Proclaiming The Lord’s Death in Life

I Corinthians 11:23-29
By Harold Dinsmore, M.Div.
© 2007 Harold Dinsmore

I couldn’t tell you how often I have heard read or read myself this passage of scripture before us this morning.  We all have become familiar with its message.    Each individual is said to examine the inner self and to take inventory of one’s own life and finally any sin before God prior to eating and drinking the memorial meal. Read with me now I Corinthians 11:23-29,  “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

As we read this one remembers the bread and how it symbolizes the body of Jesus.  Look back one chapter to chapter 10:16-17.  “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”