Communion. The What and the Why.

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11 show that the Lord’s Supper is not something to rush through, turn into a free for all, or treat like an ordinary meal. The Corinthian church had brought division right to the table, with some people eating everything, some going hungry, and some getting drunk. Paul’s correction calls the church back to what communion is meant to be: a family remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ.

Jesus takes the Passover meal and says that the bread is His body and the cup is the new covenant in His blood. The Passover had reminded God’s people of deliverance from Egypt, but Christ points to the greater deliverance happening through His own death. The new covenant required a sacrifice, and Jesus is the perfect sacrificial Lamb, spotless in every way, willingly giving Himself so sinners can have access to the Father.

The bread represents Christ’s broken body. The cup represents His blood spilled for sin. These elements do not become the literal flesh and blood of Jesus, and they do not somehow make a person more saved. The cracker is still a cracker, and the cup is still grape juice, but both are powerful symbols that call hearts back to what happened at the cross.

Paul’s warning about taking communion in an unworthy manner does not mean that only worthy people can come. No person is worthy of Christ’s love and forgiveness apart from Christ Himself. An unworthy manner looks like the Corinthian attitude: careless, selfish, divided, and unconcerned with the body of Christ. Communion calls each believer to examine personal sin, seek forgiveness, and remember that Christ’s broken body was necessary for that sin to be paid.

The new covenant belongs to those who have confessed that Jesus is Lord, believed that God raised Him from the dead, and followed that confession in baptism. Baptism does not save, but it publicly expresses what Christ has done in the heart. Communion is therefore both personal and communal: each person examines personal standing before God, while the church comes together as one family to proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Communion remembers Christ’s costly sacrifice [41:08] The bread and cup bring attention back to the cross, where Jesus willingly gave His body and blood for sinners. Communion does not merely remember a sad historical event. It remembers the very sacrifice that established peace between God and His people. The table should therefore carry both sorrow over sin and deep gratitude for grace. [41:08]
• 2. The symbols point beyond themselves [46:37] The cracker and grape juice do not become Christ’s literal body and blood. Their power is not found in a change of substance but in what they faithfully represent. Like a picture that brings a real event back to mind, the elements direct the heart toward Christ’s death. Symbols matter because the reality they point toward matters infinitely more. [46:37]
• 3. No sinner comes to the table worthy [50:54] Worthiness does not come from a clean record, perfect week, or religious performance. Christ alone makes sinners acceptable before God through His sacrifice. Paul’s warning concerns a careless manner, not a demand for sinless people. Honest repentance and trust in Christ are very different from pretending that sin does not matter. [50:54]
• 4. Self-examination is serious and personal [51:34] Paul calls believers to examine themselves before eating and drinking. That examination means bringing known sin before God, asking forgiveness, and asking the Holy Spirit to reveal what may be hidden. Communion should not become a moment for watching who else participates. The table calls each heart to stand honestly before the Lord. [51:34]
• 5. The new covenant forms a family [54:48] Communion is personal, but it is never private. Christ gathers baptized believers around one table to remember one sacrifice and proclaim one Lord. The church receives the elements together because Christ has made a people, not merely isolated individuals. Unity at the table should expose selfishness, division, and disregard for fellow believers.
  
  ## [54:48]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [32:56] - Communion for the Whole Church Family
• [34:05] - Why the Church Observes Communion
• [36:06] - Corinth’s Divided and Careless Table
• [36:58] - Jesus Establishes the New Covenant
• [38:59] - How Often Should Communion Be Taken?
• [40:34] - A Somber Memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice
• [42:16] - The Meaning of the Bread and Cup
• [45:28] - Symbols, Not Literal Flesh and Blood
• [47:00] - Who Can Participate in Communion?
• [50:32] - Taking Communion in a Worthy Manner
• [52:56] - Parents, Children, and Communion
• [53:57] - Confession, Baptism, and the New Covenant
• [55:31] - Prayer Before Receiving the Elements

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 11:17-34
“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. 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, 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.' In the same way also he took 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.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.”

Observation questions

1. What problems were happening when the Corinthians gathered for the Lord’s Supper, and how did those problems reveal division in the church? [36:40]
2. What does Paul say the bread and cup are meant to help believers remember and proclaim?
3. According to the passage, what instructions does Paul give believers before they eat the bread and drink the cup? [47:15]
4. What does Paul tell the Corinthians to do differently when they come together to eat, and why? [47:56]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Paul treat the Corinthians’ selfish behavior at the Lord’s Supper as more than bad table manners? What does it show about their view of Christ and His church? [40:09]
2. What is the difference between being personally “unworthy” of Christ’s grace and taking communion in an “unworthy manner”? Why does that difference matter for a believer who comes to the table with real struggles and sin? [50:37]
3. Jesus calls the cup the new covenant in His blood. What does this reveal about why Christ’s death was necessary for sinners to have access to God? [41:21]
4. If the bread and cup are symbols rather than Christ’s literal body and blood, why should believers still treat them with seriousness and care? [45:28]

Application questions

1. Communion calls believers to remember that Christ willingly gave His body and shed His blood for sin. What helps you slow down and remember the cross with gratitude rather than treating communion as a familiar routine? [40:34]
2. The Corinthians brought selfishness and division to the table. Are there strained relationships, resentments, careless words, or attitudes toward other believers that you need to honestly bring before the Lord?
3. Self-examination means looking at your own heart rather than watching or judging who else participates. What practices could help you make space for honest confession and reflection before communion? [51:28]
4. No one earns a place at Christ’s table through a perfect week or a clean record. When you become aware of sin, do you tend to hide from God, excuse it, or bring it to Him for forgiveness? What would repentance look like in one specific area this week? [50:54]
5. Communion is personal, but it is also something Christ’s people receive together as one family. How can you take a more active part in protecting unity, welcoming others, and caring for those who may feel overlooked in the church? [54:48]
6. Baptism publicly identifies a believer with Christ and His people. If you have been baptized, how does that public confession continue to shape your daily life? If you have not, what questions or next steps do you need to consider? [48:38]