This Is My Body
G.W. North explores the significance and method of observing the Lord's Supper as instituted by Jesus during the Last Supper.
G.W. North emphasizes the significance of the Lord's Supper, reflecting on the actions and words of Jesus during the Last Supper as recorded by Paul. He highlights the importance of understanding the meaning behind Jesus' declaration, 'This is my body which is broken for you,' and the need for the Church to perpetuate this rite in remembrance of Him. North suggests that Jesus may have either distributed the bread directly to each disciple or instructed one to serve the others, illustrating the communal aspect of the sacrament. The sermon calls for thoughtful engagement with the scriptures to grasp the depth of this ordinance and its implications for believers today.
Text
This is the special emphasis which Paul makes, and how grateful we must be to him for revealing it. As earlier suggested, it may be that he and Luke had talked over the events of that historic institutional occasion and had seen the whole import and meaning of the Lord's actions and words. What did He actually do then? What did His words mean? What may we rightly infer from them? How ought we to perpetuate the simple rite? Finally the apostle was able to set down what he had 'received of the Lord', and that seals the matter.
His inspiration from God was both to immediately deliver to the Church, writing down for all time, 'the Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He brake, and said, this is my body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me'.
Thoughtful reading of all the scriptures concerned may lead to the conclusion that when establishing the ordinance, as well as following a familiar course of action and making a request and giving a command, the Lord may also have set an example as to the method He wanted us to adopt.
We cannot be exactly sure what took place, but it is practically certain that He did one of two things: (1) He broke the bread and gave a piece to each one individually directly from His own hands, without it passing through the hands of another: or (2) He broke and gave to one of the disciples that he should do the same to another and he to another and so on until all were fed.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the significance of the Lord's Supper - Paul's revelation and its importance - Historical context of the Last Supper
- II points: - Understanding the actions of Jesus - Meaning behind 'This is my body' - The importance of remembrance
- III points: - The method of distribution of the bread - Individual versus communal sharing - Implications for modern practice
- IV points: - The role of inspiration in the Church - The command to observe the ordinance - Continuing the tradition today
Key Quotes
“the Lord Jesus, the same night in which He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He brake, and said, this is my body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me.” — G.W. North
“Thoughtful reading of all the scriptures concerned may lead to the conclusion that when establishing the ordinance...” — G.W. North
“He broke the bread and gave a piece to each one individually directly from His own hands.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- Reflect on the meaning of the Lord's Supper in your personal faith journey.
- Participate in communion with a heart of gratitude and remembrance.
- Encourage others in your community to understand the significance of this sacred ordinance.