Sermon for Maundy Thursday - April 14, 2022

Sermon for Maundy Thursday, based on:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon originally delivered March 28, 2013

 

Thoughts on the Lord’s Supper

A common concern in regard to a frequent celebration of the Holy Communion is that it will detract from the importance or special sacredness of the Lord’s Supper and reduce it to something commonplace.

The same objection can be made against worship services every Sunday, prayers at every meal, etc.  Doing our worship and prayer without meaning is a constant temptation.  But the solution to this problem is not to go to church less often, not to pray less, but to work by the power of the Spirit to make every service and every prayer meaningful and special.

The Holy Communion is always special; our Lord is always present, giving us His body and blood, moving into our lives with His strength and love and forgiveness.  Those are things we need — not just occasionally but always.  Those are things we need — and we cannot get too much of any of them.

Since the Lord’s Supper is so special and precious, God encourages us to prepare ourselves for it, by repentance, faith in Christ, and trust that His body and blood are really present in the Sacrament.  Otherwise, we can actually take the Lord’s Supper to our harm.

St. Paul writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.  Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.  Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself” (1 Corinthians 11:26-29).

Thus, the Lord’s Supper is both a very serious and a very joyous meal.  May we all consider the greatness of our sin, and the even greater undeserved love of God, in giving us forgiveness in Christ’s blood in this special way.  Then may we come with joy to the Lord’s table.