#BibleStudy Timeless Truths: A Look into the Christian Church - Part 3 - The Lord's Supper




Come to the Table/Go to the World

 Between COVID-19 and protests and riots that happened across the USA, what better thing could a Christian do at this time in our country's history?

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”  So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.” They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 14:12-26


The communion table
—think of an oasis in the desert—
is a welcome place
—like going home.

We come to the table in response to the gracious invitation of the table’s host, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Our inviting Savior says, “Come.”
Come out of
  • your working world, whatever that world looks and lives like, and find spiritual renewal.
  • a sinful, hating, isolating world and find a loving God.
“The more you come to rest in Him, the more fully you will enter into life.” Clement of Alexandria

2. We go from the table back into your world.
When they had sung a hymn, THEY went out to the Mount of Olives. (v. 26)
Jesus was part of THEY. He went with them.

When we go from the table, THE SAME
  • problems still are there.
  • breaking news will happen tomorrow.
  • the stressful world awaits us.

BUT, we go in the power of His Spirit

That's a key point in the aftermath of the COVID-19 sequestering.
  • You might not have celebrated communion for months and even now it may not be back on your church's regular schedule. 
  • No matter how long between receiving communion, you go back into your world after the experience. 
  • The world's needs are the same as they were before the pandemic.

3. THEY went out.

Jesus when with them.
This makes all the difference.

You come to the table and worship because
He is there.

You leave the communion table and face our world because
He is here!

Leaving the table is a statement of acceptance of His promise,
“I am with you always, even to the end . . .”

Ultimately, you need to be alone with Jesus regularly, not just during the celebration of communion.

Thanks to Dr. Tom Goble for the primary teaching in this post.

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