Should Christians no longer grieve the death of a loved one, since "death has lost its sting?"

It’s a well-known phrase among Christians, made popular by several songs. It’s a phrase that makes us feel vaguely encouraged because it sounds a note of triumph—death has lost its sting. I say “vaguely” encouraged because when we hear it, we probably don’t know exactly what it means.

So what does this phrase mean, and what does it mean for our behavior and our responses to death? Most importantly for now, how should we answer the question that forms the title of this blog post? Does the word “sting” in that phrase refer to emotional pain over someone’s death? Would we be dishonoring our hope in Christ, then, if we felt emotional pain over someone’s death?

It’s important to note that the phrase “death has lost its sting” is not found in the Bible in that exact wording. That’s not necessarily a big deal, but making that observation helps us understand that the phrase is an interpretation or a summary of the exact language of the Bible. Interpretations can sometimes be less than accurate, and summaries can actually be unhelpful if they miss the heart of what they intend to condense. Is that the case with this phrase?

In this case, the phrase “death has lost its sting” is meant to summarize the teaching of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:56, which I present here in its context:

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Two observations are in order here. First, notice that Paul is writing about a victory that is assured to us right now, but it not yet a reality. This victory will be realized “when the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality”—that is, when we’re resurrected in our imperishable, immortal bodies. That is a victory that not even deceased believers have enjoyed yet, since they are still awaiting the resurrection, too.

Second, notice that Paul defines for us what the “sting of death” is—it is sin. Sin is the tool through which Death (personified here) inflicts its harm; it is the means through which Death captures its prey. Sin creates this opportunity for Death because of the Law of God, which calls for death as the penalty for law-breaking. But since Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law on our behalf, and since his death has “[cancelled] the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands (Col 2:14),” we are now presently assured of the ultimate victory over death—resurrection!—even though we may have to experience physical death first.

So has death presently lost its sting? Yes and no. Perhaps we should compare it to an army that is cut off from its supply lines. Such an army can still do damage at the moment, but its days are numbered. The life-blood of its power to harm is draining away and will not be replenished. So it is with death. Though we might die physically before God wraps up the fullness of His plan for the ages, death’s days are numbered. Paul was right—thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

To answer the question that sparked this post, it is perfectly appropriate to grieve the loss of a loved one. To do so does not dishonor the hope we have in Christ. If you’ve ever felt guilty for grieving because you thought this phrase meant “death is no longer painful,” please leave behind that misunderstanding. Grief is normal, but thank God that as Christians, our grief is not the same as those “who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13).” In Christ, we have the assurance of one day seeing our loved ones who have shared our faith—an assurance which can take a bit of the edge off of our grief.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”—1 Peter 5:10

Sharing the Gospel Clearly--Life with God Series

            In some ways, communicating with other people is easier than ever these days. If I need to get a hold of you about something, I have close to ten different ways to do that. I can meet with you in person, send you a letter, send you an e-mail, or call your home phone. If you’re not at home, that’s no big deal, because I can call your cell phone or text you or video chat with you or send you a Facebook message.

            But ironically, communicating about important matters is just as hard as ever. One of the keys for good communication is to have your message crystal-clear in your own mind. If you’re confused about what you want to say, then there’s very little chance that you can make your point clear to someone else.

            With that thought in mind, we’re going to take a look today at what the message of the Gospel truly is. Last week, we talked about finding the boldness to tell others about the Gospel, but the truth is that we will never feel very bold until we have the essence of the Gospel clearly defined in our own minds. So first, let’s talk about what the Gospel is not, then we’ll look at a passage that tells us clearly what it is.

What the Gospel is NOT

1. It is not the entire story contained in the Bible

            As Christians ourselves, we know that Christians are familiar with the story of the Bible from Creation all the way to the Book of Revelation. The Gospel is not that entire story, however—it’s a much smaller slice of that story. When you’re sharing the Gospel, then, it’s not necessary to tell the whole story of the Bible. That’s nice to know, because it makes the thought of sharing the Gospel a little less daunting.

2. It is not an explanation of how Christians think or behave

            Sometimes we get in conversations about why Christians do or do not do certain things, and while those are good conversations to have, we need to realize that talking about some part of a Christian lifestyle is not the same as sharing the Gospel. So if you explain to someone why Christians don’t use the Lord’s name in vain, that’s good—but it’s not the same thing as sharing the Gospel.

The Heart of the Gospel—1 Corinthians 15:1-8

            So what is the Gospel? The Apostle Paul reveals the heart of it in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 [READ].

            These verses present two main claims about Jesus, which form the heart of the Gospel. For each claim, there is also a piece of evidence or proof given that establishes the truth of the claim. The first claim is that Christ died for our sins. The proof of this is that he was buried. The second claim is that He was raised on the third day. The proof of this claim is that he appeared to many different people.

            It is the claims mentioned here that form the heart of the Gospel. The proofs are important, of course, because they tell us that the claims are true, but when you are sharing the Gospel with someone else, it’s not entirely necessary to emphasize the proofs unless the other person asks for some reasons to believe the claims. And so, it is these claims about Jesus—that He died for our sins and then was raised—that form the core of this message that we call “the Gospel.”

            Notice two other details from this passage—details that also form a central part of the Gospel. Paul stated in v. 3 that it was Christ who died for our sins. This little word reminds us of what people must believe about Jesus in order to be saved.

            Remember that the word “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. In fact, it’s not part of His name at all; rather, it’s a title that describes who Jesus is. The title “Christ” means “anointed one” or “chosen one,” so Paul’s usage of the title here reminds us that it wasn’t just a mere man who died for our sins—it was God’s chosen one. And why was Jesus God’s chosen one? Because He was in fact the Son of God—fully divine, just as God the Father is divine.

            So this truth must also be communicated when we share the Gospel. The only reason why Jesus’ death had any benefit for us at all is because He was the Christ—God’s own Son, designated (or anointed or chosen) to be the Savior of the world.

            And how is it that we receive the benefits that Christ’s death and resurrection have provided for us? That’s what Paul told us in vv. 1-2—“which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved.” We receive forgiveness for our sins simply by receiving it from Christ—accepting Him for who He is, and resting in what He has done for us.

            This picture of “standing” upon the Gospel is a helpful one for explaining what it means to accept Jesus in faith. As far as my confidence of being forgiven is concerned, I take my stand entirely upon these facts—that the Son of God died for my sins and was raised on the third day. I stand on that foundation and no other. I don’t have one foot on Christ and one foot on my own good works—no, I have both feet planted firmly on Christ.

So these verses in 1 Corinthians 15 give us the heart of the Gospel. Christ, God’s chosen one—the very Son of God—died for my sins and was raised on the third day. I receive forgiveness for my sins simply by receiving Christ—in other words, taking my stand upon what He accomplished for me. That is the heart of the message that we desire to share with others so that they can be saved. But how might approach the actual act of sharing that message?

How Can We Share the Gospel?

            Obviously, there are many different ways that we can share this message. The variety is just as wide as the variety of people we meet and the variety of conversations that we have. Perhaps in your life you have memorized certain ways of sharing the Gospel, such as the Romans Road. These can be good and helpful, but above all, it is most important to simply have the heart of the Gospel clearly defined in your own mind so that you are free to share this message in a variety of ways.

Telling Your Own Conversion Story

            Today, though, I would like you to think about how you could share the Gospel in the context of telling your own conversion story. I’d like to suggest this thought for two reasons.

Why share your story?

1. Our culture places a high value on a person’s life story/personal perspective.

            Now, our culture does take this respect way too far by saying that I can decide what’s true for me from the context of my life story, and you can decide what’s true for you from the context of your life story. That’s going too far, but nevertheless, our culture does consider it a virtue to show respect for another person’s life story or personal perspective, so we can use that fact to our advantage.

2. Sharing your conversion story is less intimidating and is not directly confrontational

            It is less intimidating in part because it is a more natural conversation. We talk about our lives with lots of friends and acquaintances all the time. We talk about what we did over the weekend, where we grew up; we talk about our hobbies. So when we talk about our conversion stories, it’s a pretty natural step from the kinds of conversations that we have all the time.

            It’s also a less intimidating approach because it’s easier to remember. We can all remember our conversion stories because we lived through them. If you’re trying to rely on a memorized presentation, though, there’s always that fear that you might forget the next verse you’re supposed to quote!

            Also, sharing your story is not directly confrontational. Someone might dismiss your story, but they can’t really argue with it. They might say, “I’m glad that’s worked for you,” but they can’t honestly say, “You’re lying! You didn’t find comfort in the Gospel during that hard time in your life!”

Two Ways to Structure Your Story

            Even though you know your own conversion story well, it can still be helpful to think about how to share your story. If you have even a very simple outline in mind, it can help you share clearly and make sure you emphasize the Gospel. Let me suggest two different outlines that might be a good fit for your story.

1. For an older conversion or dramatic conversion

            If you were saved a little later in life or you had a very dramatic change when you were saved, you might structure your story like so. First, share what life was like for you before you were saved. Highlight some of the problems that the Gospel solved for you. Perhaps you dealt with a lot of hopelessness or shame, or your lifestyle was very destructive toward yourself and others.

            Then, talk about when you accepted Christ. At this point, you would be careful to mention those claims that form the heart of the Gospel—that Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day.

            Finally, you would describe how your life has changed since you accepted Christ. At this point, you could touch on how Christ has made all the difference for the problems you mentioned before—He has given you hope, He has taken away your shame, He has empowered you to change in ways you never thought possible.

2. For a younger conversion or less dramatic conversion

            For some of us, we don’t have much to talk about when it comes to our pre-conversion years because we were saved at a young age. Yes, maybe we lived like horrible heathens, but then we turned six and got saved! There’s not much for us to share about our life before Christ, so what we want to emphasize is how life with Christ has made all the difference.

            Here’s how we might approach our story, then: talk first about the grand sweep of your life. You might highlight some particular highs and lows, joys and sorrows. If the person you’re talking to is going through a struggle that you’ve faced, then naturally you might want to highlight that fact.

            Then, bring it all back to Christ and the Gospel. Explain to them that through it all, what Christ did for you has made all the difference. And of course, this is where you would emphasize the core claims of the Gospel about Christ’s death for your sins and His resurrection.

            However you share it, the Gospel is a message worthy of being proclaimed, because it tells of a Savior who is worthy of being praised. As the Scripture says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news (Romans 10:15)!” And good news is precisely what we have!

            So let us never be ashamed of the Gospel! Whether others realize it yet or not, it is good news for their souls. And how will they realize it if we do not tell them?

God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle? 1 Corinthians 10:13--Twisters series

            Clichés—these familiar phrases can serve as either conversation fodder or conversation stoppers.  We often find ourselves using them as conversation stoppers when someone is describing a painful situation to us and we just don’t know what to say.  And so, we simply fall back on a familiar cliché.

            I had a professor in seminary who used to call these phrases “counseling grenades,” because we use these phrases kind of like we use grenades in war—we throw them out there, and then run away as fast as we can! “Oh—you say you just lost your job, your spouse, your dog, and your favor tee shirt?  Well, you know, God works all things together for good! Hey—look at the time! I’ve got to get going. I really hope that all works out for you.”

            One phrase that we may use like that at times is the very common phrase, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” I think a lot of people believe that phrase actually comes straight from the Bible, but in reality, you won’t find that precise phrase anywhere. Rather, this phrase appears to be an interpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

The Common Interpretation

            That verse seems to be the origin of this common phrase, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” This phrase is kind of tricky to assess, because you could understand it in a couple of different ways.  Mostly, it suffers from being unclear and incomplete.

            There is one way of understanding this phrase that I think we can rule out right off the bat. It is the notion that when you don’t believe in yourself, God believes in you. He knows how strong you are and so he put certain challenges on your plate rather than someone else’s.  At worst, this idea can reduce God to being little more than a cheerleader or a kind of personal trainer who pushes you just to remind you that you’re good enough, you’re strong enough, and people like you!  As we’ll see, that’s really not God’s intent when he lets us face challenging times.

            Now, this phrase “God won’t give you more than you can handle” can be interpreted in other ways that are much closer to being correct.  The truthfulness of this statement really depends on what you think it means to “handle” a situation.  Does it mean that you can live through something without ever feeling overwhelmed by it?  Does it mean that you can live through a hard time and maintain your composure throughout it, so that no one will ever see you cry?  Does it mean you can make it through a difficulty without ever asking for help?

What’s the Danger?

            These questions help us see one of the dangers of this unclear interpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13.

1. Feeling unnecessary shame or guilt

            If you deal with a hard time and in your opinion you’re not “handling it” well, you can end up dealing with some unnecessary shame or guilt.  You might think, “What’s wrong with me?  I’m supposed to be able to handle this, but I’m still feeling sad longer than I thought I would.”

            An awful lot rides on what you think it means to “handle” a situation well.  Our culture doesn’t do us any favors, because we have a practically irrational fear of grief and sadness.  We treat almost any little period of the blues as if it’s something to be ashamed of, or even something to be medicated.  Those of us within northern European ancestry come from a heritage that discourages us from showing emotions publicly.

            In a moment, we’ll get a more Biblical view of what it means to “handle” something well—especially in light of 1 Corinthians 10:13—so that hopefully we can avoid the danger of this misunderstanding.

2. Casting doubt on God’s goodness

            Some people have suggested that we should just declare this common cliché to be absolutely untrue.  They might say, “You know what?  God actually will give you more than you can handle!” I don’t want us to rush to embrace that phrase either, because it could give us the wrong impression about God.

            We’ve probably all encountered people in authority in our lives who like to make life miserable for others just to remind people who’s in charge.  They might ask us to do virtually impossible things just to break our spirits a little bit and “keep us in check.”

            But God is not like that.  He absolutely does not act with a desire to simply keep us beaten down and under his heel. Oh, he certainly does have reasons for letting us face difficult trials, but those reasons are born out of love and good will, not some twisted desire to just assert his authority over us.

So what’s the correct interpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13? Let’s turn our attention to that passage now.

The Correct Interpretation

            In 1 Corinthians 10, the Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians not to be overconfident when it comes to facing temptation.  They must not underestimate the power of temptation to trip them up.  To prove his point, Paul reminds them of the history of the children of Israel in the Old Testament.  They enjoyed some significant spiritual blessings, as Paul points out at the beginning of the chapter [READ vv. 1-4; the idea that they were “baptized into Moses” is simply the idea that they became unified—or one in spirit—with him as their trusted leader].

            Yet despite all of these spiritual blessings, the people were frequently disobedient to the Lord [READ vv. 5-11].  This history is important for us to remember, because I know I’ve thought to myself many times, “Man!  If I had seen all those things that the children of Israel saw, I don’t think I would have ever sinned!”

            But the power of temptation is strong indeed, so Paul issues this warning in verse 12: “therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” We must not be overconfident in the face a temptation because it is a formidable foe.

            Yet at the same time, we need not fear temptation as if we had no hope whatsoever of overcoming it.  It is a mighty enemy, but it is not almighty.  Notice verse 13 [READ v. 13].

            There are really two distinct claim in this verse that are both meant to encourage us.  The first is this—the temptations that we face are simply the same temptations faced by people all around us.  You will never face a temptation that is completely brand-new.  You see, Satan is the original recycler!  His bag of tricks is powerful, but it’s limited, so as time goes by, he just has to reissue the same temptations in shiny new packaging.

            This thought should encourage us because it means that any temptation we face has been successfully resisted by other people at some time in some place.  Above all, scripture tells us that Jesus “in every respect has been tempted as we are,” yet he never gave in and committed sin.  He is now the very one to whom we can turn to find help in our times of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

            The second claim in 1 Corinthians 10:13 is that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability.  That’s not because we have some kind of amazing power or ability of our own, but because God will provide for us a way of escape, as it says here.  God will not put us in a situation where the only option we have is to sin. 

            By relying on his grace, we can actually say “no” to temptation anytime it confronts us.  We may feel like temptation has us completely surrounded, but that’s not literally true—God has given us the power to say no through his Holy Spirit, and for many temptations, his word tells us precisely what to do rather than give into sin.

            So here is the sense in which I think we can truly say that God won’t give us more than we can handle.  If I may restate that idea in a slightly different way, I would say God will give us the grace to remain faithful to Him through anything that comes our way.

            God may allow us to face circumstances that leave us physically drained or emotionally depleted, but when you feel that way please don’t think that you haven’t “handled” this situation.  It is no sin to feel beaten up by life!  The promise we have from God is that even in those times, he will give us the grace to remain faithful to him.  We must simply lean on that grace rather than our own strength or wisdom.

So how have we come to the point of having this misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 10:13?

Interpretive Error—Failing to let Scripture interpret Scripture

            One key component of good Bible study is allowing other passages of Scripture to shed light on the particular passage that you’re studying.  When you first began to study a passage, you want to look very carefully at that passage by itself.  You want to allow it to speak for itself as much as possible.

            But once you think you’ve arrived at the correct interpretation of that passage, the next step is to test your interpretation against other passages of Scripture. Since all scripture is given by God, it forms a unified body of truth. So, if you arrive at an interpretation that contradicts another passage of scripture, that conflict tells you that you better go back to the drawing board and try to gain a more accurate understanding of your passage.

            Just think of it like double-checking your work. When I went through high school, our math textbooks had the answers to certain exercises in the back of the book.  So when we completed those exercises, we could look at those answers to see if we had done it right.

            That’s the idea I’m talking about here when I say “let Scripture interpret Scripture.” When we let the rest of the Bible clarify for us what it might mean that “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” we get some important clarification.  If we have the idea that ”handling” a situation means that we’re not supposed to cry or we’re not supposed to ask for help or we’re not supposed to ask God hard questions, we haven’t gotten that idea from the Bible!

            In the Bible, we read about faithful servants of God experiencing the full range of human emotions—from the fullest joys to the deepest despair.  Over and over again in the psalms, we read the words of godly men who are asking tough, probing questions of God.  Yet through it all, we see them reach the same conclusion—I will not give up on God!  In their dark and difficult times, they have learned that God will not allow them to be tempted beyond their ability, but with the temptation he will provide the way of escape.

            You are never a failure if you continue to cling to God when your whole life seems turned upside down.  The Psalmist said it very well in Psalm 73:26—“my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Why Do We Have a Time for Self-Examination Before the Lord's Supper?--Understanding the Lord's Supper series

You may have noticed that we kind of have a routine here at church. We are not a liturgical church, which means that we don’t have certain prayers or Scriptures that we repeat every week, but we still have a routine. We do about the same number of songs every week, and we have our announcements and offering at about the same time, and the sermon is about the same length (provided that Pastor Tim doesn’t get long-winded!).

Now there’s nothing wrong with routine as long as we understand and remember why we do the things we do. But routines have a way of becoming ruts, and when we get stuck in a rut and mindlessly go through the motions, then we have a problem. It’s like the story about the man who won a beautiful ham as a prize at his job. He proudly brought it home to his wife, and she started to prepare it for dinner. As she did, she took a knife and cut off the end of ham. The husband nearly flipped out when he saw this. He said, “That’s my prize ham! Why did you cut the end off of it?” The wife replied, “That’s the way my mother always cooked ham.” So she calls her mom and asks, “Why did you cut off the end of a ham before you cooked it?” And her mom said, “That’s the way my mother always cooked ham.” So they contact grandma and ask her about it, and grandma says, “I don’t know why you two do it, but I never had a pan that was big enough for a whole ham!”

So as we deal with things in church that might become routine, we want to make sure that we understand what we are doing. One routine or tradition that we have in church is celebrating the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. We don’t celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, but I try to schedule it about every six weeks. This ceremony is one of those routines that could become a rut, so its very important that we understanding the meaning behind this important memorial of Christ’s death.

So, for the next several times that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we’re going to talk about what it means and answer some questions that may come up as we think about this ceremony. The question we’re going to deal with today is, “Why do we have a time for self-examination before the Lord’s Supper?” Where do we find this in Scripture and why do we do it?

Why don’t you turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11? When you think of passages that would talk about the Lord’s Supper, you might naturally think of the Gospels, since they record the life of Christ, but actually, what we do today in the Lord’s Supper comes mostly from 1 Corinthians 11. In that chapter, Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about some problems that they had in their celebration of the Lord’s Supper and he told them how to properly observe this ceremony.

So our teaching for the Lord’s Supper comes out of the context of problems in that church. As we look at this passage, we’ll see what the problem was and how Paul told them to correct it.

I. The Problem—Divisiveness and Selfishness in the Congregation (11:17–22)

First, let’s look at vv. 17–19 [READ vv. 17–19]. Here, Paul puts his finger on the basic problem—divisiveness. The church in Corinth was a fractured congregation. They lacked unity in their relationships, and this seems to have been the result of rampant selfishness in the congregation. As you read through this book, you discover that the people were being selfish in many different ways. They were being selfish in the expression of their sexuality. Some people were engaged in sexual immorality, and apparently some husbands and wives were also being selfish in this area of their marriage. The people were selfishly taking each other to court in lawsuits; they were selfishly using their freedom in Christ without concern for those who had a weak conscience; they were selfishly using their spiritual gifts to build up their own pride. All of this led to a very divided congregation.

Now in v. 18, Paul seems to acknowledge that the reality of their situation may not be quite as bad as the report he has heard about them. But nevertheless, he says that he believes it, because with these attitudes present in the church, he acknowledges that factions and divisions were inevitable. But as only God can do, we see at the end of v. 19 that even these divisions could have a positive result, because they would reveal who was living with a godly attitude and who was not.

Now—sadly—in the next few verses we learn that their selfishness was on full display in their celebrations of the Lord’s Supper [READ vv. 20–22]. Here’s the background to what Paul was describing in these verses. It was common at that time for churches to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in the context of a meal that was known as “the love feast.” This meal was like the carry-in dinners that we enjoy here, and the Lord’s Supper would be celebrated as part of it.

As with our carry-in dinners, the people would all bring something to contribute to the meal, but as we can see in these verses, the people in Corinth weren’t sharing their food with each other! Can you imagine that? They would all bring what they could bring, but then they would just eat it themselves! And the result, Paul says, is that some people were going hungry, and some people were getting drunk!

What a ridiculous scene this must have been, and it was all a result of the pervasive selfishness that existed in their congregation. As a result, Paul basically said in v. 20, “You can’t really call this mockery the Lord’s Supper!” They were disregarding the Lord’s desire for them and the attitude of the One whom the remembrance was all about.

So in vv. 23–26, Paul goes on to remind them what the Lord’s Supper was all about, and the attitude that was displayed by the Lord was the right example for the people to follow.

II. The Right Example—The Lord Jesus and His Sacrificial Death (11:23–26)

Let’s read vv. 23–26 [READ vv. 23–26]. Obviously, there is much in these verses that we could talk about, and we will over the next several times that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, but today, notice several things that remind us how unselfish the Lord Jesus was.

First, Paul notes in v. 23 that Jesus did and said these things “on the night when he was betrayed.” Remember, Jesus’ death came about through an act of betrayal from a close companion. Undoubtedly, this added some emotional grief to everything else that Jesus suffered, but did you realize that Judas was actually present when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper? He was still in the room; he took part in all of this! Luke 22:21 records that after Jesus said and did these things with the bread and the cup, he said, “Behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.” Judas was still there! The Lord allowed Judas to participate in this moment that would memorialize the death that he was about to cause! And remember, shortly before that, on the same night, the Lord Jesus washed Judas’s feet, as he did for the rest of his disciples.

Clearly, Jesus continued to show love to Judas even though he knew what Judas was about to do. He continued to extend compassion and consideration to Judas until the moment that Judas left to do his wicked deed. What an example of selfless love, and this was an example that the Corinthians had disregarded in the way that they observed the Lord’s Supper.

Second, notice the reminder in Jesus’ words that His death was for us. After He had broken the bread, He said, “This is my body which is for you.” Jesus’ death was both for our benefit and in our place. It was the culmination of the most unselfish act in history—when God came into our world as a man, and served us and taught us, and then died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. His great love for us led Him to do this, and we should follow His example to show love to our fellow believers. A preacher from the early church named John Chrysostom reminds us, “that the Master gave up everything, including himself, for us, whereas we are reluctant even to share a little food with our fellow believers.”

Clearly the Corinthians were not honoring Jesus in their celebration of the Lord’s Supper. This problem needed a solution, which we find in the rest of this passage.

III. The Solution—Examining our Hearts for Selfish Attitudes and Acts (11:27–34)

Because of the way in which they had been treating each other, Paul instructs the Corinthians to have a time for self-examination before they partook of the Lord’s Supper. This step would help them avoid some of the serious consequences that they were facing because of their sin. Let’s read through the end of the chapter [READ vv. 27–34].

As you can see, God considered their mockery of the Lord’s Supper to be a very serious matter. He had brought illness upon some of them because of it, and some of them had died as a result! According to Paul in v. 31, the way to avoid such discipline from the Lord is to judge ourselves—to confess our sins and repent of them and thus deal with them ourselves, so that the Lord does not have to deal with us in discipline.

So we can see there in v. 31 and back in v. 28, Paul instructs us to examine ourselves before we partake of the Lord’s Supper. But what exactly should we be looking for when we examine ourselves? The key is found in v. 29, where Paul says that we must “discern the body;” or we might say “acknowledge the body” or “recognize the body” (your translation may read “the Lord’s body”). The Greek word speaks of rendering a legal decision, which would give someone the justice they deserve.

So what Paul seems to be talking about here is not the physical body of the Lord Jesus, but the spiritual body of Christ—or in other words, the church; the members of the congregation. Paul had already mentioned the spiritual body of Christ in this book, and he was about to launch into a long discussion of it in chapter 12.

Thus, during this time of self-examination before the Lord’s Supper, our primary focus should be to assess our relationships with our fellow Christians, our fellow members of the body of Christ. Certainly it would be appropriate to confess our secret sins to the Lord during that time—those sins that no one else knows about—but first and foremost we should consider the way we have acted toward other members of the church and determine if we have anything that we need to make right with them. This idea is similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 5:23–24—“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

We cannot pretend to offer God pure worship if we have sinned against His children—our brothers and sisters. This lesson today is just another reminder that my Christian life is not just about me and God—it is about me, God, and others. The Christian life is a communal life; accepting Christ makes me part of a community to which I must be rightly related if I am going to honor God.

So in our time of self-examination before the Lord’s Supper, this is primarily what we are assessing—our relationships with our fellow believers. It could be that we will remember something we have done for which we need to ask forgiveness, and if that’s the case, then it would be best for us to refrain from taking the Lord’s Supper until we have had a chance to make that right. Thus, with this lesson, the Lord’s Supper becomes a reminder not only of our bonds with Christ, but of our bonds with each other as well.