The Desire for the Lord’s Supper

Text: Luke 22:10- 20 (15)

Epithumia – desire, also the word from which we get the word lust! Another

which is translated from epithumia is covet. Having said that, imagine verse 15 reading

“With lust I have coveted to eat this passover with you before I suffer.” or even “With

covetousness I have lusted to eat this passover with you before I suffer.”

It sounds kind of strange when put like that, but it gives us an idea of the importance of

the Lord’s Supper. This is why we don’t do it every Sunday, or even once a month. We

want it to be very distinct.

When the Lord’s people get together for this exceptional occasion, we should know that

Jesus so looks forward to it that He covets the service, He longs for it, He lusts after the

Lord’s Supper!

There are a few reasons for His passionate longing for the Lord’s Supper:

1.      It is a time of consecration, where we dedicate ourselves anew to the One Who gave Himself for us. We are encouraged by the Apostle Paul to examine ourselves before partaking of the Lord’s Supper and see whether we be in the faith. That includes a talk with the Lord about our commitment to Him. We must be willing to forsake all and follow Him. Our sins must be under the blood and our love for Him must be supreme.

     

A young lady was speaking to an evangelist about consecration. She said, “I dare not give myself wholly to the Lord, because He might send me out to China as a missionary.” The evangelist said, ‘If some cold, snowy morning a little bird should come, half-frozen, pecking at your window, seeking shelter, and would let you take it and feed it, thereby putting itself entirely in your power, what would you do? Would you grip it in your hand and crush it? Or would you give it shelter, warmth, food and care?” A new light came into the girl’s eyes. She said, Oh, I see now. I can trust God.” Two years later she met the same evangelist and reminded him of their conversation. She told him she had completely given herself to God. And then her face lit up with a bright smile. “And guess where He’s sending me?” she asked—“to China!”

    

The Lord desires to have the Lord’s Supper with us because…

2.    It is a communion, a close, intimate relationship which takes place among family who dearly love one another.

Unfortunately, most churches have too much of an undercurrent of hard feelings, envy and distrust among their membership. Taking the Lord’s Supper while holding a grudge against others hinders the fellowship that the Lord desires for us to experience at a time like this.

In the upper room with Jesus, sitting at His nail-scarred feet

Oh, what rich and full communion, fellowship divine and sweet.

Also, the Lord desires this supper with us because…

3.    It is a commemoration – this is the time, more than any other when we focus on the sacrifice of our Lord for us. The elements; the fruit of the vine and the unleavened bread, are typical of the blood of Jesus which was shed to wash away our sin and body of Christ which was broken for us.

Listen to what it says in Mat 27:36; And sitting down they watched him there;

Go back with me in your mind’s eye to Golgotha. Hanging there, the life of Jesus, slowly, over the course of 6 hours, ebbed from His broken and bleeding body. Each breath came with the greatest effort. He had to make use of the nails which fixed Him to the cross to take the pressure off His lungs just to get a breath. No wonder He only had 7 things to say, 44 words (English). It was too much trouble to say anymore. So He said only that which was necessary.

Finally, Jesus, with desire desires to have this supper with us because…

4.    It is a celebration – where we look forward to the time when we partake of the Lord’s supper in the physical presence of Jesus.

 

Yes, we are a forgetful people. But communion gives us the opportunity to remember. And so, it is with desire that we desire to serve and eat the Lord’s Supper together.  


Thank You for visiting this site. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson Northland Baptist Ministries