1. The Lord's Supper —
The Act Depicts the Fact
By Donald G. Hunt
from The Builder - April 1984
The Lord's Supper, by its very title as well as by what is done in the Lord's Supper, is likened to a meal. It is called a supper (1 Cor. 11:20). A table is referred to (Luke 22:30). There is bread (Luke 22:19), which is eaten (1 Cor. 11:24). There is the Cup (Luke 22:20) from which people drink (1 Cor. 11:26). Before we eat, we thank the Lord and ask His blessing upon it. But what do we receive from it? Physical strength? NO, for we eat so very little and drink so very little, It is spiritual strength that we receive through it. Why do we eat regular food? For three reasons: (1) to obtain strength; (2) in order to live, and 3) to satisfy, a natural yearning. Why do we partake of the Lord's supper as far as the eating is concerned? Three reasons: (1) to obtain spiritual strength; (2)in order to maintain our spiritual life, and (3) to satisfy a spiritual yearning to commune with the Lord. It is strengthening to the Christian to examine his heart and life before the emblems of the Lord's body and blood, sacrificed for mankind's sins It is strengthening to meditate upon the death of Christ and the debt of love we owe Him. It is strengthening to renew our covenant with God as we surround His table. That one's spiritual life is maintained through the Lord's supper is evident from John 6:48-56.
Yes, the Lord's supper is likened to a meal, While we par- take of physical food, we are in reality partaking of spiritual food. The elements of the Lord' Supper enable us to perform an act that depicts the real inward fact of feasting just as in baptism, water is she element- used to wash our bodies while our souls are being washed in the blood of Christ. In both, the act depicts the fact!
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2."He offered up Himself"
(A Lord's Supper Exhortation)
by Ben H. Bradmon, Sr., Evangelist
Hebrews 7:27 "...who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself."
Jesus Willingly Laid down His Life--
-Prophesied in the Old Testament
Isa 50:6 "I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting."
Isa 53:12 "Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors."
-Jesus Foretold of His Death
Matt. 16:21 "From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day."
-It was the Father's Will
John 18:11 "So Jesus said to Peter, 'Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?'"
In Gethsemane He Prayed: Mt 26:42 "He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.'"
-He Died On His own Initiative
Joh 10:17 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. (18) "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father."
Yes, Jesus willingly offered Himself as a sacrifice.
3. ARITHMETIC OF THE CROSS
(A Lord’s Supper Exhortation)
by Ben H. Bradmon, Sr., Evangelist
An overview of the events surrounding the cross
1. There was ONE repentant thief. There was ONE broken heart. (Luke 23:41-42) - Jesus had a ONE PIECE tunic (John 19:34, John 19:23)
2. Jesus was crucified with TWO robbers. The cross was made of TWO pieces of wood. TWO friends afterwards, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, buried Him. (John 19:38-42)
3. There were THREE trials. Sanhedrin, Pilate and before Herod. THREE nails were driven into His feet and hands. The accusation above Him was written in THREE languages; Hebrew, Greek and Latin. (John 19:20.) He was in the grave THREE days as He had told them before. (Mark 10:34)
4. FOUR men of faith recorded the event. Each adding to the others' accounts. Matthew, Mark, Luke John
5. FIVE women stood at the foot of the cross. Mary Magdalene (Matt 27:6), Mary the Mother of James and Joses (Mark 15:40), Salome, sons of Zebedee's mother (Matt. 27:56, Mark 15:40), Jesus' mother Mary (John 19:2) and Joanna (Luke 24:10).
6. The crucifixion occurred on the SIXTH day of the week. Jesus was crucified at about 9am, and breathed His last at 3pm. It lasted SIX hours. (3rd hour, Mark 15:25, 9th hour, Mark 15:33).
7. Jesus uttered SEVEN sayings. ('Forgive them,' 'I thirst', 'Behold your mother,' 'Why have you forsaken me?', 'It is finished,' 'Into thy hands,..' 'Today you shall be...in paradise').
8. With Jesus being placed on the cross about 9am (Mark 15:25), and having to be buried before the Sabbath began at 6pm, our time, it would be about EIGHT hours. (Matt. 27:57, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54).
9. His first trial was at daylight. He died at 3pm. NINE short hours. Cock crowing (Matt. 27:1).
10. How many of His apostles were at the cross? Judas was dead. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was there. Thus we have TEN missing apostles(John 19:26).
11. In the span of 40 days after Jesus' resurrection, He appeared ELEVEN times (Acts 1:3).
12. Jesus had TWELVE chosen apostles. The spot left by Judas was filled by Matthias (Acts 1:12-26).
All of this adds up to God's Love and Man's Salvation.
Hebrews 2:17 (NIV) "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."
Jesus' death is called an ATONEMENT. One has put this concept into a simple form. Jesus makes ATONEMENT. He makes us AT ONE with God.
Let us remember the suffering of Christ so that we could be ONE with God. He brought us back to God.
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4.THE TRIUMPHANT CHRIST
(A Lord’s Supper Exhortation)
by Ben H. Bradmon, Sr., Evangelist
Psalm 41:9-13
The Psalm is definitely a Messianic Psalm. The close, trusted friend who ate bread with Jesus, who lifted his heel against Him was none other than Judas Iscariot. Verse 10 speaks of Jesus, even though he was betrayed by a close friend and died, He resurrected!! He resurrected triumphant over death! After Jesus' ascension, He was exalted in the presence of God (vs. 12). "He who descended is Himself He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things." (Ephesians 4:10)
The arch of Triumphant in Paris is a center of radiating life. It is the most magnificent triumphal arch in all the world. From it dozens of the stateliest and most moved avenues of the city stretch forth into far distances. All life floods it; and all life flows from it. So the world's life has it's central arch of Triumphant in Christ's Cross and Resurrection. Two mighty bulwarks of stone rise to their tremendous yet graceful height to form the single arch of Triumphant - two, yet one. Neither is complete without the other. "Christ died - and rose again," but the resurrection power gives meaning and power to the cross. A dead Savior would have meant nothing. We serve a Risen Savior!
5. AT THE CROSS
(A Lord's Supper Exhortation)
by Ben H. Bradmon, Sr., Evangelist
Around the Cross at the Place of the Skull are many different people- The Soldiers, The Jews, The Crowd, the Thieves, The Women, Mary and John
Let's read of the reaction of each
THE CROWD
(Mark 15:34-36, NAS95) 34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" 35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, "Behold, He is calling for Elijah." 36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down."
(Luke 23:35, 48 NAS95) 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." 48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.
Confused.
THE JEWS
(Matthew 27:41-43, NAS95) 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
Mocking. The religious were mocking the Lord
JOHN (John 19:26-27, NAS95) 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
At the Foot of the Cross- Faithful
Where are we? Among the Crowd? With the mocking religious? Or as John?
We must come to understand the REASON for Jesus' Suffering and not be among the Confused Crowd
We must avoid the attitude of the Jews.
Let us be as John. At the foot of the Cross willing waiting to obey the Lord's commands.
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6.KINSMAN/REDEEMER
(A Lord's Supper Exhortation)
by Ben H. Bradmon, Sr., Evangelist
Job 19:25-27 reads: 25 "As for me, I know that my Redeemer [Hb. lag ga'al {gaw-al'} 01350] lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. 26 "Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!
The KINSMAN/REDEEMER in the OT [Hb. lag ga'al {gaw-al'} 01350] had three rights:
1. to purchase back the forfeited inheritance for an Israelite, who owing to poverty, had sold his land, as Boaz did for Ruth (4:3-5) or to hold land in possession for a poor relative until the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:25)
2. to ransom his kinsman from bondage to a foreigner (Lev. 25:47-48)
3. to avenge the death of his slain relative, as a point of honor and justice (Nu 35:19, "avenger"= Hb. lag ga'al {gaw-al'} 01350)
CHRIST our REDEEMER did three things as expressed by Job--
1. Jesus saved us from eternal dis-inheritance (Colossians 1:12) "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light."
2. He redeems us from our bondage to sin (1 Peter 1:18,19) "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ."
3. He avenged for us the one who had the power of death, the devil by overcoming death (Hebrews 2:14,15) "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives."