1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you… I. It is A MEMORIAL OF THE SACRIFICE OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST. 1. See how closely it is connected with that death. Consider — (1) The time; Christ and His apostles had met for the last time before He died. (2) The action; the breaking being a sign of the dissolution of the body, the separation of body and soul in death, and also that His death was an act of free-will. He had power over His life to take it up and lay it down, just as of His own accord He took up from the table the bread, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples to eat. 2. To this picture the three Evangelists and St. Paul all describe the Lord as "blessing," or "giving thanks," as He brake the bread. And so this also afterwards passed as a synonym for the sacrament. St. Paul calls it "the cup of blessing," and among us it has the name of "Eucharist." 3. Since the sacrifice of the death of Christ is the cause of our justification, our chief concern must be to make sure of our partaking of it. It is one thing to say "Christ died for all"; another, "Christ died for me." Therefore every man for himself must stretch forth this hand of faith and take to himself, appropriate, his part in the atoning sacrifice. The sacrament is an instrument for such an appropriation. II. A MEANS OF PRESENT COMMUNION WITH CHRIST. As it was the work of Christ of His own free-will and grace to offer His body upon the Cross, so now every fruit of that sacrifice which we gather in His Church comes fresh from His living hand, and His work, and is nothing less. "Lo, I am with you always," is the secret of our life in the Church; and nowhere more effectually than in the holy sacrament is His presence made real and true to the eye of faith. The manner of our Lord's presence cannot be explained, but His presence in some supernatural form is there, or the text has no proper sense. III. THE HIGHEST ACT OF WORSHIP IN THE CHURCH. 1. The faithful Christian, in preparation for this holy act, examines himself, and confesses his unworthiness. 2. Then we make an offering of our stores, which, though small, is at least a symbol of homage. 3. Then the oblation of bread and wine is blessed and taken into His service — an offering of the first-fruits, in acknowledgment that life's bounties are His gift. 4. Then comes an oblation of greater significance. The worshipper offers himself with a free heart to receive Christ, and in return gives himself to God. 5. Above all, we come nearest to the work of heaven itself, where the Church worships God in the presence of the Lamb as it had been slain. So in the Church below our highest act of worship is celebrated in that place, where the Lamb of God and His sacrifice is brought most near to us. (C. W. Furse, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: |
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