Why the Lord’s Supper?—Remember

Sandi and I were eating a breakfast of biscuits, bacon, and eggs as she spoke about some of our family memories. I would walk from the small house we rented from Southwestern Seminary to attend an early class. I had an hour or so break following that class, and I would walk back to the house. Sandi would have a bacon, egg, and biscuit breakfast waiting. Mark and Angela, our two-year old twins would meet me at the corner of our yard when it was good weather. What memories!

The Lord’s Supper is about memories of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some could ask, "Why have the Lord’s Supper anyway?" Jesus Christ says, "Do this in remembrance of Me."

1 Corinthians 11:28

The table at the front of our worship center or sanctuary has these words, "In Remembrance of Me." This is true for just about every church sanctuary I have ever seen. My earliest childhood memories of churches where my parents carried me to worship have the same words inscribed on the table at the front. Even on Sundays when the Lord’s Supper is not being served, the unspoken witness is present—"In Remembrance of Me."

First, the emphasis is upon "Who" we remember more than "what" we remember. The "Who" is our Lord Jesus Christ. We remember the historical Jesus of the Gospels and of the Old and New Testaments. This emphasis is spoken twice here in 1 Corinthians 11. There is verse 24. "Take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Also, there is verse 25. "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

We are not able to exhaust all we should claim about remembering our Lord when we eat the bread and drink the cup. However, let us begin by remembering our Lord’s death. Today would be an opportune time to read the Gospel accounts of our Lord’s death on the cross.

Also, we can be encouraged as we remember His presence. We are in His presence this at the moment. For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20)." We have the promise of Isaiah 43: 1b-3a.

We can remember the command for review or self-examination. "But let a man examine himself and so let him eat the bread and drink the cup (1 Corinthians 1:28)." This kind of testing, evaluation, or examination is usually done by someone else. This can be difficult sometimes. However, so is self-evaluation.

I have listened to recordings of my preaching. Is that my voice? Why is my accent so twangy? Why am I so loud? Why do I preach too fast? The self-evaluation is even worse when I view a DVD.

This moment of self-evaluation must be under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The criterion or the standard of self-evaluation must be the Bible.

This should start with our commitment to take up the cross of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is about remembering His death on the cross. We should remember His words, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up His cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23)."

Self-evaluation under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit will reveal our sins.

This self-evaluation causes us to remember our Lord’s grace. Paul Powell wrote a chapter on the Lord’s Supper entitled "We Remember! We Remember!" He writes…

This morning, as we eat the bread and drink the cup, may we remember our Lord’s grace.