The Lord’s Supper
Just as in Baptism the entire person and work of Christ are present, so also the entire Gospel is contained in the Lord’s Supper.
1 Cor. 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; 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.” 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.”
Many churches teach that Jesus was speaking symbolically when He said “this is my body and this is my blood” and that nothing is given in the Lord’s Supper. They teach that it is merely an act of remembrance, as act of the Law, wherein the communicant obeys Christ’s command as an act of obedience.
We teach that Christ Jesus is fully human and fully divine and as such He has the power to be present in the Sacrament of the Altar in a mysterious way, just as He superseded the laws of nature in the walking on the water, appearing behind locked doors, and rising from the dead. His presence in the Lord’s Supper is called His “sacramental presence.” Jesus is present in Holy Communion and a person actually receives the body and blood of Jesus “in, with, and under” the elements of bread and wine. And whoever receives the body and blood of Jesus in a humble and contrite way and with a believing heart receives the forgiveness of sin given in the Lord’s Supper.
Holy Communion is the “holy of holies” in the Christian church. Those who come to the altar are to be “worthy” of it. “For anyone who eats or drinks without recognizing the Lord’s body brings a judgment on himself as he eats and drinks.” (1 Cor. 11:29)
To be worthy to receive Holy Communion a person must confess that he is unworthy, a sinner in need of forgiveness of sins, depend solely on Christ’s work for salvation, and believe Christ’s words, “This is my body, this is My blood . . . which is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matt. 26:28) A person is also to believe the true doctrines of Christ (1 Cor. 1:10) and be able to examine himself in light of the Law and Gospel. (1 Cor. 11:28-30)
Worthy reception of Holy Communion is the most comforting experience in the Christian life. To know that we have been taken into Christ’s body and that He enters our body to give to us the forgiveness of all our sins is a great comfort.
Come to Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church where the Word of God, the Sacraments, and the liturgy are rightly used.