Meditation: The Real Presence

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

NKJ The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

It is our hope tonight in a series of four short meditations to give you a better understanding of what we believe and teach about the Lord's Supper. The question to be answered in this first meditation is: What exactly do we receive in the Lord's Supper?

You know we start with a bottle of ordinary wine and some little pieces of unleavened bread. These elements are set apart for special use, or consecrated and the Words of Institution are spoken over them. These are the same words Christ spoke when He began, or instituted the Supper with His disciples.

Now, if you judge by your senses alone, what would you say you receive in the Supper? Well, the elements still look, smell, taste and feel like ordinary bread and wine. Some church bodies would stop there. They would believe they only receive ordinary bread and wine. To them they represent or symbolize something which is not truly present.

Other church bodies would teach that this bread and wine are changed into something else. They still have the same appearance, but they are actually changed into Christ's body and blood. Though what you receive seems to be bread and wine, you are not actually receiving those elements, but something else.

Our text teaches us something different, for it speaks of this cup which we bless and bread we break. Thereby what we receive remains bread and wine. It is not changed into something else. Yet, the text also teaches that the cup is a communion of the blood of Christ and the bread a communion of the body of Christ. In receiving the bread and wine, we receive Christ's body and blood. We receive what was sacrificed for us upon the cross.

Christ is really present in our sacrament. Even if we cannot fully understand how it can happen, we accept by faith that our Lord can accomplish whatever He promises. This He does by supplying us with His true body and blood, in, with, and under the bread and wine. We come to the Lord's table and receive from Him who offers the best for us, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Meditation: The Blessings of the Lord's Supper

Text: Matthew 26:26-30

NKJ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." 30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

In the last meditation we learned what we are given in the Lord's Supper: the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. What then results from receiving these gifts? What can we expect?

The first and foremost benefit is mentioned by Christ in His institution in the words of our text: "My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." It is the remission or forgiveness of sins that is delivered to us by our Lord, through His body and blood.

Now, you might wonder why this extra step is needed. Didn't Christ do all that was required to forgive my sins when He died on the cross? Yes, He did. Yet, the gift which Christ secured there He wants to deliver to us again and again in a personal way through the Supper. We receive it in an individual, one-on-one basis. This would compare to our group general confession and absolution, where you receive forgiveness as a group. In the Lord's Supper, it comes to you individually, by way of eating and drinking.

This forgiveness then provides a multitude of further blessings. Luther says this in the Large Catechism, "For here in the sacrament you receive from Christ's lips the forgiveness of sins, which contains and conveys God's grace and Spirit with all his gifts, protection, defense, and power against death and the devil and all evils." This gives us power to live our daily lives, knowing our sins are forgiven and that we are God's blessed children.

This supper also strengthens our faith. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, "As often as you do this, you proclaim the Lord's death." In the Supper, our Lord holds before us the very price that was paid to secure the promises He makes to us. Christ paid with His body and blood, and in receiving them we are reminded of the promises of our Lord. This causes us to be renewed and strengthened in our faith in Christ and His promises. Thanks be to the one who comes to us in His body and blood: Jesus Christ. Amen.

Meditation: Proper Preparation to Receive the Supper

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:27-31

NKJ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

How shall we prepare to receive this awesome gift from our Lord? The text speaks of receiving the sacrament unworthily which results in judgment. How then shall we properly prepare? How can we make ourselves worthy?

That question must be indeed answered by saying that we cannot make ourselves worthy. We are unable to rid ourselves of sin. We cannot purify our hearts. Because we are unable, the Lord must make us worthy. This He did upon the cross. Now, those same elements of His sacrifice upon the cross are offered to us here: the body and the blood.

If we come to the altar feeling good about ourselves, thinking we are not poor, miserable sinners, then we are rejecting the gift offered at the altar. The gift is offered for sinners, sinners who need forgiveness. If we hold ourselves as free from sin, we have no business coming to the altar. If we instead examine and judge ourselves and find that we are sinners in need of cleansing then the Lord makes us worthy to receive His body and blood.

The text mentions failure to discern the Lord's body and blood which simply means not recognizing what you are receiving. This, too, is part of our preparation for receiving the Lord's Supper: that we understand what we are to receive. This is why we instruct our youth and adult confirmands prior to serving them.

It was the custom in the past that church members would visit with the pastor before receiving the supper. This allowed the pastor to prepare them both by hearing individual confession and by examining their knowledge of the Supper and of Christian teaching in general.

Today, we must then ask if we are really as prepared. Each of us ought to make a deliberate effort to prepare ourselves. This could include a visit with the pastor. In any case, let us prepare by examining our own condition and discerning what we are receiving in the Supper. Then let us come joyfully to receive the gifts from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Meditation: Closed Communion

Text: NKJ Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

NKJ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

Perhaps this meditation attempts to do the impossible: to breach the touchy subject of closed communion in a short message. To adequately explain and defend the practice would require much more time. Yet, it is a crucial part of what it means for us as Missouri Synod Lutherans to come together to receive the Lord's Supper, so we will begin a discussion here.

Many would say that closed communion is a mean, hostile, exclusionary, self-righteous and prideful action. They would imagine that us Missouri Synod Lutherans decided recently that we ought to show others in a blatantly hostile fashion that they are really going to hell because they are not Missouri Synod. These are all untrue statements.

Instead of looking at closed communion in this way, let us step back to understand what the Scriptures teach about receiving the Lord's Supper. The text from Acts points out that the early Christians were steadfast in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship along with the breaking of bread. The breaking of bread is a reference to partaking of the Lord's supper. These people were joined in doctrine and fellowship along with the reception of the Lord's Supper. Further, the text from 1 Corinthians indicates that in receiving the Lord's Supper, we are "proclaiming the Lord's death." In other words we make a statement about what we believe when we receive the supper. We make a public confession of what we believe when we receive communion in this church or another church.

Now, we must understand that being a member of some particular church indicates to other people that you agree with what that church teaches. In other words, membership in a church also makes a public confession of what you believe. Now, the issue come when you have membership in a church that teaches one thing, but want to take communion in another church which teaches something different. You cannot agree with both churches. The differences must indeed be important to us, for we are guarding the precious Gospel by remaining true to the apostle's doctrine.

Closed communion can be a comforting practice, however, when understood rightly. In this practice, we who believe what our church teaches come together. We who are united in belief come together to be blessed by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.