The Life and Salvific Work of Christ • 12.17.23
The Life and Salvific Work of Christ
Mark 1:1-15; Matthew 4:12-25, 26:1-5, 28:16-20; John 19:1-11; Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Reasons to believe in and worship the Christ
- The Christ’s ministry was heralded by significant signs
- The Christ’s mission was to reconcile sinners to God
- The Christ willingly endured betrayal, death, and the wrath of God for us
- The Christ succeeded in making many righteous
- The Christ’s mission is still being carried out to this day
Good morning church family! And welcome to those who are visiting with us this morning. We’re thankful to have you with us. I hope you’ll choose to stick around afterwards and get to meet some folks around you. My name is Pastor Nick and I have the privilege of preaching God’s Word and leading us in taking communion this morning.
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Ushers + Bibles (Mark 1; page 994)
This is week 3 of our Behold the Christ series and I am looking forward to studying the life and salvific work of Christ with you. Over the past two weeks, we have studied the Old Testament prophecies of Christ and the birth of Christ. These incredible and, even, miraculous events have served to prepare us for today.
Today we pick up with the adult life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus the Christ as we identified him last week. The long-awaited seed of woman who came to slay the serpent as foretold in Genesis 3. The promised deliverer and eternal ruler as prophesied about in Isaiah 9. The God-man who alone could live and die for us as a sufficient sacrifice to rescue us from our sins! If you weren’t here the past two weeks, these are just a few of the reasons we’ve seen and heard for believing in and worshiping the Christ!
Let’s turn our attention now to the study of God’s Word for today. We’re starting in the Gospel of Mark with the launch of Jesus’ public ministry. In fact, Mark is going to start us just a little prior to that by introducing the promised forerunner of the Christ… John the Baptist. Let’s read starting in verse 1.
Mark 1:1–15 (ESV)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
*Pause* Mark gets right into the action in his gospel! And immediately we have a fulfilled prophecy in verses 2-3. John’s role in redemptive history was foretold 700 years earlier by Isaiah. John has been sent by God to prepare the people for the coming Christ/Savior. He called them to confess their sins and to repent (turn from sin) to be ready for the coming One. Let’s keep reading in verse 9 where this One is introduced…
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Whew, Mark covers some significant things in these 15 verses! As you might have come to expect, we’ve got some additional…
Reasons to believe in and worship the Christ
Beginning with…
- The Christ’s ministry was heralded by significant signs
Right out of the gate, Mark reveals how John the Baptist’s ministry was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. God provided so much evidence ahead of time to help us realize that he is working out his grand plan of redemption! Please do not take for granted the repeated prophecies that have been verified to be fulfilled.
As we have heard, John’s message was pointing to the greatness of the Christ. And from verses 9-15 we saw multiple, significant signs that backed up John’s claim, starting with the Holy Spirit’s descent on Jesus at his baptism. Do you recall the prophecy from Isaiah 42 that we heard two weeks ago?
Isaiah 42:1 (ESV)
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Jesus is the Chosen Servant of God who has the Spirit upon him! I love the recounting of the baptism of Jesus, because in it we see all three members of the Godhead present. The Son being baptized, the Spirit coming down on the Son, and the Father affirming his approval of the Son. God the Father’s affirmation is another incredible sign heralding the importance of the Christ’s ministry. Jesus would later tell the religious leaders of his day that he always does what pleases the Father. He lived a perfect, sinless life, which is very important for the salvific work that he came to do! We’ll talk more about that in a bit, but first let’s turn our attention to the next significant sign that heralded his ministry… the defeat of Satan in the wilderness!
Mark only gives two verses to this encounter, whereas Matthew gives 11 and Luke gives 13. While we don’t have time to read all 3 accounts right now, it is a good practice of studying the Gospels to look at all the accounts to get the fullest picture. The temptation of Jesus by Satan is a significant event that occurs prior to the beginning of his public ministry. For forty days, Jesus successfully resists and overcomes the devil’s schemes and temptations. He does what no one else in history could do – chooses to please God every single moment of his life. This is tremendous evidence of the sinlessness of the Christ. In fact, it establishes from the very beginning of his ministry that Jesus is victorious over the devil. This victory will culminate at the Cross and empty tomb which serves as the nail in the coffin for the devil. Through Jesus’ finished work, aka his death, burial, and resurrection, he will defeat death and the devil. But I’m getting ahead of myself, before we talk in depth about that, let me draw your attention back to Mark 1:14-15. Here is what happened after Jesus’ victory over Satan in the wilderness:
Mark 1:14–15 (ESV)
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Now Jesus’ public ministry has begun! He is openly proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. Meaning the next stage of God’s grand redemption plan is here! God’s rule and reign is more fully revealed through Jesus’ life and ministry than it had been previously. And one day soon God will return to bring in the fullness of his kingdom rule and reign. So, Jesus calls the people to prepare themselves for God’s kingdom by repenting (turning from sin; a change of heart/mind that leads to a change of action) and believing in the gospel.
What is the Gospel? We studied the Gospel for the entire month of November this year. Do you recall how we answered that question? Here it is:
What is the Good News? The gospel (good news) tells us of God’s plan of salvation for sinful humans from his just wrath through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, all accomplished by God’s own grace and not the sinner’s merit. (Repeat)
This gospel is what Jesus spent his adult years proclaiming to all who would hear. Let me share Matthew’s account of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Turn with me to Matthew 4. You’re going to hear a consistent message and further evidence of the Christ’s mission.
Matthew 4:12–25 (ESV) (Page 962)
12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Both Mark and Matthew testify to the incredible ministry and mission of the Christ, which leads us to our second reason to believe in and worship the Christ for today:
- The Christ’s mission was to reconcile sinners to God
Matthew elaborates on the brevity of Mark. Jesus is the great light for the nations as foretold by Isaiah 700 years earlier! And as Jesus made God known, his message was a call to faith and repentance.
The Bible does not allow us to escape the reality of our sin problem! We are sinners in need of a Savior. As we’ve discussed over the past two weeks, we have a problem that we cannot overcome on our own. It is the universal plight or epidemic of humanity. Without an answer for our sin, our rebellion against the Holy God, we stand condemned. *pause*
This is why Jesus’ announcement that the kingdom of heaven is at hand is so crucial to hear and understand! He is reasoning with the people. “Look, your time is short. Judgment day is coming. Righteousness will prevail in the end. Respond in faith and have peace with God before it is too late!”
We currently live in a period of redemptive history that is often called “the already, but not yet” by theologians. It is called this because God’s kingdom is already revealed to us, but not yet fully brought in. God has already been victorious over sin and death, but the full implications have not been fully realized yet. We are privileged to live in a period of history where we can know that the Christ has come, understand exactly what he taught through the study of the Bible, and respond in faith and repentance to enter salvation. This is a tremendous privilege. The things that were once a mystery to the Old Testament saints are now made known to us.
How will you respond to the Christ’s ministry and mission? Will you acknowledge the significant signs that heralded his ministry? Will you confess your sin and bow your knee to him as your Savior?
Over the next two Sundays, we’ll study this period of redemptive history further, as well as what is coming next. On Christmas Eve, we’re going to look at the present reign of Christ. Answering questions like, “Where is he now? What is he doing? How should we live?” And then on 12/31, we’ll look at the second coming of Christ, which is the much-anticipated Return of the King. Only this one isn’t written by J.R.R. Tolkien or directed by Peter Jackson; this one is driven by God himself!
I digress! For all of us, our appropriate response is faith and repentance, as we’ve heard from Jesus. But from there he has given us further instruction and a mission of our own! Look again at Matthew 4:19:
Matthew 4:19
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus’ method was calling disciples who he transformed into disciple-makers. All who follow Christ share in his mission! There is an immediate change of priorities. You follow him and he does a work in you! For some this may result in changes vocationally. I used to be an IT guy, now I am a pastor.
But that is not everyone’s calling. Do you know what Christ calls everyone to? Stewardship of the life and resources he has entrusted to you to make disciples. Everyone who is a disciple is called to be a disciple-maker or a fisher of men. We’ll elaborate on that call towards the end of our time together.
For now, I want to emphasize that Jesus’ authority and impact cannot be ignored. As we heard in Matthew 4:23-25, Jesus demonstrated his authority over illness and demons. These represent his authority over both the physical and spiritual realms. Jesus has absolute authority over every square inch of creation! By doing such miraculous signs publicly, it testified to the authority of the messenger and validity of his message. God the Father was allowing the world to see firsthand evidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that he indeed was the Savior of the world, as he claimed to be.
For the sake of time, I am going to sum up the rest of Jesus’ public ministry as follows. He spent three years publicly pursuing the mission of reconciling sinners to God, which culminated in his death, burial, and resurrection. And these end-of-life events were not a disappointing finale to all the good that Jesus had done, not at all! The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ were central components to God’s unchanging, grand redemptive plan! Let’s turn our attention to these events now. We zoom ahead roughly 3 years to the days before Jesus’ betrayal and arrest.
Matthew 26:1–5 (ESV)
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
In the days that followed, one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas, betrayed him to the religious leaders. They arranged a mob with some of their guards to capture him in the dead of night and take him to the High Priest’s home. While there, they interrogate and mock him, eventually deciding to charge him with blasphemy for claiming to be God. Since the Jews cannot kill Jesus under Roman rule, they wait until the morning to take him to the local Roman authority, Pontius Pilate. They use their influence to coerce Pilate into doing what they want. Let’s turn to John 19 and hear how the Romans treat/speak about Jesus.
John 19:1–11 (ESV) (Page 1075)
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
What happens next, even though Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, he hands him over for crucifixion anyways… The absolute injustice and lawlessness of this situation is shocking (or it ought to be)! Yet, in the midst of it all, when questioned by Pilate, Jesus remains silent. He only speaks up to clarify that Pilate’s authority is a delegated authority given to him by God. Jesus knows that this is all a part of the grand redemptive plan that he, the Father, and the Spirit came up with from eternity past… So, he gives us a third reason to believe in and worship him today…
- The Christ willingly endured betrayal, death, and the wrath of God for us
He knew this was the plan and had agreed upon it from eternity past. He indicates as much when he foretold his betrayal and crucifixion in the days leading up to it all. He was not caught by surprise in this unjust suffering.
Even though he was innocent, Jesus willingly endured the shame/scorn/cross. He did not open his mouth in defense. He did not argue. He knew that this was God’s plan and executed under his authority. So, he endured physical and verbal abuse at the hands of the Jews and the Romans. But far worse than that, he endured the wrath of God for us… Nothing the Jews or Romans did could possibly compare to drinking the cup of wrath for our sins. Let’s read about that now in Matthew 27.
Matthew 27:45–50 (ESV)
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
For three hours, Jesus experienced the wrath of God poured out on him. The darkness over the land signifying the horror of what he was enduring! And what gut-wrenching words to hear him cry… “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It is impossible for us to fathom the depth of his agony as he suffered in his people’s place. *extended pause*
Thankfully, if you are one of his people, then you will never have to face the wrath of God. You see, this painful, agonizing death was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Suffering Servant. Again, 700 years prior to any of these events, God foretold exactly what would happen and what it would accomplish. I must read this to you so you can hear and be in awe.
Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (ESV) (Page 728)
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 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.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
This incredible passage from Isaiah combined with the finished work of Jesus gives us our fourth reason to believe in and worship the Christ today…
- The Christ succeeded in making many righteous
Look again at verse 11 – “Out of the anguish of his soul, he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”
When I read this verse in conjunction with Matthew 27 and heard the Christ crying out about God forsaking him… it wrecked me. In a good way. To think that Jesus, in the midst of bearing the wrath of God for us and the incredible soul-wracking pain it brought upon him, says, “It is worth it.” And he’s speaking of me… and of all of those who are in Christ…
How humbling! He willingly laid down his life for… us. The perfectly innocent and righteous one dying in the place of those who have sinned and rebelled against him. God, you are so kind, so gracious, so merciful! There is no other world religion where God comes down and becomes the sacrifice to save his people and make them right with him. Every other religion is about working your way to God. Not Christianity. Not the Christ. He has done the work. He has made the way for us to return to Him. I think it is entirely appropriate for us to bow our heads and respond in prayer/praise right now. Would you do that with me?
Lord, help us to be humbled by this incredible revelation. Wreck us in our pride and self-sufficiency. May we be in awe of you, as is appropriate for what we are hearing and remembering today. May we bow the knee in adoration and worship of you. You are the Lord. You are our Savior. We need you.
And we rejoice in the forgiveness that you provide! Though we were dead in our sin, you make us alive through faith in you. Though our sins were like scarlet, you wash them white as snow. Though we were headed for hell, you have made a way for us to join you in heaven. Jesus, thank you. We give you the praise and the glory this morning! May we live in a manner that reflects the tremendous hope and purpose that we have in and through you! Help us to obey. Help us to bear good fruit. Help us to make disciples, as we heard you call us to do earlier. Amen.
Now I would be remiss if I did not explain that this hope is only possible for those who are trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Throughout this series and throughout Jesus’ life and ministry, it has been made clear that every one of us is a sinner in need of a Savior. We all fall short of the glory of God and we need an answer for our rebellion. Jesus the Christ is God’s provision for sinners like us. Isaiah 53 made it very clear that Jesus suffered and died for our sins. He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. Through faith in him your sins can be forgiven, and you can be washed white as snow. If you have never admitted your sin and need for a Savior, can I lovingly ask you, “What is keeping you from doing so today?” Today can be the day of salvation for you! I would love nothing more than to know that God opened your eyes to his saving grace today and you repented and believed in Him! If that is your desire, I would encourage you to handle that with God right where you are. To pray to Him, admitting your sin and asking for him to forgive you and help you to follow him. I’d love to talk with you more about that after the service too.
Christian brothers and sisters, are you thankful for your salvation in Christ?! Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus! Let’s live in light of that salvation. Here’s how we can do so…
Turn your attention with me back to the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
His mission is not over. Our fifth and final reason to believe in and worship the Christ today is…
- The Christ’s mission is still being carried out to this day
He is still reconciling sinners to God. Which is why I am so concerned with those who are here or watching online that do not know Christ. I want you to have the hope of forgiveness and restoration to God that I know is possible for you!
You see, the crucifixion and death of Jesus was not the final word. The tomb was a part of the plan! Three days later he rose from the dead and walked out of that tomb! The grave could not hold him. Death could not defeat him. And now Jesus was going to show the whole world what he had done by commissioning and sending his disciples to the ends of the earth with the Gospel message.
Matthew 28:16-20 recounts for us what is known as the Great Commission, and it reveals God’s plan for his people. Christ’s mission is our mission. Jesus, the one who has all authority, has delegated his authority to his followers so that they can go and make disciples of all nations. If your faith is in Christ, you have been commissioned and sent by Him to tell others about Him. You are to make disciples, and the way you do that is by going to them, baptizing them in God’s name, and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded.
Don’t make this more complex than it needs to be. What this means is that you know God and you make Him known. You study His Word and then you share what you’re learning with others. You have been called to repentance and faith and you share that same call with others. The more you experience the depth and love of Christ, the more you help others to know the same.
Of course, if you’re paying attention, all this hinges on you drawing near to God. You need to be near to him and allow him to teach and shape your life if you’re going to be used by him. And please realize, this isn’t optional… “if you feel like it, make disciples.” No, this is a command. “Make disciples.”
So, with that call in mind, I want to share a few practical resources the church is making available to you to help you in this endeavor of knowing God and making Him known.
- Bible Study – Bible in a Year plans (Also available on /resources)
- Prayer – Prayer Journals
- Memorization – Fighter Verse bookmarks + coloring books (Also available on /resources)
- Stewardship – Plan for growth (PGP template on /resources)
- Training – Equipping for Daily Life Classes
- Each month, I will teach a class addressing a different area of our Christian walk. Over the course of the year, you will be equipped with biblical training on the heart, the process of change, discerning problems biblically, parenting goals/instruction/discipline, guilt and repentance, forgiveness, fear and worry, and anger.
Our hope is that you would consider using these resources to help develop your own walk with God, as needed. Then, in turn, that you would share what God has been teaching and doing in you with at least one other person to help them grow in their walk with Christ. Imagine the harvest that would come if every person took this call seriously! *pause*
With our hearts full and joy overflowing, let’s move into the final segment of our worship service today…
Today we are going to end our services by worshiping the Lord through the celebration of communion or the Lord’s table.
Communion is an opportunity for Christians to remember all that the Lord has done for us through his death, burial, and resurrection. What a privilege to slow down and give thanks for the finished work of Jesus!
We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result was a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!
At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.
Before we pass them, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.
This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him.
The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.
The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.
Ushers pass elements
Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)
23 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, 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.”
Take bread.
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.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Take cup
Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!