46-The Last Supper And The Communion Service - RSV

1. Jesus Was The Lamb Of God. The Lamb Was An Important Part Of The Passover.
John 1:29 The next day he 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 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the _disciples_ and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." [27] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; [28] for this is my blood of the _covenant_, which is _poured_ out for many for the _forgiveness_ of sins. [29] I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine 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_, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." [23] And he took a cup, and when he had given _thanks_ he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. [24] And he said to them, "This is my blood of the _covenant_, which is _poured_ out for many. [25] Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again 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 And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. [15] And he said to them, "I have _earnestly_ _desired_ to eat this _passover_ with you before I suffer; [16] for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is _fulfilled_ in the kingdom of God." [17] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among _yourselves_; [18] for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." [19] And he took bread, and when he had 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 _likewise_ the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is _poured_ out for you is the new _covenant_ in my blood.

John 13:1-17 Now before the feast of the _Passover_, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to _depart_ out of this world to the Father, _having_ loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. [2] And _during_ supper, when the devil had 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, laid aside his garments, and girded _himself_ with a towel. [5] Then 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] He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" [7] Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will _understand_." [8] Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in 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 has _bathed_ does not need to wash, _except_ for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you." [11] For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "You are not all clean." [12] When he had washed _their_ feet, and _taken_ his garments, and _resumed_ his _place_, 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, 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 also _should_ do as I have done to you. [16] Truly, truly, 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 what I also _delivered_ to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, [24] 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." [25] In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new _covenant_ in 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. [27] Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an _unworthy_ manner will be _guilty_ of _profaning_ the body and blood of the Lord. [28] Let a man _examine_ himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [29] For any one who eats and drinks without _discerning_ the body eats and drinks _judgment_ upon himself.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we _break_, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? [17] _Because_ there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all _partake_ of the one bread.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21 No, I imply that what pagans _sacrifice_ they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be _partners_ with demons. [21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot _partake_ of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

4. What Is The New Covenant?
Hebrews 8:8-10 For he finds fault with them when he says: "The days will come, says the Lord, when I will _establish_ a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; [9] not like the covenant that I made with their _fathers_ on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not _continue_ in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord. [10] This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and _write_ them on their _hearts_, and I will be their God, and they _shall_ be my _people_.

Hebrews 8:13 In speaking of a new _covenant_ he treats the first as obsolete. And what is _becoming_ obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the _sprinkled_ blood that speaks more _graciously_ than the blood 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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