1 Corinthians 11:23

For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me... For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do proclaim the Lord's death till he comes... But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

The Lord's Supper is no invention of the church but a memorial Christ Himself instituted on the night of His betrayal — to be kept worthily, regularly, and with our eyes fixed on Him.

Receiving Before Delivering

Paul has been confronting the church at Corinth with real inconsistencies within their fellowship. We opened this section last week in verses 17 through 22, addressing the issue they faced surrounding the Lord's Supper, and we continue with that topic here.

But before we jump in, notice what Paul says at the open of verse 23: "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you." Any person who seeks to equip, exhort, edify, or encourage the body of Christ by the word of God ought first to receive from the Lord before he endeavors to deliver it. That is what it means to be a faithful steward of God's word — you receive from the Lord, then you deliver it to others.

This reality should weigh heavily upon anyone who prepares to teach God's word, and it does upon me. It takes very little giftedness to speak before a group. You can learn to be a public speaker and have plenty to say. I've been guilty of saying too much, going too long. In some ways I identify with Peter, who always had plenty to say and plenty of times put his foot in his mouth. But the real question is: has the one who comes to share God's word himself received from God?

The Distraction of Much Serving

It is so easy to be distracted with much serving. I'm reminded of Mary and Martha. Jesus was teaching at their home, and Martha was busy about much serving while her sister Mary sat at Jesus' feet. Martha came in upset, asking the Lord to rebuke Mary, but Jesus said Mary had chosen the better part, and it would not be taken from her. It is so easy to be consumed with serving and forget the important reality of sitting at the feet of the Lord. I ask that you would continually pray for me in this, because it really is easy to get distracted.

This is exactly what the apostles addressed in Acts chapter 6. A group of people was not being ministered to, so the twelve called the church together and said, "It is not reasonable that we should leave the word of God" to serve tables. The task of ministry was important, but their time with God in His word and in prayer was more important. So they appointed seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, while they gave themselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

I'm thankful for the leadership here — not just those on staff, but our elders and all who serve. If everyone serving in some way stood up, you'd be amazed how many in our church are actively serving. That blessing frees up those given the responsibility of giving forth the word to be able to focus on it. But pray for me, because it's easy to get distracted.

A Pattern Given by the Lord Himself

The context of this passage is the Corinthians' misuse of the Lord's Supper. Paul built this church and established it in Acts 18, and when he left, things were in order. But things had fallen out of order, and there was chaos. They had inappropriately incorporated the Lord's Supper into a common gathering called the agape meal, or love feast — very similar to a modern potluck.

At that feast, the more fortunate members, who had more, divided themselves from those who had little. They would bring food and wine, isolate themselves, and eat and drink to the point of gluttony and drunkenness, while others went away hungry. Then they would throw the Lord's Supper into the mix, thinking it a great opportunity. But as we saw last week in verse 22, Paul says, "Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not." This is not at all how the Lord's Supper is to be celebrated. In verses 17–22 Paul addressed the problem they faced; now in verses 23–26 he gives the pattern they were to follow.

Most Bible scholars agree that 1 Corinthians was likely written before any of the four Gospels. This is important, because what Paul says in verses 23–26 was directly revealed by Jesus Himself — a direct quote from the Lord. The pattern was established by the Lord, not invented by the early church or the apostles. Paul did not make it up; it was not his opinion. The Lord's Supper is just that — the Lord's. He established it, commanded that we partake after the manner He directed, and for the purpose He revealed. Like baptism, which Jesus explicitly commanded in Matthew 28, the church has practiced it for nearly twenty centuries. It is not merely a tradition; it is an institution of the church.

The Night He Was Betrayed

Notice when He gave it: "the same night in which he was betrayed." Paul could have marked this event many ways. He could have said the night Jesus partook of the Passover, or gathered in the upper room, or washed His disciples' feet. All would be true. But Paul chooses the betrayal as the pinpointing mark.

That meal was the ending of a tumultuous week. It began on the Palm Sunday road, with crowds singing from Psalm 118, "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Jesus then went into the temple and drove out those buying and selling. For days afterward the chief priests, elders, Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes came interrogating Him about divorce, about paying taxes to Caesar. What they were really doing was examining the true Passover lamb. During Passover every family brought their lamb to the temple to be inspected by the priest. Jesus, whom John the Baptist called "the lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world," was examined for days and shown to be perfect — and then rejected.

It had been a heavy week, and now He sat with His disciples at a joyous celebration. The Passover commemorated Israel's exodus from Egypt, and Jerusalem's population doubled with pilgrims during that week. The disciples had made ready for the meal, but one among them had made ready instead to betray Him. Matthew 26:14 tells us that Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and asked, "What will you give me if I deliver him into your hand?" They covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver — which Exodus 21 names as the redemption price for a dead slave. What a contrast: Jesus giving all and laying down His life for humanity, and Judas giving in for thirty measly pieces of silver. Today you'll find "Judas" listed as a synonym for "betrayer."

He Gave Thanks

One of the most phenomenal realities of the Lord's Supper is that Jesus knew everything ahead of time. He knew the disciples were arguing over who should be greatest, likely over who got to sit where, seated by rank. He knew none would willingly wash one another's feet, leaving it to Him. He knew every one of them would deny Him before the night was over. He knew the one dipping in the same sauce who would betray Him by name. He knew that within twelve hours He would be tried, falsely condemned, beaten, scourged, mocked, and crucified.

And yet we read that He took bread and gave thanks. What could He possibly give thanks for, knowing all this? We can hardly give thanks not knowing what will happen five hours from now. I would love to hear that prayer. We know He had longed to share this Passover with them.

This Is My Body

He took bread and broke it. The disciples had seen Him bless and break bread many times — feeding the multitudes, for example. But they had never heard Him say, "Take, eat, this is my body which is for you, do this in remembrance of me." By taking the bread, breaking it, and speaking these words, He distinguished between the bread in His hands and His physical body.

This is important, because the notion that we actually partake of the physical body and blood when we eat the bread and drink the cup is found nowhere in Scripture. Jesus made a clear distinction: the bread is a symbol of His body given for us. Some within the broader church teach that during the Mass the bread becomes the actual body and the wine the actual blood, but Scripture does not support this. The bread and the wine — or the juice, in our case here at Calvary Chapel — are symbols of the sacrifice; they do not become the body and blood of Jesus.

Many translations say "my body which is broken for you," though some manuscripts lack "broken." Some are bothered by it, because John 19:33 tells us none of Jesus' bones were broken, fulfilling the Scripture that the Passover lamb's bones were not to be broken. He died before the Roman soldiers could break His legs. Yet though His bones were not broken, was His body not utterly destroyed by what He endured? Pilate, seeking to appease the crowd crying "Crucify him," had Jesus scourged. The Romans used a whip with as many as nine leather straps, each embedded with broken clay, bone, and sharp rock, laid to the back and torn away until the inner organs were exposed. They were experts at it — their enhanced interrogation device. They cared nothing for public opinion. As they whipped, they demanded confession; if the accused confessed, the beating lightened. But Jesus opened not His mouth, so it got worse — for thirty-nine lashes. Many prisoners died from scourging, but Jesus made it all the way to Calvary's cross. So destroyed and broken. And He says, "Eat this, and do this in remembrance of me."

A Command to Continue

We must recognize that Jesus said, "Do this." Partaking of the bread and cup in remembrance of Him is a command. In the Greek it is the present imperative active tense, which means Jesus commanded His disciples to do this in the future, repeatedly and continually. He was not saying, "Maybe sometime down the road." He was saying, "From this point on, do this, and keep on doing it."

The very next day His disciples would have wondered whether there would even be a future, watching their Messiah crucified, thinking it was all over. Yet His command was a promise: you will do this again, throughout your age, continually.

And He gave the purpose. The Lord's Supper was instituted so His followers might have a regular, tangible way of remembering the most important reality of our faith — the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the very thing whereby man is made right before a holy God. Do not do it to be holy; it does not make you holy. Do not do it to get to heaven; it will not open heaven's doors. Do not do it as a mere ritual or to sanctify a meeting, as the Corinthians did. Do it in remembrance of Him. If it's for any other purpose, Paul says, it's a waste of your time.

The Passover Pattern and the New Covenant

In verse 25, "After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood." I once pictured Jesus taking bread, then immediately taking the cup. But that's not likely how it happened. The Passover meal helps it make sense.

The meal began with the host blessing the first of four cups, which all shared. Then they ate bitter herbs dipped in a sweet fruit sauce, representing their bitter bondage in Egypt, and the host gave a message about their redemption. They sang the first part of the Hillel Psalms (Psalms 113–118), likely 113 and 114. Then the second cup was passed, and the host took unleavened bread — leaven being a type of sin. Normally he would simply break and pass it, but this time Jesus said, "This is my body... given for you. Partake of this and remember me." Then they ate the main portion, the roasted Passover lamb.

After the meal came the third cup, the cup of redemption. This is the cup Jesus took, standing and saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood," shed for many for the remission of sins — again changing the order of the meal. Within twelve hours the disciples would fully comprehend what He meant.

When Israel came out of Egypt, two months later at Mount Sinai God gave the law and established the Mosaic covenant, with sacrifices to deal with their sin. Now Jesus says this is the new covenant in His blood — not the blood of bulls and goats. It was new not in replacing a covenant of works, but in fulfilling what the old covenant could never do. The countless sacrifices offered for more than 1,400 years proved themselves insufficient. They were like the minimum payment on an overwhelming debt — it appeases the creditor for thirty days, but you never get anywhere. The debt of man's sin was too great.

Hebrews 10 confirms this. Verse 1 says the law, with those sacrifices offered year by year, "can never make the comers thereunto perfect." Verse 4: "It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." And so Jesus enters in at the right time to pay in full. His last words from the cross were tetelestai — an accounting term meaning "it is finished," or "paid in full." Is that not a good thing to remember? Because of His broken body and shed blood, our debt of sin has been taken care of.

As Often As You Drink It

"As often as you drink it, do it in remembrance of me." This implies it should be a regular part of our Christian pilgrimage. At Calvary Chapel we observe it once a month — is that regular? Compared to churches that no longer do it at all, yes. Could we do it more? Yes, and so could you. There's evidence the early Christians remembered the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection through bread and cup at every meal — recognizing that this bread, which I need for life, is like the body of Jesus broken for me, and this cup like His blood shed for me. Apart from Him, I'm lost.

You do not need a corporate worship setting to partake of the Lord's Supper, nor a priest to administer it. There came a point in church history when only the trained professional could administer it, requiring you to attend Mass. But we have liberty in Christ to pause and partake of the elements as often as we'd like.

The elements themselves aren't even as important as what is being done. Some cultures partake of dried banana chips and coconut milk; some use a tortilla and real wine. Some are upset we use grape juice rather than wine, but it's not about the bread or the juice — it's about the focus of our hearts. There was a stir this year when the snack company that makes Doritos had a Super Bowl commercial contest, and one submission, "Feeding the Flock," showed a priest using Doritos and Pepsi for Mass. Many were offended, and it was removed. I'm not proposing you use Doritos and Pepsi, and I understand the offense — but the elements are not as important as the heart and focus of the one partaking in remembrance of Him.

Proclaiming His Death Until He Comes

Verse 26: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do proclaim the Lord's death till he comes." In partaking we proclaim that Jesus truly died on Calvary's cross, was truly laid in a tomb, truly rose from the dead, and will come again.

Remember the four cups. Jesus took the third, the cup of redemption. What about the fourth? After the third cup the Gospels say they sang a hymn and went out. The fourth cup is the cup of the kingdom, reminding us of God's kingdom. In Matthew 26:29 Jesus said, "I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until I drink it again anew with you in my Father's kingdom." I believe He left that fourth cup there. In partaking, we are reminded that He will come again to receive us to Himself, and we will feast with Him in His Father's kingdom.

Every time we partake, we proclaim that He died but did not stay dead, that He rose and was witnessed by over 500 eyewitnesses, many of whom went to martyrs' deaths proclaiming "He is risen." If He had not risen, one of them would have cracked. We believe there will come an end of the age, and the Lord Jesus will return for His church. Just this week on MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell said the book of Revelation is fiction — not the end of the world. Is he right? Amen — he is not.

Preparing for the Feast

Verses 27–32 give the preparation for the feast. "Whosoever shall eat this bread or drink this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat." The Corinthians were partaking immorally and in a self-serving manner — in an unworthy manner — and Paul exhorts them to stop.

Before Israel kept Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, they purged all leaven from their homes — leaven being a picture of sin. They prepared before they partook. So too, before coming to the Lord's table, we must prepare and examine ourselves. The Greek word for "examine" means to deem worthy by inspection, to scrutinize for the purpose of proving genuine.

Are you a believer? If you do not believe Jesus died, rose, and will return, you ought not partake, for you would do so unworthily. If you are walking in unconfessed or unrepentant sin, do not partake. If you come angry with a brother, sister, or spouse, deal with it first. If your motivation is unscriptural — thinking the act itself makes you right with God — do not partake.

At any given time, any one of us could be counted unworthy. So how do we become worthy? Isaiah 53 says the Lord has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all, and by His stripes we can be healed. As we come in repentance, recognizing His body was broken and His blood shed for us, and ask forgiveness — in that instant we are made worthy. Jesus, in His grace and mercy, makes us worthy. Not our works; we cannot clean ourselves. But we must test and examine ourselves.

Discerning the Lord's Body

Verse 29: "He that eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." That is heavy. What does it mean to eat judgment to yourself? God takes seriously the misuse of His table, and there is a punishment — though we may not fully comprehend it — for those who partake unworthily because they do not discern the Lord's body.

There are two views on "not discerning the Lord's body." One looks back to verse 17 and says it means the gathered believers, the body of Christ. The other looks at verse 27 and says it means Jesus' body and blood. You decide what Scripture is saying. Is it that partaking unworthily disrupts the unity of the body of Christ? Or that the Lord meets with His church in a special way through communion, and you fail to recognize His presence? I think either is right, and perhaps both. We should not fail to recognize that we, the body of Christ, are made one through His death, burial, and resurrection — the Lord's Supper is a unifying sacrament, which the Corinthians had turned into division. Nor should we fail to recognize that Jesus is the prime focus and meaning of the meeting.

Verse 30: "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." Paul says an actual, visible judgment had come upon some in Corinth for partaking unworthily — some weak, some sick, and some who had even died. That is a heavy thing to consider. But verse 31 adds, "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." When the Lord chastens us, it is so we should not be condemned with the world.

The Practical Significance

Verses 33–34 give the practical significance. "Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another." This is meant to be a communal act done in unity. Wait until everyone is gathered. "And if any man is hungry, let him eat at home, that you may come together not unto condemnation."

The Lord's Supper is not an event where you come to fill your physical body; it is where you come to remember the Lord and minister to one another, to the Lord, and to your own spirit. If you came hoping to get full, a cracker this big and less than an ounce of juice would be disappointing. So Paul says, eat at home — there is no point in gathering together if it results in judgment rather than blessing. "And the rest I will set in order when I come." The Corinthians' problems were larger than this single letter could address, so Paul defers the rest to his coming. Essentially he says: enough has been said on this. And I think you'd agree.

Closing Prayer

Father, we are in desperate need every single day for Your grace and Your mercy. We fall far short of Your glory. But Lord, I am so thankful that in You we find grace, mercy, and peace, and that we can come before Your throne of grace at any time to obtain it. God, would You work in me, and work in my brothers and sisters here, that we would walk in a way that is glorifying to You and a good witness in this world. Transform us this week as we consider these things. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.