[0:00] As we actually observe the elements of the Lord's Supper, the first that will be distributed is the bread. The bread represents the broken body of Jesus.
[0:13] I don't know if you've ever read it, thought about it, but one of the best descriptions of the suffering that Jesus experienced on the cross is found in the Old Testament.
[0:27] Before Jesus ever walked the face of this earth, the prophet Isaiah described the suffering that a future servant of God would experience on behalf of others.
[0:44] Jesus, in His own teaching, identified Himself as that suffering servant, but other New Testament writers clearly point to Him in that same way.
[1:00] Isaiah chapter 52, beginning in verse 13, through chapter 53, verse 12, these are the verses that provide the most detailed description of the Lord's suffering.
[1:14] It's from these verses, this section, that the New Testament quotes more than any other passage.
[1:27] Isaiah 52, 13 through 53, 12. The New Testament quotes from these verses more than any other Old Testament text.
[1:40] John MacArthur explains the significance of this passage very well. I want you to look at it. It's going to be on the screen. How he points to this from Isaiah is what Jesus did for us.
[2:00] Look at it. This section contains unarguable, incontrovertible proof that God is the author of Scripture and Jesus is the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy.
[2:15] The details are so minute that no human could have predicted them by accident. Clearly, this refers to the Messiah, Jesus, as the New Testament attests.
[2:28] Then you note he cites all these New Testament references, both Jesus and some of the apostles. They quote from Isaiah 52, 13 through 53, 12, describing what Jesus did to his death for our sins.
[2:51] MacArthur goes on to say, it is often alluded to without being quoted. And he cites other passages. The ESV study Bible calls three verses from this section in particular the heart of the passage.
[3:09] And it's referring to Isaiah 53, verses 4 through 6. I want you to look at this and think. Isaiah wrote about this hundreds of years before Jesus actually came into the world, went to the cross and experienced this kind of death.
[3:29] Look at it. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
[3:40] But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.
[3:53] And with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[4:06] Now I want you to note in verse 5 there words that describe the pain and suffering that Jesus experienced on the cross.
[4:19] Pierced, crushed, chastisement or punishment, wounds. But notice also, I'm going to list them in the next slide.
[4:32] Notice why Jesus suffered that way. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement or the punishment that brought us peace.
[4:46] With his wounds we are healed. When Jesus died on the cross, he suffered because he was bearing our sins upon himself.
[5:04] Look again how verse 6 describes this. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way.
[5:17] That's one way to describe sin. Living life my way instead of God's way. Doing what I want to do. Doing my will instead of doing God's will.
[5:29] That's the essence of sin. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[5:44] This Isaiah 53, 4 through 6. This is good news for every person who truly does trust in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
[6:01] Think about it. Make it personal. This is telling us that God placed your sin upon Jesus as he hung on the cross. This passage is telling us Jesus suffered the punishment that you rightly deserve because you are the one who sinned.
[6:23] You're the one who wanted it your way and rebelled against God. But God acted not according to what we deserve.
[6:35] God acted in mercy. God acted in grace by sending Jesus and allowing him to suffer the punishment that we rightly deserve.
[6:50] Now if you're not a Christian, you need to understand that you're responsible to God for yourself.
[7:02] You're all alone before God. You will give an account to him for how you've lived. You will give an account for every sin you have or will commit.
[7:14] If you're not a Christian, if you're not united to Jesus Christ by faith, you are going to bear God's punishment for your sin.
[7:29] You are going to. And really that is what hell is. Being separated from God, experiencing the punishment, that sin deserves.
[7:48] Now, what I want to say to you if you're not a Christian, that doesn't have to be your story. That doesn't have to be the end result of your life.
[8:01] Right now, you can't admit to God your need for this Savior. And not just admit your sin, but change your mind about the way you're living.
[8:14] Turn from your sin. Truly express your sorrow to God for living life your way instead of His. If you will turn and put your faith and trust in Jesus, that He suffered your punishment for you, and call upon Him to save you, He will.
[8:37] So I encourage you, if you're not a believer, if you came into this room not knowing Christ as your Lord and Savior, turn to Him now in faith, in trust, in confidence.
[8:49] Commit your life to Him. He will save you. He will forgive you. He will make you a child of God right now, this very moment.
[9:00] But you know, the good news of Jesus Christ, it does not end with Him dying on the cross. God raised Him from the dead. We serve, we worship a living Lord this morning.
[9:16] When we talk about Jesus, we're not talking about Jesus, the Son of God who died and was buried and that was it. We wouldn't be here to worship Him. He would just be like everyone else if that's the case.
[9:28] We are here this morning because we're worshiping the Son of God who came into this world and did die. He was buried, but He arose triumphantly from the grave.
[9:42] God made it clear through the resurrection of His Son Jesus that He has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. God has accepted that.
[9:54] Through faith in Jesus, we're forgiven, we're made children of God. And I want to encourage you, if you're a Christian now, thank God.
[10:09] Thank Him for the grace that He has shown you. Thank the Lord Jesus Himself for the love that He demonstrated in going to the cross, taking your punishment so that you would not have to.
[10:22] I want to encourage you to renew or reaffirm your commitment to Jesus Christ right now as we prepare to partake of this first element of the Lord's Supper, the bread.
[10:40] I want to read from what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, explaining to us how Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper.
[10:57] He 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 it and said, this is my body, which is for you.
[11:13] Let's pray together. Let's pray together.
[11:29] Thank you.
[11:59] Thank you.
[12:29] Find forgiveness at the cross. So we share in this bread of life.
[12:42] And we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of peace.
[12:56] Around the table of the King. The body of our Savior Jesus Christ torn for you.
[13:20] Eat and remember the wounds that heal the death that brings us life. Paid the price to make us one.
[13:38] So we share in this bread of life. And we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of love.
[13:57] Around the table of the King. The blood that cleanses every stain of sin shed for you.
[14:22] Drink and remember. He drained this cup that all may enter in.
[14:33] To receive the life of God. So we share in this bread of life.
[14:46] And we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of grace.
[15:01] Around the table of the King. Aleister food. yeuxquote imbent. Aleister food. And so with thankfulness and faith we rise to respond.
[15:26] And to remember our call to follow in the steps of Christ As his body here on earth As we share in his suffering We proclaim Christ will come again And we'll join in the feast of heaven Around the table of the King Jesus told us to do this in remembrance of me
[16:40] The second element that is passed out Is the cup It represents the blood The shed blood of Jesus on the cross Many years ago I thought, wondered Why is it that when we take the Lord's Supper It's described, these elements are described as The bread and the cup Instead of the bread and the wine I used to think that it must be That was Baptist's way of trying to get around talking about wine You know But then if you actually read the scripture That's what Jesus said That's how the Apostle Paul Described the Lord's Supper
[17:42] Look at it 1 Corinthians 11 verses 25 and 26 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 Just look at that last verse Doesn't it sound sort of odd For as often as you eat this bread And drink the cup It just seems more natural to say For as often as you eat the bread And drink the wine Jesus was not trying to say something That would just be the most natural way to understand it He was making a point By emphasizing the bread and the cup
[18:45] Craig Blomberg is a respected New Testament scholar And I like the way he explains wine Look at it The reason Paul Like the gospel writers Call it the cup Rather than using the word wine Is because the expression Would evoke Old Testament associations Of suffering the cup Of God's wrath A.T. Robertson He's a Greek scholar From days gone by He's actually commenting What I'm giving you Comes from what Jesus said In Matthew 26 As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus said He's asking God If it be possible Let this cup pass from me Nevertheless not my will But your will be done Robertson said This cup The figure can only mean The approaching death The master is about to taste The bitter dregs In the cup of death
[19:45] For the sin of the world When Jesus instituted The Lord's Supper He used wine To symbolize His shed blood on the cross Which was another way Of Him describing His death But Jesus chose To focus on the cup Symbolizing that He would experience The wrath of God That we deserved Because of our sins Because of our sins If you're a Christian Let this sink in I do deserve To suffer For my sins But Jesus loved me enough To suffer for me To experience the wrath of God In my place So that I would not have to As we pass out The cups Express your love
[20:48] And your gratitude To God For this great grace Truly praise Jesus And thank Him For experiencing The cup of God's wrath So you wouldn't have to So you wouldn't have to In returning to what Paul is saying And how Jesus instituted The Lord's Supper Paul tells us In the same way Also He took the cup After supper Saying This cup Is the new covenant In my blood Let's pray together Are you They live alive
[21:53] In them They live Thank you.
[22:26] Thank you.
[22:56] Thank you. Christ is my reward in all of my devotion.
[23:12] Now there's nothing in this world that could ever satisfy.
[23:22] Through every trial my soul will sing. No turning back.
[23:34] I've been set free. Christ is enough for me. Christ is enough for me.
[23:50] Everything I need is in you. Everything I need. Christ is my all in all.
[24:14] The joy of my salvation. And this hope will never fail.
[24:25] Heaven is my home. Through every storm my soul will sing. Jesus is here.
[24:38] To God be the glory. Christ is enough for me. Christ is enough for me.
[24:53] Everything I need is in you. Everything I need. I have decided to follow Jesus.
[25:18] No turning back. No turning back. I have decided to follow Jesus.
[25:29] No turning back. No turning back. The cross before me. The world behind me.
[25:39] No turning back. No turning back. The cross before me. The world behind me.
[25:50] No turning back. No turning back. And Christ is enough for me.
[26:03] Christ is enough for me. Christ is enough for me. Everything I need is in you.
[26:14] Everything I need. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back.
[26:25] No turning back. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.
[26:37] The cross before me. The world behind me. No turning back. No turning back.
[26:47] The cross before me. The world behind me. No turning back. The cross before me. No turning back.
[26:58] No turning back. No turning back. No turning back. Jesus said to do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
[27:29] Observing the Lord's Supper it's a visible reminder of what the Lord has done for us and it's also a time of experiencing His presence in a special way.
[27:47] It's also a time of committing ourselves anew and afresh to Him. Observing the Lord's Supper together is a time for us to do like that song has expressed.
[28:01] Keeping our eyes forward. Making that commitment. No matter what, I'm not going to turn back. Let that be your commitment this morning. Would you stand with us?
[28:13] We're going to close as Jesus and the disciples ended that Supper by singing a song together and we'll be dismissed. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[28:26] Amen.