Let's begin this study in prayer...
Psalm 61:1-8Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock [Jesus] that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For You have heard my vows, O God, You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. Increase the days of the king's [Jesus'] life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint Your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then will I ever sing praise to Your name and fulfill my vows day after day.
In order for us to better understand our Lord's Supper, it would be
very beneficial for us to go back into the Old Testament and read
about Israel's deliverance and exodus from the tyranny of the
Egyptians. Hence, let us go and read about some of the key points
of Israel's exodus as it relates to this study...OK?
I. THE EXODUS OF ISRAEL FROM THE EGYPTIANS
A. BACKGROUND
Israel has been in bondage to the Egyptians for 400 years and
the situation appears to be hopeless. However, God raises up a
man named Moses through whom He (God) intends to deliver Israel.
Even though through Moses God performed miraculous signs and
miraculously inflicted plagues and disasters upon the Egyptians,
Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go and worship the Lord
their God. Consequently, it was time for the last plague, the
death of the first born. However, before this plague was to come
God provided a way to protect the first born of the Israelites
from the destroying angel. This was the,
B. THE PASSOVER
In order to see what the Passover was all about, let us go and
read,
1. GOD'S COMMAND TO MOSES
Exodus 12:1-13
Notice vs 2 the time of Passover will be the
beginning of a new year for the
Israelites, i.e. a new life, for this
is the night of their deliverance.
5 the lamb is to be without defect.
7 some of it's blood is to be put on
the sides and tops of the door frame
of their house.
11 they are to eat the Passover ready to
flee.
13 the blood on the door will be a sign
so that the destroying angel will
pass over that home keeping its
inhabitants safe.
2. MOSES' COMMAND TO THE ISRAELITES
Exodus 12:21-28
Notice vs 24-25 this Passover supper was to be
observed as an everlasting ordinance.
3. THE RESULT
Exodus 12:29-36
Finally the nation of Israel is now free from the tyranny of the
Egyptians! They, the Israelites, have now been told to leave to
go and worship the Lord their God!
From this point in time we read in the Bible that God leads
Israel to the shores of the Red Sea. We also read that while
Israel is fleeing the Egyptians, Pharaoh has a change of heart,
so he musters his army and pursues Israel. Now at the Red Sea,
God brings about the final deliverance of the Israelites. God
accomplishes this by dividing the waters of the Red Sea so that
the Israelites were able to walk through the sea on dry ground.
However, when the Egyptians pursue the Israelites, God collapses
the walls of water, i.e. returns the sea to normal, thereby
drowning all of Pharaoh's army. Hence the power of the Egyptians
over the Israelites was now completely broken and the Israelites
were now free to serve and worship the one and only God of the
Universe. However, it soon becomes clear that there is a problem.
This problem was the fact that they, the Israelites, were in a
desert and there was no food. Hence, they began to complain and
grumble about this new situation they found themselves in. To
see this, let us read from,
Exodus 16:1-3
However, God had a plan to not only provide Israel their
sustenance for their physical needs but at the same time teach
Israel that they were to always look to Him for their well
being. Hence, we read about,
B. THE BREAD IN THE WILDERNESS
To do this, let us read from,
Exodus 16:4-18
Now as we read the Bible further we find that God had provided
Israel this manna for the entire 40 years that they wandered in
the wilderness, right up until the time they entered the
promised land.
This is all fine and dandy, but what has all this to do with us the
Christian? Well, to find out let us first explore,
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW
Well, as the Bible teaches us God has given all the Old Testament
laws, ordinances and incidents as examples and shadows to teach us
about what was to come in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. To see
this, let us read from,
Romans 15:4
Or perhaps put another way,
"These things (i.e. the law) are a shadow of the things to come;
the reality, however, is found in Christ." (Colossians 2:17)
Now with this background, let us now see how,
III. JESUS CHRIST IS THE REALITY
Let us begin by reading the teaching that Jesus gave us while in
Capernaum right after He had fed the 5,000.
A. THE PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS TO CAPERNAUM
John 6:25-27
Notice vs 26 notice why they followed Jesus.
B. THE WORK OF GOD
John 6:28-29
C. THE CRAVING FOR A SIGN
John 6:30-31
D. JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE
John 6:32-40
E. BUT THE PEOPLE GRUMBLED
John 6:41-42
F. THE RESPONSE OF JESUS
John 6:43-51
let us reread,
John 6:51
QUESTION: What did Jesus mean? What was He saying? Well, let us
consider what is written in,
Hebrew 10:5-10
G. THE PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND
John 6:52
H. JESUS' RESPONSE
John 6:53-59
QUESTION: How can this be?
Well, as it turns out our Lord Jesus Christ has provided us a way to
do this. This is through the observance of,
IV. THE LAST SUPPER/THE LORD'S SUPPER
To see this let us now go to,
A. JUST PRIOR TO JESUS' DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Let us go back to that point in time when Jesus was celebrating
His last Passover with His disciples. To do this, let us read
from,
Luke 22:1-20
QUESTION: Can we see the parallels here? Can we see how Jesus is
the true Passover Lamb and how all things are fulfilled in Him?
If not, perhaps some of the following observations will help,
1. The Passover lamb had to be without blemish... Jesus was
without sin.
1 Peter 1:18-21
2. The blood of the lamb was to be a covering so the death
angel would not harm those inside the house... Jesus' blood
covers us (i.e. saves us) from the wrath of God through the
forgiveness of our sins.
Ephesians 1:7-10
3. The Passover was eaten just prior to the time that the
tyranny of Egypt was to be broken...we also find that this
Passover, i.e. Jesus' last supper, was eaten just prior to
the time that He, Jesus, would go to the cross and rise
from the dead to deliver us from the tyranny of sin!
Perhaps the best way to see this is by reading the witness
that John the Baptist gave of our Lord Jesus Christ after
Jesus was baptized.
John 1:29
finally,
4. While on the way to the promised land, Israel was to feed
on the manna. In like manner, on our way to heaven we are
to remain in Jesus.
John 15:1-8
V. CLOSING
Now with all this in mind, let us close this portion of our study by
reading from,
Colossians 1:3-23
Let's end this study in prayer...
1 John 1:1-3That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Read the book by John Sweet, Jr.
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