Remembering the Lord’s Sacrifice

The Lord Jesus left two sacraments for the Church before His departure for heaven. One is the Lord’s Supper, also called Holy Communion, and the other is Baptism. 

Remembering the Lord’s sacrifice in His death on the Cross is to be reminded that it was all in God’s plan for man to be forgiven of his sins. The Scripture makes it very clear, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). This means only the shed blood of Jesus Christ could effectively satisfy divine justice once and for all. 

Regarding the Lord’s Supper, the apostle Paul writes: “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 I, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body which is broken 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” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25).

Water baptism was also ordained by the Lord Jesus. In His great commission to His disciples and to believers, the Lord said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18,19).              

Baptism is a demonstration of the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Here are the biblical references for this statement. “I have been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). “We know that our old self was crucified with him” (Romans 6:6). “If then you have been raised with Christ” (Colossians 3:1). 

To be raised with Christ means sin has no more dominion over me as a Christian. The resurrection of Christ enables me to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) since I was crucified when Christ was crucified.

It is very important to note that the word baptism comes from the Greek word “baptizo,” meaning “to dip” or “to immerse.” It doesn’t mean “sprinkling” or “pouring.” The Ethiopian eunuch was baptized by immersion. The Scripture says, “they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized  him” (Acts 8:38). Also read Acts 8:36-39 for more details. 

In our text on the Lord’s supper, two elements are mentioned. One is bread and the other is cup. These are most significant in remembering the Lord. The text says, “the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you.”

The bread is a symbol of the Lord’s body, and not His actual body as some claim it to be. Likewise the cup. The text states, “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.”

William MacDonald makes an insightful commentary on both symbols, which is well worth noting. He writes: “When the Savior said, “This is my body,” did He mean that the bread became His body in some real sense? The Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation insist that the bread and wine are literally changed into the body and blood of Christ. The Lutheran doctrine of consubstantiation teaches that the true body and blood of Christ are in, with, and under the bread and wine on the table.” 

“In the same manner the Lord Jesus also took the cup after the passover supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” The Lord’s Supper was instituted immediately after the Passover Feast. That is why it says that the Lord Jesus took the cup after supper. (Believer’s Bible Commentary, pages 1788, 1789. Thomas Nelson Publishers). 

The Lord’s Supper is absolutely essential to the Christian faith. We partake of the communion emblems only until the Lord returns. The Scripture says, “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). To proclaim means to “make known.” To make known by a continual remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us. 

Participating in the Lord’s Supper means obeying Christ’s command, “This do in remembrance of Me.” It is also a timely reminder that the death of Christi was substitutionary since “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5). 

Christ had no sin of his own; yet “For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

o.