Transcript
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CommunionThe Nature of Communion

Recognizing Jesus' Real Presence in the Lord's Supper

Chain the Catechism: A topical study through the Lutheran confessions

Memorization Verses: It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: "Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after

supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament, in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

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LSB 631 ethymnal.org/htm /h/e/hereomyl.htm 1 Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face;

Here would I touch and handle things unseen;Here grasp with firmer hand th'eternal grace,And all my weariness upon Thee lean.

2 Here would I feed upon the bread of God,Here drink with Thee the royal wine of heav'n;Here would I lay aside each earthly load,ere taste afresh the calm of sin forgiv'n.

3 This is the hour of banquet and of song;This is the heav'nly table spread for me;Here let me feast and, feasting still prolongThe brief bright hour of fellowship with thee.

4 I have no help but Thine; nor do I needAnother arm but Thine to lean upon.It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed;

My strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone.

5 Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness;Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood;Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace;Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord, my God.

6 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear;The feast, though not the love, is past and gone;The bread and wine remove; but Thou art here,Nearer than ever; still my shield and sun.

7 Feast after feast thus comes and passes by,Yet, passing, points to that glad feast above,Giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,The Lamb's great marriage feast of bliss and love.

Sing it!

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Communion Discussion and ReflectionWhat we do: …….Why?• We praise God • Prayer of thanks to God• The Minister tells the story of how communion started.• We pray for other people• We say “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world – have mercy on us”• We pass the bread and the wine• We end with saying ‘The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.’

Tell about your first communion.

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PRAYER

• Take and eat• True body and blood• Visible elements• Consecrated by the Word• Celebration and BlessingP raiseR epentanceA ppreciationY ouE veryoneR esolve

Pray: Holy Jesus, unite with my body and soul on this day. Nourish me with Your flesh and refresh me with Your blood, so that my weak faith may be strengthened, receive the assurance of Your grace, the forgiveness of my sin, and eternal salvation. Clothe me with the pure silk of Your righteousness. Clothe me in the true wedding garment, that I may appear at Your heavenly table as a worthy guest. Now, Lord God and Father, be my help and my protection! Lord Jesus Christ, be my bread, my light, and life! And You, O Holy Spirit, illumine and preserve me in true sanctification. In that estate, into which I again am permitted to enter may I remain for all my life. Let me be enveloped in You. Without You there is only grief. O dear Savior, let me ever be with You. Amen. (Johann Habermann, 1516-90).

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LSB 633 1 At the Lamb's high feast we sing

Praise to our victorious King,Who has washed us in the tideFlowing from His piercèd side. Alleluia!

2 Praise we Him, whose love divineGives His sacred blood for wine,Gives His Body for the feast--Christ the victim, Christ the priest. Alleluia!

3 Where the paschal blood is poured,Death's dread angel sheathes the sword;Israel's hosts triumphant goThrough the wave that drowns the foe. Alleluia!

4 Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,Paschal victim, paschal bread;With sincerity and loveEat we manna from above. Alleluia!

5 Mighty Victim from the sky,Hell's fierce pow'rs beneath You lie;You have conquered in the fight,You have brought us life and light. Alleluia!

6 Now no more can death appall,Now no more the grace enthrall;You have opened paradise,And Your saints in You shall rise. Alleluia!

7 Easter triumph, Easter joy!This alone can sin destroy;From sin's pow'r, Lord, set us free,Newborn souls in You to be. Alleluia!

8 Father, who the crown shall give,Savior, by whose death we live,Spirit, guide through all our days;Three in One, Your name we praise. Alleluia!

Sing it!

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Discussion

“With bread and wine you can walk your road.” ~Spanish Proverb

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Communion

Say Mean Matter

Key phrases Own words Answer the questions/Personal application

• What is the Sacrament of the Altar? •Where is this written? •What are some other names for the Sacrament of the Altar? •Who instituted the Sacrament of the Altar? •What does Christ give us in the sacrament? •How does the Bible make it clear that these words of Christ are not picture language? •What are the visible elements in the Sacrament? •Do Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament replace the bread and wine, so that the bread and wine

are no longer there? •How then are the bread and win in the Sacrament the body and blood of Christ? •Do all communicants receive the body and blood in the Sacrament, whether or not they believe? •Are the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament sacrificed again to God for the sins of the living

and the dead? •What does Christ command when He says, "This do in remembrance of Me"? •Why are we to receive the Sacrament often?

•______________________________

SS Take and eat M True body and blood T Visible elements W Consecrated by the Word Th Celebration and Blessing

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A Big Mac - the communion wafer of consumption.John Ralston Saul

Faith is not knowledge of an object but communion with it.Nicolás Gómez Dávila

What do we commune with?

Discussion Quote

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What is the Supper?The supper consists of 3 elements

two physical, one verbal2 symbols

both truly present, but not physiologically or scientifically

1 recipientPersonal, yet connecting

with all recipients1 action

The true communion with Christ

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What is the Supper?The Eucharist (giving of

thanks) is a commemoration meal instituted by Christ for the Church.Christ binds himself to all

OT believers by fulfilling the passover sacrifice and infusing his own person within this intimate setting of forgiveness.

Christ binds himself to the supper in the same way he binds himself eternally to humanity through incarnation

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What isn’t the Supper?The Supper is not:

An infusion of extra/special grace

A magical event that can be used sympathetically

Idolotry or a replacement of the historical events of justification

An unexamined meal of consumption

A “just a symbol” or “not really Jesus” thought meal

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Four ContentionsHistorically, there have

been five reasons people have had problems with Communion:It is unimportantIt is figurative/not realPeople abuse itYou are too sinfulYour pastor is too sinful

How might we reconcile these ideas scripturally?

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It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.

The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul write:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: "Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me."

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament, in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

This sacrament is also called the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Table, Holy Communion, the Breaking of Bread, and the Eucharist.

1 Cor. 11:20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat.

1 Cor. 10:21 You cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.

1 Cor. 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (NKJV).

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Matt. 26:26 Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is My body."

Note: Eucharist comes from the Greek word for "giving thanks."

• Pray: O Lord, I do truly believe that You are here

present in this sacrament, both God and man. Your will is that I should receive You, and that I should unite myself unto You in charity. Wherefore I implore Your mercy, and do crave Your special grace, to the end I may wholly be dissolved and overflow with love unto You, and hereafter never allow any external consolation to enter in. For this most high and precious sacrament is the health both of soul and body, the medicine for all spiritual laziness; hereby my vices are cured, my passions bridled, my temptations overcome. Amen. (Thomas a Kempis, c. 1380-1471)

SS: Take and eat

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Church HistoryTertullian

he flesh is washed, in order that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh is anointed, that the soul may be consecrated; the flesh is signed [with the cross], that the soul, too, may be fortified; the flesh is shadowed with the imposition of hands, that the soul also may be illuminated by the Spirit; the flesh feeds on the body and blood of Christ, that the soullikewise may have its fill of God — "Deres. Carnis.", viii

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Church HistoryAugustine

"By those sacrifices of the Old Law, this one Sacrifice is signified, in which there is a true remission of sins; but not only is no one forbidden to take as food the Blood of this Sacrifice, rather, all who wish to possess life are exhorted to drink thereof." (Questions on the Heptateuch 3:57)

That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. Through that bread and wine the Lord Christ willed to commend HIS BODY AND BLOOD, WHICH HE POURED OUT FOR US UNTO THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS." (Sermons 227)

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Church HistoryLuther (“That These Words, 'This is My Body,' Still Stand

Against the Fanatics.” 1527)But the glory of God is precisely that for our sakes He comes down to the very depths, into human flesh, into the bread, into our mouth, our heart, our bosom; moreover, for our sakes He allows Himself to be treated ingloriously both on the cross and on the altar, as St. Paul says in I Corinthians 11 that some eat the bread in an unworthy manner."

"Death indeed tried once, wanting to devour and digest Christ's flesh; but it could not. This flesh tore death's stomach and throat into more than a hundred thousand pieces, so that the teeth of the grave fell to pieces and turned to dust, and this flesh of Christ remains alive. For this food was too strong for death, and has devoured and digested it devourer. God is in this flesh. It is God's flesh, the Spirit's flesh. It is in God and God is in it. Therefore it lives and gives life to all who eat it, both to their bodies and to their souls." 

"Therefore Christ wills to be in us by nature, in both our soul and body, according to the word in John 6, 'He who eats Me abides in Me and I in him.' If we eat Him spiritually through the Word, He abides in us spiritually in our soul; if one eats Him physically, He abides in us physically and we in Him. As we eat Him, He abides in us and we in Him. For He is not digested or transformed; but ceaselessly He transforms us-our soul into righteousness, our body into immortality. So the ancient fathers spoke of the physical eating."

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Church HistoryZwingli

I have no use for that notion of a real and true body that does not exist physically, definitely and distinctly in some place, and that sort of nonsense got up by word triflers.

The striking feature of the Zwinglian observance of the sacrament was its simplicity. Because the bread and wine were not physically transformed into Christ’s body and blood, there was no need for spurious ceremonies and pompous rituals. The occasion was marked by simplicity and reverence, with an emphasis on its nature as a memorial.

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Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man, instituted this sacrament.

1 Cor. 11:23-24 1 received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 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."

In this sacrament Christ gives us His own true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

Matt. 26:26, 28 "This is My body.... This is My blood."

Christ's words in the Sacrament must be taken at face value especially because

A. these words are the words of a testament, and even an ordinary person's last will and testament may not be changed once that person has died;

1 Cor. 11:25 "This cup is the new covenant [testament] in My blood."

Gal. 3:15 Though it is only a man's covenant [will], yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it (NKJV).

Note: Compare also Heb. 9:15-22. • Pray: O Blessed Jesus, my only Savior

and most merciful God, in the Sacrament of Your own institution, You give Your body and blood to be the nourishment of my soul. May they preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life. When I eat Your flesh in remembrance that You died for me, may I feed on it with thanksgiving; and may Your blood convey to my soul all the benefits of Your passion. Grant that I may eat Your flesh and drink Your blood, so that my sinful body may be made clean by Your body, and my soul washed through Your most precious blood. Amen. (Johann Gerhard, 1582-1637).

M: True Body and Blood

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Eating Christ or Aristotle?Substance vs. Accidents

Substance = the actual thing or person that is present

Accidents = the physical composition or attributes of a thing

Difference between “white” and “Socrates”

TransubstationSubstance changes from

bread to bodyAccidents stay the same

Is this scriptural?

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B. God's Word clearly teaches that in the Sacrament the bread and wine are a communion or participation in the body and blood of Christ;

1 Cor. 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (NKJV).

C. God's Word clearly teaches that those who misuse the Sacrament sin not against bread and wine but against Christ's body and blood.

1 Cor. 11:27, 29 Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

The visible elements are bread and wine. Matt. 26:26-27 Jesus took bread.... Then He

took the cup. Note: "The fruit of the vine" (Luke 22:18) in

the Bible means wine, not grape juice. See also I Cor. 11:21.

No, bread and wine remain in the Sacrament. 1 Cor. 11:26 Whenever you eat this bread

and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

•Pray: Graciously grant, O Lord and Savior, that Your holy Sacrament may be kept sacred among us, and be used by us for our soul’s welfare, and that it may not be cast before dogs and swine. Grant me and all sincere Christians grace to come to a true knowledge of this Your will and to take it well to heart. O let Your worthy Sacrament be among us what Your mercy has designed it to be: a table where wholesome food and rink is given to poor and grief-stricken sinners who put their trust in You. Amen. (Zorn)

T: Visible elements

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Exegesis: Matthew 26  On the first day of the Festival of

Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said,“Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:17)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Azumwn: The removal of sin and impurity in

preparation for Passover. Disciples do this in preparation.

Clean one hand for appetizers, than both for main meal.

pa/sxa: The lamb that is slain in connection to Egypt Also indirectly connected to Isaac

Haggadah The liturgical text that outlines the practices

of passover, including songs, blessings, and order of meals.

Fruit of the vine Direct reference to wine First cup with appetizer Customary to make metaphorical statements

Labete  fagete, toutoestin to swma mou Blessing (eulugeo) with a symbol enacted. Christ is the passover fullfillment. Type/Anti

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Exegesis: Matthew 26 27 Then he took a cup, and

when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29

 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

pothrion kai euxaristhsav: Cup of blessing before the main course Unusual for the Jewish metaphors from

the paterfamilias to extend this far (as the meal is gearing up towards its own eschatological meaning)

Christ is clearly separating his body from his blood, the broken and dead sacrifice with the covenantal promise of the Paschal

Kai umnhsantev echlqon eiv to Orov twn Elaiwn. Tradition is fulfilled, Jerusalem left. The family of God in the city of God

goes out to the world of temptation

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The bread and wine in the Sacrament are Christ's body and blood by sacramental union. By the power of His word, Christ gives His body and blood in, with, and under the consecrated (blessed) bread and wine.

1 Cor. 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (NKJV).

Yes, because the Sacrament depends on Christ's word, not on our faith.

1 Cor. 11:27 Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

Note: All communicants should receive both parts of the Sacrament, since Christ said, "Take and eat; this is my body.... Drink from it, all of you" (Matt. 26:2627).

No, the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament are the one perfect sacrifice offered to God once and for all on the cross and are now distributed to us in the Sacrament together with all the blessings and benefits which this sacrifice has won for us.

1 Cor. 5:7 Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Heb. 10:14 By one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.

Heb. 10:18 Where these [sins] have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

Note: We speak of the "Sacrament of the Altar" because an altar is a place of sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His body and blood on the cross for the sins of the world once and for all. In the Sacrament of the Altar, He distributes this same body and blood until the end of time.

• Pray: Count us worthy of this communion

also, O God of true, and make our bodies to contain purity and our souls prudence and knowledge. And make us wise, O God of compassions, by partaking of the body and the blood, because through Your only –begotten Son to You is the glory and the strength and the Holy Spirit, now and to all the ages of the ages. Amen. (Serapion of Thumuis, d. after 360).

W: Consecrated by the Word

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A Sacramental GodThe God we worship breaks forth

into the muddy world and invades the enemy territory with us in mind

Every instance where God is present with his people, forgiving sins, bidding for righteousness, and healing afflictions, there is a descriptive sacrament, including OT typology and liturgical practices

In communion, we draw near to the one who declares boldly that we are forgiven in this new, continuing covenant.

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The Feast to ComeChrist instutitutes a meal in

communion with Himself and in expectation/rememberance of his sacrifice.

The newly created passover meal (Eucharist) retains the expectaions of the coming messiah into the new escahton

The meal now is but a foretaste of the clear and unfiltered communion to come

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Christ commands in these words that His Sacrament be celebrated in the church till the end of time as a living proclamation and distribution of His saving death and all its blessings.

1 Cor. 11:26 Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

We are to receive the Sacrament often because A. Christ commands, or urgently invites, us, saying, "This do in remembrance of Me"; B. His words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins" promise and offer us great blessings;

Matt. 11:28 Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will Live you rest.

C. we need the forgiveness of our sins and the strength for a new and holy life.

John 15:5 1 am the vine; you are the branches If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.

Note: In the New Testament, the Sacrament was a regular and major feature of congregational worship, not an occasional extra (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:20, 33). In Reformation times our churches celebrated the Sacrament "every Sunday and on other festivals" (Apology XXIV 1).

• Pray: O God, who is great and whose name is

great, who is great in counsel and mighty in works,

the God and Father of Your holy Child Jesus, our Savior! Look down upon us and upon Your flock, which You have chosen through Him to the glory of Your Name. Sanctify us in body and soul, and grant us the favor to be made pure from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. May we obtain the good things laid up for us. Do not count any of us unworthy. But be our Comforter, Helper, and Protector through Your Christ, with whom glory, honor, praise, doxology, and thanksgiving be to You and to the Holy Spirit forever. Amen. (Apostolic Constitutions, c. 350-80).

May my reason, sense, and intellect be ever submissive to Your Word. May I earnestly resolve to better and improve my life with Your help. In this precious sacrament, may I not only receive Your body and blood with my mouth, but also accept You in true faith, my Savior and Redeemer, enthrone You in my heart, and find in You my life and blessedness. For YOouare the living bread which comes down from heaven and brings life to men. O beloved Lord, my spirit and my mind yearn for You. As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Fill me with Your grace. Amen. (Johann Habermann, 1516-90).

Th Celebration and Blessing

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He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still ... (to) the womb ... down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him

C.S. Lewis

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LSB 622

1 Lord Jesus Christ, You have preparedThis feast for our salvation;It is Your body and Your blood,And at Your invitationAs weary souls, with sin oppressed,We come to You for needed rest,For comfort, and for pardon.

2 Although You did to Heav’n ascend,Where angel hosts are dwelling,And in Your presence they beholdYour glory, all excelling,And though Your people shall not seeYour glory and Your majestyTill dawns the judgment morning.

3 Yet, Savior, You are not confinedTo any habitation;But You are present even now

Here with Your congregation.Firm as a rock this truth shall stand,Unmoved by any daring handOr subtle craft and cunning.

4 We eat this bread and drink this cup,Your precious Word believingThat Your true body and Your bloodOur lips are here receiving.This word remains forever true,All things are possible with You,For You are Lord Almighty.

5 Though reason cannot understand,Yet faith this truth embraces;Your body, Lord, is even nowAt once in many places.I leave to You how this can be;Your Word alone suffices me;I trust its truth unfailing.

6 Lord, I believe what You have said;Help me when doubts assail me;

Remember that I am but dust,And let my faith not fail me.Your Supper in this vale of tearsRefreshes me and stills my fearsAnd is my priceless treasure.

7 Grant that we worthily receiveYour Supper, Lord, our Savior,And, truly grieving o’er our sins,May prove by our behaviorThat we are thankful for Your graceAnd day by day may run our race,In holiness increasing.

8 For Your consoling supper, Lord,Be praised throughout all ages!Preserve it, for in ev'ry placeThe world against it rages.Grant that this sacrament may beA blessèd comfort unto meWhen living and when dying.

Sing it!

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Pray: O that to me also one of the Seraphim would bring the burning coal from the celestial altar, taking it in the tongs of the two testaments, and with the fire purge my unclean lips! But You, O Lord, in revelation of the mystery have come to us in the flesh. Do not send any deputy, nor any messenger, but You Yourself cleanse my conscience from my secret sins. There is a cup, which You use to purify the hidden chambers of the soul, a cup not of the old order nor filled from a common vine. It is a new cup, brought down from heaven to earth, filled with wine pressed from the wondrous cluster, which hung in fleshly form upon the tree

of the cross. With this win, Lord Jesus purify our senses, that we may adore You, and worship You. Amen. (Ambrose of Milan, c. 339-97).

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ConclusionIt is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul write: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: "Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me." In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament, in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." This sacrament is also called the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Table, Holy Communion, the Breaking of Bread, and the Eucharist. Note: Eucharist comes from the Greek word for "giving thanks."Jesus Christ, who is true God and true man, instituted this sacrament. In this sacrament Christ gives us His own true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Christ's words in the Sacrament must be taken at face value especially because A. these words are the words of a testament, and even an ordinary person's last will and testament may not be changed once that person has died; 1B. God's Word clearly teaches that in the Sacrament the bread and wine are a communion or participation in the body and blood of Christ; C. God's Word clearly teaches that those who misuse the Sacrament sin not against bread and wine but against Christ's body and blood. The visible elements are bread and wine. Note: "The fruit of the vine" (Luke 22:18) in the Bible means wine, not grape juice. No, bread and wine remain in the Sacrament. The bread and wine in the Sacrament are Christ's body and blood by sacramental union. By the power of His word, Christ gives His body and blood in, with, and under the consecrated (blessed) bread and wine.

Yes, because the Sacrament depends on Christ's word, not on our faith. Note: All communicants should receive both parts of the Sacrament, since Christ said, "Take and eat; this is my body.... Drink from it, all of you" (Matt. 26:2627).No, the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament are the one perfect sacrifice offered to God once and for all on the cross and are now distributed to us in the Sacrament together with all the blessings and benefits which this sacrifice has won for us. Note: We speak of the "Sacrament of the Altar" because an altar is a place of sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His body and blood on the cross for the sins of the world once and for all. In the Sacrament of the Altar, He distributes this same body and blood until the end of time.Christ commands in these words that His Sacrament be celebrated in the church till the end of time as a living proclamation and distribution of His saving death and all its blessings. We are to receive the Sacrament often because A. Christ commands, or urgently invites, us, saying, "This do in remembrance of Me"; B. His words, "Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins" promise and offer us great blessings; C. we need the forgiveness of our sins and the strength for a new and holy life. Note: In the New Testament, the Sacrament wa regular and major feature of congregational worship, not an occasional extra. In Reformation times our churches celebrated the Sacrament "every Sunday and on other festivals" (Apology XXIV 1).

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Benefit of Communion

Next Time…(3/16)


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