Sermon

Our Substitute (The Lord's Supper)

August 19, 2017 Pickens First Baptist Church

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As we actually observe the elements of the Lord's Supper,
the first that will be distributed is the bread.
The bread represents the broken body of Jesus.
I don't know if you've ever read it, thought about it,
but one of the best descriptions of the suffering
that Jesus experienced on the cross
is found in the Old Testament.
Before Jesus ever walked the face of this earth,
the prophet Isaiah described the suffering
that a future servant of God would experience on behalf of others.
Jesus, in His own teaching, identified Himself as that suffering servant,
but other New Testament writers clearly point to Him in that same way.
Isaiah chapter 52, beginning in verse 13,

Isaiah 52 chapter mention
through chapter 53, verse 12,
these are the verses that provide the most detailed description
of the Lord's suffering.
It's from these verses, this section,
that the New Testament quotes more than any other passage.
Isaiah 52, 13 through 53, 12.
The New Testament quotes from these verses
more than any other Old Testament text.
John MacArthur explains the significance of this passage very well.
I want you to look at it.
It's going to be on the screen.
How he points to this from Isaiah
is what Jesus did for us.
Look at it.
This section contains unarguable, incontrovertible proof
that God is the author of Scripture
and Jesus is the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy.
The details are so minute
that no human could have predicted them by accident.
Clearly, this refers to the Messiah, Jesus,
as the New Testament attests.
Then you note he cites all these New Testament references,
both Jesus and some of the apostles.
They quote from Isaiah 52, 13 through 53, 12,
describing what Jesus did to his death for our sins.
MacArthur goes on to say,
it is often alluded to without being quoted.
And he cites other passages.
The ESV study Bible
calls three verses from this section in particular
the heart of the passage.
And it's referring to Isaiah 53, verses 4 through 6.

Isaiah 53:4–6
I want you to look at this and think.
Isaiah wrote about this hundreds of years
before Jesus actually came into the world,
went to the cross and experienced this kind of death.
Look at it.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.
And with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way.
And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Now I want you to note in verse 5 there
words that describe the pain and suffering
that Jesus experienced on the cross.
Pierced, crushed, chastisement or punishment, wounds.
But notice also, I'm going to list them in the next slide.
Notice why Jesus suffered that way.
He was pierced for our transgressions.
He was crushed for our iniquities.
Upon him was the chastisement or the punishment that brought us peace.
With his wounds we are healed.
When Jesus died on the cross,
he suffered because he was bearing our sins upon himself.
Look again how verse 6 describes this.
All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way.
That's one way to describe sin.
Living life my way instead of God's way.
Doing what I want to do.
Doing my will instead of doing God's will.
That's the essence of sin.
All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way.
And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
This Isaiah 53, 4 through 6.
This is good news for every person who truly does trust in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Think about it.
Make it personal.
This is telling us that God placed your sin upon Jesus as he hung on the cross.
This passage is telling us Jesus suffered the punishment that you rightly deserve
because you are the one who sinned.
You're the one who wanted it your way and rebelled against God.
But God acted not according to what we deserve.
God acted in mercy.
God acted in grace by sending Jesus and allowing him to suffer the punishment that we rightly deserve.
Now if you're not a Christian, you need to understand that you're responsible to God for yourself.
You're all alone before God.
You will give an account to him for how you've lived.
You will give an account for every sin you have or will commit.
If you're not a Christian, if you're not united to Jesus Christ by faith,
you are going to bear God's punishment for your sin.
You are going to.
And really that is what hell is.
Being separated from God, experiencing the punishment,
that sin deserves.
Now, what I want to say to you if you're not a Christian,
that doesn't have to be your story.
That doesn't have to be the end result of your life.
Right now, you can't admit to God your need for this Savior.
And not just admit your sin, but change your mind about the way you're living.
Turn from your sin.
Truly express your sorrow to God for living life your way instead of His.
If you will turn and put your faith and trust in Jesus,
that He suffered your punishment for you,
and call upon Him to save you,
He will.
So I encourage you, if you're not a believer,
if you came into this room not knowing Christ as your Lord and Savior,
turn to Him now in faith, in trust, in confidence.
Commit your life to Him.
He will save you.
He will forgive you.
He will make you a child of God right now, this very moment.
But you know, the good news of Jesus Christ,
it does not end with Him dying on the cross.
God raised Him from the dead.
We serve, we worship a living Lord this morning.
When we talk about Jesus,
we're not talking about Jesus,
the Son of God who died and was buried and that was it.
We wouldn't be here to worship Him.
He would just be like everyone else if that's the case.
We are here this morning because we're worshiping the Son of God
who came into this world and did die.
He was buried,
but He arose triumphantly from the grave.
God made it clear through the resurrection of His Son Jesus
that He has accepted the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf.
God has accepted that.
Through faith in Jesus,
we're forgiven,
we're made children of God.
And I want to encourage you,
if you're a Christian now,
thank God.
Thank Him for the grace that He has shown you.
Thank the Lord Jesus Himself
for the love that He demonstrated
in going to the cross,
taking your punishment
so that you would not have to.
I want to encourage you
to renew
or reaffirm your commitment
to Jesus Christ right now
as we prepare to partake of
this first element of the Lord's Supper,
the bread.
I want to read from what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians,
explaining to us how Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper.
He writes,
for I received from the Lord
what I also delivered to you,
that the Lord Jesus,
on the night when He was betrayed,
took bread,
and when He had given thanks,
He broke it and said,
this is my body,
which is for you.
Let's pray together.
Let's pray together.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Find forgiveness at the cross.
So we share in this bread of life.
And we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of peace.
Around the table of the King.
The body of our Savior Jesus Christ torn for you.
Eat and remember the wounds that heal the death that brings us life.
Paid the price to make us one.
So we share in this bread of life.
And we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of love.
Around the table of the King.
The blood that cleanses every stain of sin shed for you.
Drink and remember.
He drained this cup that all may enter in.
To receive the life of God.
So we share in this bread of life.
And we drink of his sacrifice as a sign of our bonds of grace.
Around the table of the King.
Aleister food.
yeuxquote imbent.
Aleister food.
And so with thankfulness and faith we rise to respond.
And to remember our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As his body here on earth
As we share in his suffering
We proclaim Christ will come again
And we'll join in the feast of heaven
Around the table of the King
Jesus told us to do this in remembrance of me
The second element that is passed out
Is the cup
It represents the blood
The shed blood of Jesus on the cross
Many years ago
I thought, wondered
Why is it that when we take the Lord's Supper
It's described, these elements are described as
The bread and the cup
Instead of the bread and the wine
I used to think that it must be
That was Baptist's way of trying to get around talking about wine
You know
But then if you actually read the scripture
That's what Jesus said
That's how the Apostle Paul
Described the Lord's Supper
Look at it
1 Corinthians 11 verses 25 and 26

1 Corinthians 11:25
In the same way
Also
He took the cup after supper saying
This cup is the new covenant in my blood
Do this as often as you drink it
In remembrance of me
For as often as you eat this bread
And drink the cup
You proclaim the Lord's death
Until He comes
Just look at that last verse
Doesn't it sound sort of odd
For as often as you eat this bread
And drink the cup
It just seems more natural to say
For as often as you eat the bread
And drink the wine
Jesus was not trying to say something
That would just be the most natural way to understand it
He was making a point
By emphasizing the bread and the cup
Craig Blomberg is a respected New Testament scholar
And I like the way he explains wine
Look at it
The reason Paul
Like the gospel writers
Call it the cup
Rather than using the word wine
Is because the expression
Would evoke Old Testament associations
Of suffering the cup
Of God's wrath
A.T. Robertson
He's a Greek scholar
From days gone by
He's actually commenting
What I'm giving you
Comes from what Jesus said
In Matthew 26
As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane
Jesus said
He's asking God
If it be possible
Let this cup pass from me
Nevertheless not my will
But your will be done
Robertson said
This cup
The figure can only mean
The approaching death
The master is about to taste
The bitter dregs
In the cup of death
For the sin of the world
When Jesus instituted
The Lord's Supper
He used wine
To symbolize
His shed blood on the cross
Which was another way
Of Him describing His death
But Jesus chose
To focus on the cup
Symbolizing that He would experience
The wrath of God
That we deserved
Because of our sins
Because of our sins
If you're a Christian
Let this sink in
I do deserve
To suffer
For my sins
But Jesus loved me enough
To suffer for me
To experience the wrath of God
In my place
So that I would not have to
As we pass out
The cups
Express your love
And your gratitude
To God
For this great grace
Truly praise Jesus
And thank Him
For experiencing
The cup of God's wrath
So you wouldn't have to
So you wouldn't have to
In returning to what Paul is saying
And how Jesus instituted
The Lord's Supper
Paul tells us
In the same way
Also He took the cup
After supper
Saying
This cup
Is the new covenant
In my blood
Let's pray together
Are you
They live alive
In them
They live
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Christ is my reward
in all of my devotion.
Now there's nothing in this world
that could ever satisfy.
Through every trial my soul will sing.
No turning back.
I've been set free.
Christ is enough for me.
Christ is enough for me.
Everything I need is in you.
Everything I need.
Christ is my all in all.
The joy of my salvation.
And this hope will never fail.
Heaven is my home.
Through every storm my soul will sing.
Jesus is here.
To God be the glory.
Christ is enough for me.
Christ is enough for me.
Everything I need is in you.
Everything I need.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back.
No turning back.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back.
No turning back.
The cross before me.
The world behind me.
No turning back.
No turning back.
The cross before me.
The world behind me.
No turning back.
No turning back.
And Christ is enough for me.
Christ is enough for me.
Christ is enough for me.
Everything I need is in you.
Everything I need.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back.
No turning back.
I have decided to follow Jesus.
No turning back.
No turning back.
The cross before me.
The world behind me.
No turning back.
No turning back.
The cross before me.
The world behind me.
No turning back.
The cross before me.
No turning back.
No turning back.
No turning back.
No turning back.
Jesus said to do this as often as you drink it
in remembrance of me.
Observing the Lord's Supper
it's a visible reminder
of what the Lord has done for us
and it's also a time of
experiencing His presence in a special way.
It's also a time of committing ourselves
anew and afresh to Him.
Observing the Lord's Supper together
is a time for us to do
like that song has expressed.
Keeping our eyes forward.
Making that commitment.
No matter what, I'm not going to turn back.
Let that be your commitment this morning.
Would you stand with us?
We're going to close as Jesus and the disciples
ended that Supper
by singing a song together
and we'll be dismissed.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.