On the first Sunday of the month we observes the Lord’s Supper which is one of two ordinances, along with baptism, that the Lord gave to the church. We do this in obedience to Christ who on the night in which He was betrayed introduced this ordinance to His disciples. “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).
In his inspired instructions to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul wrote, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). As Jesus said, we are to observe this ordinance in remembrance of Him, and clearly it is the Lord in His death that we are to remember.
The blood of Christ is represented by the cup or what is in the cup (grape juice or wine) which was shed for the remission of our sins. Those who believe in Christ not only have forgiveness of their sins through the blood of Christ, but have been justified. “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).
Justification is the act of God whereby He declares righteous in His sight the one who believes in Christ. According to Romans 5:1, God justifies people through their faith in Christ. There are many benefits or blessings received through justification including deliverance from the wrath of God (see again, Romans 5:9). Because we have been justified, we have peace with God, access into a right standing before God, the hope of the glory of God, and the ability to rejoice in tribulations knowing that tribulation leads to hope. It is God’s love poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that makes this hope certain – this hope will not disappoint (Rom. 5:1-5). God demonstrated His love toward us in Christ’s death for us who were sinners, without moral strength, ungodly, and the enemies of God (Rom. 5:6-11).