; for we all _partake_ of that one bread.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21 Rather, that the things which the _Gentiles_ sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have _fellowship_ with demons. [21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot _partake_ of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.

4. What Is The New Covenant?
Hebrews 8:8-10 Because _finding_ fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are _coming_, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- [9] not according to the covenant that I made with their _fathers_ in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not _continue_ in My covenant, and I _disregarded_ them, says the Lord. [10] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their _hearts_; and I will be their God, and they shall be My _people_.

Hebrews 8:13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is _becoming_ obsolete and _growing_ old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 12:24 To Jesus the Mediator of the new _covenant_, and to the blood of _sprinkling_ that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Participating in the communion service may be most meaningful after a person is baptized into the body of Christ and sees the need for a renewal of his or her relationship with Jesus and members of the church.

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