In light of celebrating our Lord’s Supper this morning we will be mostly keeping with the gospel of John chapter 12.
And before we get into our main study which is going to be John 12:27 allow me to tell you about John 12.
When John wrote this gospel, the other three accounts of Jesus' life—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—had already been established and distributed.
Partly for that reason, it seems, he focuses on details which the other Gospels do not include.
That's especially true of meanings behind Jesus' miracles and parables.
It's also why John focuses so much time and energy on what Jesus said to His disciples.
John uses several groups of sevens, including seven unique miracles, seven overt witnesses to Jesus, and seven "I Am" statements. I believe there are 10 in total.
This chapter is only about halfway through John's text, but he has already offered all those items, but for two "I Am" remarks in John 14:6; & 15:1.
Here, in chapter 12, we find the last of Jesus' public teachings prior to the crucifixion.
Chapters 13—17 will contain only private instruction given by Christ in the hours before He is arrested.
This will be followed by His arrest, sentencing, death, and resurrection.
Jesus has just resurrected Lazarus from death, after the man was dead for four days (John 11:38–44).
In response, Local religious leaders have solidified their plans to have Jesus killed (John 11:53).
Chapter 12 begins as Jesus is being treated to a celebratory dinner in Bethany (John 12:1–2).
At this dinner, Mary anoints Jesus with an extremely expensive oil.
This is probably the same incident as described in Mark 14:3–9.
However, this is not the same woman or the same moment as depicted in Luke 7:36–50.
Filling in details from other Gospels, we know that Judas and a few others complain about the "waste" of this resource.
In theory, they are claiming it would be better to spend that money on the poor, rather than on luxurious honor for Christ.
Truthfully, Judas is upset to see an opportunity for embezzlement slip through his hands.
Jesus' response is not a dismissal of charity, at all.
Rather, His comment is a statement of fact: Not all opportunities are equal, and some will not be repeated (John 12:3–8).
The raising of Lazarus has generated a lot of attention.
It also seems to have brought additional visitors to see the once-dead man for themselves.
Again, Jesus' religious critics prove how hard-hearted and cruel they really are.
Not only have they responded to Jesus' miracle by plotting His death (John 11:53), they are even willing to assassinate Lazarus, whose very existence threatens to prove them wrong (John 12:9–11).
The perspective of these religious leaders is cold and cowardly, but it's not entirely irrational.
Part of their fear is that Jesus' popularity with the people might instigate another rebellion against the Roman Empire.
That may well result--- in the full might--- of the Empire's military falling on the Jewish people ---and on Jerusalem.
The day after the celebratory dinner, Jesus is cheered by a crowd shouting kindly blessings in fulfillment of prophecy.
This confirms, in some sense, what the chief priests fear: That Jesus is "too popular" for their good (John 12:12–19).
Jesus is in Jerusalem for one of several festivals which compel local Jewish men to come into the city.
Also in attendance are "Greeks," a term often used for non-Jewish people: Gentiles.
Based on the not-so-hidden hatred of the Pharisees and priests (John 11:8), it seems Jesus' disciples are screening His visitors.
When they bring this group of Greeks to Jesus, He Jesus explains once again that His impending death is part of God's plan and His greater purpose (John 12:20–26).
While speaking, Jesus is answered by a voice from heaven.
These are audible sounds, forming coherent words.
Many skeptics, even today, suggest that this is exactly the kind of miracle which would inspire them to believe.
However, many in the crowd around Jesus dismiss what they hear as thunder.
In response, Jesus explains that God is giving people these signs so they'll believe;
------Their time to make the right decision is rapidly running out (John 12:27–36).
John's gospel also explains how some people seem to be excessively hardened to the truth.
Those who persistently reject God—whether as a culture or as individuals—may find that God "hardens" them as a form of judgment.
Much like God punished Pharaoh by hardening him (Exodus 9:12), but only after Pharaoh hardened himself (Exodus 7:13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32), God can do the same to others.
Those who stubbornly refuse to accept Christ--- may find themselves in a state where they cannot accept Him, because they would not accept Him (John 12:37–43).
The last words of Jesus recorded in this chapter are not given any definite context.
John indicates that Jesus "cried out," using similar Greek words as Jesus' "calling out" to Lazarus in the tomb (John 11:43).
This message summarizes the idea that To reject Jesus Christ is to reject God.
Jesus' first coming was to live and die as a man, establishing the means by which mankind can be saved.
Actual "judgment" for those who reject Him will come later, in the form of an eternal separation.
As Jesus has pointed out before, His words and His will are identical to those of God the Father (John 12:44–50).
This marks the end of Jesus' public ministry, as included in the gospel of John.
The next chapters are focused on His last-minute preparation of the disciples, leading up to His arrest and execution.
This morning were going to see A CHRIST-LIKE PRAYER.
Last Sunday we looked at the first part of this verse and we will continue with the second part this morning as it leads us beautifully to our Lord’s Supper which my dad will present for us.
JOH 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
We saw that word troubled and examined its reference to the term agitated or turbulence and we also noted that temptation is not sin, after all Jesus was tempted and He remained sinless.
We know that Jesus was troubled that His followers did not fully understand what was happening.
They did not have the knowledge that we share today.
In the second part of this verse, John 12:27 Jesus makes an interesting statement about asking God to spare Him from what is coming.
There are two ways to interpret this: the first suggests that Jesus is saying, "I should not ask God to spare me."
However, that reads too much into the text, which the text does not explicitly say.
Jesus does not say anything like "no, I should not."
He Jesus simply notes that this "hour" (John 12:23) is the purpose for His earthly ministry. And this hour is why He came.
In prior moments, Jesus had made the point that His "time had not yet come."
JOH 12:23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted.
It's clear He is acting under the divine decree, God’s divine timing.
In fact, the bible tells us numerous times that they, the religious leaders who wanted Him dead, would go and try to capture Jesus and it just wouldn’t happen for one reason or another.
John 12:20–26 describes a group of Greeks—non-Jewish people who worshipped God—and who approach Jesus after the triumphal entry.
This is when Christ came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
The drama of the triumphal entry is part of that loyalty to God's timing— which is following many ancient prophecies.
Which Daniel 9:25–26 is the best prophecy in the Word of God, the most accurate in the Word of God.
I learned a little something about the donkey He came in on this past week too, did you know that the the donkey actually thought it, the donkey, was the one being praised. And then also they killed the donkey bc no one could ride on the donkey after Jesus, the Messiah, did.
Back to our passage,
The disciples appear to be carefully vetting everyone who wants to come near Jesus, and this is because the local religious leaders have Him marked for death.
These group of Gentiles—referred to as "Greeks"— first encounter Philip and Andrew, ask to approach Jesus.
And these two Phillip & Andrew, appear to be running some kind of security screening for Jesus, in response to the threats of local religious leaders (John 10:39–40; 11:8).
It's not an accident that John recorded specific words from the Pharisees who were upset by the crowd's reaction to Jesus riding into Jerusalem (John 12:19).
We are mostly sticking with the gospel of John this morning.
These critics, in vs 19, claimed "the world has gone after Him."
In this incident, those approaching Jesus are from the group Jewish people consider as outsiders... “the world”.
In the Israeli mindset, there are two main divisions among mankind: Jews, and everyone else.
People can become Jews by faith, by changing their faith, today and even back then.
In a literal and symbolic sense, ---- what's happening now is evidence that "the whole world" is going to be called to Jesus, ---- not merely the people of the nation of Israel (John 10:16).
As we saw Sunday morning, --- Jesus will continue to explain the significance of this moment in upcoming verses.
Among the analogies He makes --- is that of a seed which is planted in John 12:24.
John 12:24 Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Unless a seed falls to the ground it abides alone, if it dies it bares much fruit.
The seed, in a sense, apparently "dies," but in reality, it is transformed into the more mature and always-intended form.
We saw too 1 Corinthians 15:36–42 where Paul echoes some of this seed terminology in his letters.
In verse 27 of John 12, Jesus' response indicates that the time has come for His ultimate sacrifice, AN EVENT WHICH OPENS THE GOSPEL OF GRACE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD.
So let’s look at this verse again
JOH 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
Jesus is not backing out, He is pointing out to His disciples --- and the world that all of His work on earth is coming to an end and this is the very purpose for His coming to earth, He came to die, so that we may live.
The more reasonable interpretation is that Jesus is saying the same thing He'll pray later in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42).
Matthew 26:36–46 follows Jesus and the disciples into a place called Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.
This is where we will take a look at a Christ-like prayer…
Matthew 26:39 And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Let me tell you a little about this verse -----and this also shows us how important it is to have corrected translations.
Bible commentators have debated, downplayed, exaggerated, and otherwise argued over the meaning of Jesus' words in this prayer. (Matthew 26:39, Luke 22:42)
After asking Peter, James, and John to watch with Him, Jesus moves a bit away from them and falls on His face (Matthew 26:36–38).
This posture is used throughout the Bible, and history, by those taking the most humble and submissive position possible.
In prayer, before God, this reflects a person making a request of great urgency. ----- I’m sure many of us can empathetically relate to an urgent prayer request …
Jesus is also clearly exhausted in this moment.
Other Gospels note the incredible stress He is experiencing (Mark 14:34; Luke 22:44). I mean He knows what’s going to happen!
Now, as Jesus prays for strength to face the next few hours, He tells Peter, James, and John to pray and watch (Mark 14:34).
"Watch" is from the Greek root word gregoreuo and means to pay attention to avoid calamity.
We can pray for each other, but even more, if we can be part of the solution, we should always try, we should try to avoid problems and try to limit the impending destruction.
Jesus knows that their watching can't prevent the crucifixion, or even Peter's denial (Mark 14:30).
He knows the disciples will scatter in just a few hours (Mark 14:27).
He wants them to be aware that they will soon be greatly tempted to sin (Mark 14:38).
As Jesus prepares to have His relationship with God the Father severed, He Jesus wants His three closest friends to have the strength enough to endure for their own sakes and meet Him again after the resurrection (Mark 14:28).
Mark puts it like this in
MAR 14:34 And He *said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch."
"Sorrowful" is from the Greek root word perilupos and is also translated "deeply grieved" and "overwhelmed with sorrow."
We talked about the fact that Jesus suffered humanly as we do, but it is true that Jesus suffered a worse hardship than anyone else in the world.
After an infinite existence in perfect harmony and love with the other members of the Trinity, He is brutally cut off, rejected and despised.
He must have felt very alone, ---- which comforting for anyone who may be listening to my voice feeling alone.
We need to remember this moment in His life --- when we lose a loved one or know someone who has.
Loss is real. Sorrow is real.
We need to remember this moment in His life when we are when we are remembering Him in celebration of Our Lords Supper and His coming back.
He loved us this much.
Logical thinking like, "We'll see them again someday" or "God has a purpose" isn't enough to wash Jesus' agony away here, and we shouldn't expect such words to fully restore us, either.
Jesus shows us how to acknowledge our most agonizing feelings while still walking in obedience to the God who has put us on this path.
The word cup is often used in Scripture to describe God's judgment or a time of great suffering.
My dad has an entire doctrine on the Cup.
Jesus Himself asked James and John if they could "drink the cup" assigned to Him, meaning the suffering that He would soon endure (Matthew 20:22).
The mother of James and John has asked an enormous thing of Jesus, that her two boys would be seated on his right and left hands in His kingdom (Matthew 20:20–21).
She did not spring this idea on Jesus without their knowledge.
She was acting as their agent.
Which makes us think this woman is Mary's sister, Jesus' aunt, as some scholars suggest may be the case.
Jesus' response feels like an understatement.
He tells these two bold men that they do not know what they are asking.
He has not come, as they suppose, to set up a political kingdom on earth at this time (John 18:36).
They should know that by now.
He has told them three times that once they reach Jerusalem, he will be condemned by the Jewish religious leaders, handed over to the Romans for execution, and killed.
He has also told them He will be raised on the third day (Matthew 16:21; 17:22–23; 20:17–19).
It's important to be fair about what James and John could have understood at the time.
Hindsight is powerful, and our views benefit from completed Scripture and the influence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:25–26). ------Which James and John did not have at this time, we are blessed to have the understanding that we do in the church age.
They simply did not grasp why Jesus was saying this or what His death and resurrection would accomplish.
Their request reveals not only their own ambition, but also their misunderstanding of what Jesus has taught about how to be great in the kingdom of heaven:
childlike humility (Matthew 19:13–15).
Now Jesus asks a pointed question to show they do not understand what they are asking.
He is symbolically referring to suffering and judgment, using a common picture from the Old Testament Scriptures. The Cup.
Jesus is asking if they are prepared to suffer as deeply as He is about to:
when He will be tortured, sacrificed, and killed on the cross in Jerusalem.
James and John answer, too quickly, that they can drink Jesus' cup of suffering, demonstrating once more their lack of understanding (Matthew 20:23).
Human understanding is necessarily limited when it comes to God's exact nature (Isaiah 55:8–9).
Repetition is important, as is accurate bible teaching.
Humility and the daily intake of bible doctrine, being filled with the Holy Spirit, --- is what will give you and I the understanding Jesus desires for us to have.
Here in Matthew 26, Let’s take a look at that Christ-like prayer again…
Matthew 26:39 And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus knew He would soon experience God's judgment for the sins of humanity on the cross.
He also knew He was nearing some strain, beyond human comprehension, of His communion with the Father (Matthew 27:46), for the first time in His eternal life.
He knew He would be forsaken.
Matthew 27:45–56 describes the climactic moment when Jesus dies on the cross.
Darkness falls over Israel as Jesus hangs near death.
No mention is made of how those who mocked Jesus while He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:35–44) reacted as unnatural darkness fell over Israel.
Did they see in that darkness the hand of God responding to this execution?
Were they at all humbled by it?
Did they stop speaking, or leave?
We don't know for sure since those details are not given.
The darkness ends, though, at about the time Jesus cries out in a loud voice, speaking Aramaic: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" ------ The words of Psalm 22:1, which mean "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Speaking to God the Father, as He was the only member of the Trinity that forsook Him on the Cross.
This is the first verse of Psalm 22, which has many references connected to the crucifixion.
Some believe Jesus is once again declaring how His experience is part of prophecy (Matthew 16:21; 26:53–54).
Others note that those words mean, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
That is a heartbreaking cry to hear coming from the Son of God.
Jesus dies. AND then THIS happens:
Immediately, the massive temple curtain is torn in two, top to bottom.
Earthquakes open the tombs of some of the saints of Israel, who are later resurrected.
And even A Roman centurion is shocked enough to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. This Roman soldier took God out of his box…
Lets read this passage now
MAT 27:45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.
MAT 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
MAT 27:47 And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, "This man is calling for Elijah."
MAT 27:48 And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.
MAT 27:49 But the rest of them said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him."
MAT 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
MAT 27:51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split,
MAT 27:52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
MAT 27:53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
MAT 27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
MAT 27:55 And many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him,
MAT 27:56 among whom was Mary Magdalene, along with Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Human understanding is necessarily limited when it comes to God's exact nature (Isaiah 55:8–9).
Part of that limitation is our vague understanding of the Trinity:
---- God's existence as three Persons in one Being.
Also incomprehensible is exactly how God's infinite knowledge and power were limited in His incarnation (John 1:14).
That means Beyond comprehension, putting God in a box, limiting the limitless God.
We know Jesus experienced human emotion and temptation (Hebrews 4:15).
That included intense anguish as He anticipated this moment (Matthew 26:38–44).
We cannot know, for certain, exactly what is happening among the Persons of the Trinity at this point.
The way Jesus is said to have "cried out" (Mark 15:34) and the reaction of bystanders suggests intense emotion.
It is because the weight of the sin of the world has been placed on Jesus' shoulders, and God cannot bear to see it or be in communion with He who bears it.
HAB 1:13 Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor. Why dost Thou look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?
It is still appropriate for Jesus to ask.
The cry expresses His emotional turmoil as well as the moral unfairness of His situation.
He isn't sinful. But "for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the very righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Romans 3:22, "but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction,"
Jesus the physical, earth-born man suffers in the courtyards and on the cross,--- but Jesus, ---- God the Son, suffers far worse.
For the first time ever, --- He feels separated from God the Father.
Scripture is clear that Jesus' sacrificial execution on the cross involves something far, far greater and more spiritual than merely the death of the body.
In some unrecognizable way, the Trinity, the reality of holy unity and love, is impacted.
Jesus is suffering, but even worse, He is suffering alone.
In some way, beyond our complete understanding, Jesus is experiencing a straining of His connection to God the Father, as He takes on the sins of mankind (2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Habakkuk 1:13; John 1:29).
Was a sense of "forsakenness" the deepest level of suffering experienced by Jesus?
Was this what brought Him such great sorrow in the garden the night before?
We can only speculate, taking care not to reach beyond what Scripture actually says as 1 Corinthians 4:6 tells us.
Matthew 26:39 And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
As One fully human (Hebrews 4:15), Jesus seems overwhelmed and saddened to the point of death by this anticipation.
Taken entirely out of context, when misrepresented this could raise questions about Christ's role in His own sacrifice.
And like always we need to learn how to respond in defense of our Lord with humility and grace.
In some sense, Jesus does not "want" to experience these things.
No human being "wants" to suffer humiliation, torture, and death.
That's the point of His prayer:
He is asking that "if" there is a possible way to avoid it, that He might avoid it.
Critically, though, Jesus immediately binds His request to submission.
In virtually the same breath as He makes His appeal, He resolves to obey the will of the Father.
Here, Jesus is saying the same thing, in a somewhat less dramatic form.
His statement recorded here is along the lines of saying, "I can pray that…but I know God's will is for this to happen."
In Closing back to John 12:27
JOH 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
Then, what we just saw - with His death hours away, Jesus will make the request His humanity is begging for.
At the same time, and without contradiction, He will pray for the will of God the Father to be done.
Even more powerful than the anguish of His human emotions is Jesus' absolute commitment to obeying God.
There is never a question as to whether Christ will follow through on His mission.
This prayer is a cry to God, declaring both natural emotions and perfect faithfulness (Philippians 2:8).
This attitude when making requests to God is the perfect model for Christians, in all possible situations.
It is good to ask the Father for exactly what we want; we are told to do this when we pray (Philippians 4:6; James 4:2).
However, a Christlike prayer not only asks for something, but also commits to obeying God's will, even if the answer should be "no."
We have assembled ourselves together for the most solemn phase of our worship service which is the Lord's table.
And therefore it is imperative that we understand exactly what we are doing.
This morning I would like to give you some important principles that are related to the Eucharist or the communion service.
- The first is that Communion or the Lord's supper is a test for true Christian fellowship.
And by true Christian fellowship I mean fellowship with God, occupation with Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Fellowship with God the Father is found in 1JO 1:3 "Indeed our fellowship is with the Father,"
Fellowship with the Son is found in 1CO 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
And Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is found in 2CO 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
That is the first principle of the communion service, it is a time for fellowship with God.
- The second principle is that the communion service is a test of your application of doctrine.
Your ability to focus your attention on the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is dependent upon your understanding of the many things that TLJC has done for you through His death on the cross.
The more you know about Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross, the greater is your capacity to enter into the meaning of the communion service.
And therefore there is time to concentrate, to think about, to meditate on the unique person of Jesus Christ who went to the cross to be judged for your personal sins and mine.
- The third principle is that ritual without reality is meaningless.
And in this ritual there are two factors;
- First the bread which speaks of the impeccability of the humanity of Christ and His qualification to go to the cross as the lamb without spot and without blemish.
- And there is the cup which represents the salvation work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
The actual concept then is understanding the person and the work of Jesus Christ.
- The fourth principle is that the ritual of eating and drinking portrays salvation by faith alone in Christ alone.
Both eating and drinking are non-meritorious functions.
All members of the human race can put food in their mouth and have it metabolized as well as be able to drink and receive the necessary nourishment!
And the reason for this is because God in His grace has provided the necessary equipment to metabolize food.
And therefore when we eat the bread we are saying in effect I have personally believed in Jesus Christ.
And when we drink from the cup we again recognize that faith in Christ is based upon the work of our Lord on the Cross.
- The fifth principle is the importance of relating the communion service to worship.
JOH 4:24 tells us "they who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth or doctrine."
And therefore it is necessary that we be filled with Spirit and that we are able to concentrate on doctrine rather than on things about us and the problems that we have.
- And therefore, the sixth and final principle is the importance of the rebound technique because this is the means of recovering fellowship and being filled with the Spirit.
This requires that you understand that every believer is a priest and he represents himself before God in the privacy of his priesthood.
This is why the apostle Paul said in 1CO 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1CO 11:29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.
1CO 11:30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
1CO 11:31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.
1CO 11:32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.
So the apostle Paul says in 1CO 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
1CO 11:24 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."
1CO 11:25 In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
1CO 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
So you should have the following reasons or purposes for celebrating the lord's supper;
- The first purpose of the lord's table is unity among believers.
- The second purpose of celebrating the lord's table is the purpose of the bread which is to bring to your memory the uniqueness of the "person" of Christ.
- The third purpose for celebrating the lord's table is the purpose of the cup which refers to the uniqueness of the "work" of Christ.
The person of Christ had to remain impeccable in order for the work of Christ to propitiate or satisfy god the father.
- The fourth purpose for celebrating the lord's table is that the communion table is designed so that our thinking will orient to grace!
The communion table is a time to remind ourselves that Christ did all the work and we did not earn or deserve a thing!
- The fifth purpose for celebrating the lord's table is to announce and proclaim his death.
And we are to do this "until he comes"
- The sixth purpose for celebrating the lord's table that the lord's table or the eucharist is for the church, the body of Christ, only!
The lord's table is unique for the church-age!
- The seventh purpose for celebrating the lord's table is restoration to fellowship.
- The eighth purpose for celebrating the lord's table