After completing the lesson, the student will be able to:

• 
  

  List the similarities between Lord’s Supper and Baptism

  
  


• 
  

  Explain who is at work in the Lord’s Supper

  
  


• 
  

  Describe what Jesus says the bread and the cup are in the Lord’s Supper

  
  


• 
  

  Explain the Jewish roots of the Lord’s Supper

  
  


• 
  

  List what gifts God is giving to us in the Lord’s Supper

  
  

THE LORD’S SUPPER IN LIGHT OF BAPTISM

Before we began our journey together in understanding the Lord’s Supper, I believe that a quick review on baptism is needed. Here’s a pop quiz; do you recall the three words that were used to describe baptism? I know that you all answered, “means of Grace”.  With that I say congratulations! You’re ready to move on to the next lesson. The good news is that if you will keep in mind how baptism works as a means of Grace, then understanding the Lord’s Supper as a means of Grace will not be too difficult.  Just as the blessings of faith, grace and forgiveness are offered by God’s actions alone in baptism, it’s through the bread and wine where He makes available these blessings to us as well.        

Another way that the Lord’s Supper and Baptism are closely related is who is working in the Sacrament. As we discussed in the past couple of lessons on Baptism, some Christians believe that baptism is a good work they do for God. But as Lutherans, we believe scripture teaches that God is the one who is at work in Baptism, and we are simply the recipients of God’s work. Well, the same is true of the Lord’s Supper. Even though there are some Christians who view the Lord’s Supper as a good work that they are doing for God, Lutherans believe that scripture teaches the Lord’s Supper is something that God is giving to us, and is something God is doing for our benefit. 

THE LORD’S SUPPER IN THE BIBLE 

God’s Word is the place to look to understand the Lord’s Supper. When we realize that the Bible isn’t just an account written by men, but it is the very Word of God, we can read these passages knowing (1) that it is truth, and (2) that we can understand it. So, let’s take a look at the passages of scripture that teach us about the Lord’s Supper.

From reading these passages, we see three things that show the Lord’s Supper to be a Sacrament.

1. 
   

   Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper

   
   


2. 
   

   the Lord’s Supper includes the bread and cup as visible, material means; 

   
   


3. 
   

   that God graciously gives us forgiveness of our sins and eternal life through the Lord’s Supper. 

   
   

One other theme we saw throughout these passages was the reality that the “new covenant” established by Jesus in the Lord’s Supper was a fulfillment of the Jewish feast of Passover. As we look back to Exodus chapter 12, God instituted a means for the Israelites to be saved from the plague that would leave each firstborn dead. The means God instituted was to sacrifice and eat a lamb, and to put the lamb’s blood on their doorposts. The flesh and blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from the plague, and the flesh and blood of Jesus saves us from our sin. During the same feast meal that Israel would eat to celebrate the Passover, Jesus gave us a new lamb to eat, and new blood to cover us… His own body and blood!

DIFFERENT NAMES FOR THE LORD’S SUPPER

One thing to note is how the Lord’s Supper goes by many different names. “The Lord’s Supper” and “Communion” are perhaps the most common to us, but our catechism refers to it as “The Sacrament of the Altar”.  A couple other names many Christians use are “The Eucharist” or “The Lord’s Table”. All of these are fine names for this meal since the emphasis isn’t on what we call it, but on what Jesus is graciously giving to us through his body and blood as we eat and drink the bread and the cup.