26 May 2024 PM – Text: Luke 24:35 – Topic: Lord’s Supper
Introduction: Two of the followers of Jesus departed Jerusalem on the Sunday Christ arose. As they walked the 12-kilometre mountain road to their home in Emmaus, a stranger joined them. The two had been discussing the painful and shocking events of the last three days. The Stranger asked them what they were talking about. After a brief description, the Stranger turned their attention to numerous Old Testament passages that described the Messiah. They listened to this Stranger with burning hearts as he “… beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27). When they reached Emmaus, the Stranger acted as if he would continue on, but they urged him to spend the night with them. Oddly, at the evening meal, the Stranger took on the role of the host, breaking the bread and blessing it. When He broke the bread, they finally recognised that He was Jesus. Then Jesus disappeared. What was it about His breaking the bread that gave away His identity?
Transition: Many Christians think that the phrase “breaking of bread” always refers to the Lord’s Supper. To determine if this is accurate, I invite you to examine it with me in Scripture.
1. How was it used in Jesus’ ministry?
a. The feeding of the 5,000
1) Mat 14:19, Mar 6:41; Luk 9:16; Joh 6:11.
2) Each of these passages describe Jesus breaking loaves to feed the multitude of hungry people.
b. The feeding of the 4,000
1) Mat 15:36, Mar 8:6
2) These passages also describe Jesus multiplying the bread and blessing it to feed His hungry followers.
3) From Jesus’ ministry, we can see that the idea of breaking bread was the common description for serving a meal which often literally meant breaking the loaf in pieces and passing it out.
c. The first Lord’s Supper
1) Mat 26:26; Mar 14:22, Luk 22:19
2) On this occasion, Jesus instituted the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. It was in conjunction with a regular meal yet separate from it.
2. How is it used in Luke 24:30-35?
a. Read this text and note the details.
1) These two followers of Christ were not among the 12 (now 11) disciples (Lu 24:33).
2) Commentator, Harry Ironside, made this helpful observation. “They soon prepared the evening meal, and this wondrous Stranger was asked to recline at the table with them. It might have been a very simple meal; there might not have been very much variety, but they were prepared to share what they had with Him. He took His place at the table, but not simply as a guest; He took the place of the Host. Instead of waiting for Cleopas or the other disciples to ask the blessing, He took one of the wafers of bread and looked up to heaven and gave thanks. They thought they were inviting Him as their Guest, but they found that they were His guests, and He was the Host. Suddenly, as they looked upon His hands when He was about to break the bread, a revelation came to them. We read, “And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.” How did they know Him? They told the disciples afterward in Jerusalem, “He was known of us in breaking of bread.” These two were not at the Lord’s Supper. At that time there were the eleven, the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. These two were but disciples who, otherwise, were unknown. So, they did not recognize Him because of something they had seen Him do in the Upper Room. But as they gazed upon those hands, no doubt they saw the print of the nails, as Thomas was shortly afterward to see; and they said, “Oh, this is He! Look at those hands! This is the One who was nailed to that cross.” They recognized Him and they knew Him now to be the Christ, the Redeemer of Israel. But when they looked again, He was gone; He had vanished out of sight.” Emphasis added.
b. Compare Acts 27:35
1) During the terrible storm at sea, Paul broke bread and ate with the sailors.
2) This obviously was a literal meal.
3. How is it used in Acts 2:42, 46?
a. Here it describes the early church activity.
1) The first believers continued steadfastly in four things: The apostle’s doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.
a) The word “fellowship” speaks of sharing. They shared the Gospel, finances, a relationship with Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and more.
b) The breaking of bread could refer to the Lord’s Supper, however, four verses later it is used in a way that sounds more like church meals (Act 2:46). It is highly unlikely that they had the Lord’s Supper daily and from house to house.
2) Therefore, its use in Acts 2 could be either the Lord’s Supper or simply church meals, which is more likely.
b. Compare Acts 20:7, 11
1) Paul was in Troas. The disciples of Christ came together to break bread. Was this the Lord’s Supper or a meal. It is unclear.
2) A few verses later, in Acts 20:11, it sounds more like a meal, but we cannot be certain.
4. How is it used in 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-26?
a. Paul called it the communion of the body of Christ.
1) The word translated “communion” is generally translated “fellowship” as we saw in Acts 2:42.
2) In this verse, Paul clearly uses the breaking of bread in connection to the Lord’s Supper.
b. This final passage is clearly the Lord’s Supper.
1) In this text, we are in familiar territory.
2) There can be no question that Paul used the breaking of bread in this context to refer to the Lord’s Supper bread.
What have we learned from this study? We learned that the phrase “breaking of bread” originally described the preparation and serving of bread in a meal. During the meal in Emmaus, Jesus broke the bread as a host of the evening meal. The two followers present had not been part of the first Lord’s Supper and so had not seen Christ serve that. They must have observed his nail-scarred hands as they broke the bread. Additionally, the first century church broke bread together daily. This likely described church meals, but it could have been the Lord’s Supper. Finally, Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians, clearly observed that first Lord’s Supper instituted by the Lord. One thing that we do know is that the Lord intends for believers to eat this memorial supper periodically to show or declare the Lord’s death “as often as” they eat the Supper. With this in mind, let’s turn our attention to the Supper this evening.