North Pointe Baptist Church: The Last Meal - Eric Harris

Devotional

Day 1: The Meal That Makes a Statement

This table is more than bread and juice—it’s a declaration. Like a wedding ring proclaims lifelong commitment, the Lord’s Supper announces allegiance to Christ. It’s not a ritual for spectators but a testimony for those rescued. Taking it says, “I belong to Him.” The meal exposes pretenders and unites believers in shared gratitude. It turns ordinary elements into eternal reminders. [52:37]

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26, ESV)

Reflection: What invisible reality does this meal make visible in your life? How does taking it deepen your awareness of belonging to Christ?

Day 2: Rehearsing the Future Feast

The Supper tastes like tomorrow. Just as engaged couples rehearse vows, believers chew hope. The bread whispers, “This isn’t home,” while the cup stains lips with kingdom anticipation. Every crumb trains hearts to hunger for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The meal is dress rehearsal for eternity—practice makes permanent. [01:00:18]

“And he said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” (Revelation 19:9, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly ache makes you lean into the promise of Christ’s return? How might longing for that feast reshape today’s frustrations?

Day 3: Bitter Herbs and Broken Bread

Unleavened bread cracks like dry desert ground. Jesus repurposed Passover’s bitterness—no longer Egypt’s chains, but sin’s curse. His body broke so ours wouldn’t. The bread isn’t metaphor but memorial: splintered ribs, torn flesh, final breaths. To eat it is to swallow grace whole. [01:04:14]

“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.’” (Luke 22:19, ESV)

Reflection: Which wound of Christ most vividly reminds you of His love? How does remembering His physical suffering soften your heart toward others?

Day 4: The Cup That Tells a Story

Liquid testimony. The juice runs crimson down throats, staining voices with redemption’s story. Like a heart transplant recipient meeting their donor’s family, the cup forces introductions: “This is what bought you.” Drinking it publishes Christ’s payment in your bloodstream. [01:11:45]

“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.’” (1 Corinthians 11:25, ESV)

Reflection: Who needs to hear the story your cup proclaims? How does your daily life align with this liquid testimony?

Day 5: Empty Chairs at the Table

Judas crunched bread with betrayal in his teeth. The meal exposes imposters. Like a half-hearted anniversary kiss, insincere participation insults the Groom. Self-examination isn’t self-condemnation—it’s clearing debris from the altar. The table welcomes repentant sinners, not polished saints. [01:17:15]

“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28, ESV)

Reflection: What unconfessed sin clenches your fists instead of opening them to receive? How might honest reflection free you to taste grace anew?

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ last meal with the disciples is not just a meal. Luke places it at Passover, the yearly remembrance that God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt through the blood of a lamb. The Passover bread and cups had always pointed back to God’s deliverance, but Jesus gives them their fullest meaning by showing that the rescue was always leading to him.

The Lord’s Supper is a statement of faith, not a meal made for the stomach but a meal made for the heart. The table directs the heart in four directions. First, the table looks ahead. Jesus eagerly desired to eat this Passover before he suffered because he saw what the cross would produce. The bread and cup become a dress rehearsal for the coming kingdom, when Christ will finish redemption and share the meal with his people in full. The future promise reminds believers that this world is not home, no matter how comfortable life gets or how heavy the sorrow becomes.

The bread also looks back. Jesus takes the bread of affliction and says, “This is my body which is given for you.” Christ’s body was not a generic symbol or a distant religious idea. A real person lived perfectly, suffered deeply, and received the wrath sinners deserved. The bread calls the heart to remember that Jesus took what sin had earned so that his people would not have to bear it.

The cup looks out. Jesus calls it the new covenant in his blood, poured out for his people. A contract depends on both sides performing, but God’s covenant depends on his character and his promise. Christ’s life paid a debt no amount of good deeds could ever pay. The cup also declares belonging. Like a wedding ring, it tells others that salvation is not self-made and that the believer belongs to Jesus.

The table finally looks in. Judas sat at the table while already planning betrayal, proving that taking the meal does not save anybody. The meal exposes the heart and calls for honest examination. Secret sin, unresolved conflict, empty routine, and false pretenses cannot be hidden from God. Christ does not want a fake hug from people going through the motions. The table calls believers to come sincerely, confess freely, repent truly, and remember what brought every child of God to the table: the body given and the blood poured out by Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

1. The table points toward Christ’s kingdom. Jesus connects the meal to the day when the kingdom comes in fullness. The bread and cup train the heart not to treat this broken world as home. The future is not vague wishful thinking, because Christ himself promised to finish what he began. [60:18]
2. The bread remembers a real sacrifice. Jesus gave his actual body, not merely an inspiring example or religious symbol. His suffering received the punishment that rebellion against God deserved. The bread should slow the heart down enough to remember the person who gave himself for sinners. [64:14]
3. The cup declares Christ’s covenant faithfulness. Jesus’ blood establishes a covenant that rests on his character rather than human performance. His life paid the note that sinners could never pay through effort, morality, or religious activity. The cup declares before others that salvation belongs to Christ alone. [70:23]
4. The meal exposes the heart’s condition. Judas took the meal while his heart remained set against Jesus. The table cannot save a person, but it does uncover whether faith, repentance, and love are real. God sees the hidden sin, the unresolved conflict, and the motives behind every outward action.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[46:11] - A Meal That Means More
[49:40] - Jesus’ Last Passover Meal
[52:37] - The Lord’s Supper Is a Statement of Faith
[54:23] - Looking Ahead to the Kingdom
[62:50] - Looking Back at Christ’s Body
[68:13] - Looking Out Through the New Covenant
[73:13] - Looking In and Examining the Heart
[78:18] - Coming to the Table Sincerely
[80:39] - Faith, Repentance, and a Seat at the Table

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 22:14-23
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 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.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this. [51:38]

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, 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.

Hebrews 12:2
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [57:27]

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [01:17:39]

Observation questions

In Luke 22:14-18, what words does Jesus repeat about the kingdom of God, and what do those words show about where he wants the disciples to look?
What does Jesus say the bread represents, and what does he say the cup represents in verses 19-20? [01:03:03]
What is surprising about the person sitting at the table with Jesus in verses 21-23, and how do the other disciples respond?
According to 1 Corinthians 11:26-29, what two actions are believers called to do when they take the bread and cup?

Interpretation questions

Jesus eagerly faced a meal that pointed directly toward his suffering. How does Hebrews 12:2 explain why Jesus could endure the cross even though he knew the shame and pain that were ahead? [57:39]
Jesus says the bread is his body “given for you.” Why does it matter that communion remembers the sacrifice of a real Savior who personally suffered for sinners, rather than only remembering a religious idea? [01:04:21]
The new covenant rests on Christ’s blood rather than human performance. How does that truth confront the tendency for a believer to trust good behavior, church attendance, or religious effort to make them right with God? [01:10:23]
Judas participated in the meal while his heart was set on betraying Jesus. What does this reveal about the difference between taking part in a church practice and truly trusting and following Christ? [01:13:55]

Application questions

The Lord’s Supper points ahead to the day Christ finishes redemption and gathers his people fully into his kingdom. What sorrow, fear, temptation, or comfort in this present world most needs to be put in perspective by that future hope? [01:00:24]
When you remember Christ’s body given for you, are there particular sins—public or private—that make the reality of his sacrifice especially personal to you? How can remembering that he took the punishment you deserved move you from shame toward gratitude and repentance? [01:05:28]
The cup declares that salvation was purchased by Christ and that his people belong to him. What would it look like this week for your words, choices, and relationships to reflect that you belong to Jesus? [01:11:45]
Before taking the Lord’s Supper, what helps you slow down and honestly examine your heart instead of treating the meal as a routine?
Is there any hidden sin, ongoing bitterness, or unresolved conflict that you have been tempted to minimize? What would sincere confession and a first step toward dealing with it look like? [01:16:16]
First John 1:9 says God is faithful and just to forgive those who confess their sins. Is there something you need to bring honestly before God, trusting that forgiveness is based on Christ rather than your ability to fix yourself first? [01:17:39]
Communion is a shared declaration that every believer came to the table because of Jesus’ body and blood. How can that shared grace help you put aside a petty issue or pursue peace with another believer? [01:18:50]

Sermon Clips

35s

“So we come back, what was my my name? The lord's supper what? It's a statement of faith. In in it, our hearts pointing different things. We we look ahead and say, hey, Christ is coming. We look back and we say, hey, Christ gave himself for me. We look out and say to others like, hey, I belong to Christ. We look in and ask, am I truly trusting and following him? When you take the meal, your heart posture needs to be true and be accurate. Or I'm just gonna tell you this in full truth, like, don't take it. Don't take it.”

37s

“So, when Jesus lifts this cup, he's saying, listen, he said, this is a new covenant in my blood. They're starting a new ritual. He's telling that my life is the payment. This debt is about to be paid once and for all. It's a reminder that someone has paid the note And so for us, listen, here's the thing for us, the meal directs our heart to look out. It's a reminder of what purchased your salvation. When I drink the cup that someone else paid for this on a death that I could never in my entire life of good deeds of efforts ever accomplish.”

51s

“through his blood. And you may say, what is a covenant and why blood? That sounds very barbaric. Right? We throw out blood a lot and act like it's nothing, but understand some things with it. First, we use the word covenant, we're used to contracts, You want to go to a car, you sign a contract. A contract is a deal you do. If you do this, I do that. If either side breaks it, the deal's off. It's built on performance. But a covenant in a biblical standard is different. It's a relationship. It's sealed by a promise meant to last no matter what. So, God's promise, God's promise didn't depend on our performance. They depend on his character. That's the kind of covenant Jesus is making today. It's not based off what you've done. It's what he's done. His covenant promise to be in relationship with you and purchasing your salvation and that's where the blood comes in.”

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North Pointe Baptist Church: The Last Meal - Eric Harris - September 6, 2026