The Sacraments of theThe Sacraments of the

Lord’s Supper and Foot Lord’s Supper and Foot WashingWashing

“6. The Lord’s SupperWe believe in the literal practice of the Lord’s Supper, which He himself instituted (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:15-20; 1st Corinthians 11:23-26).This ordinance shall make use of unleavened bread that represents the sinless body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which consummated our redemption.”

“The object of this ceremony is to commemorate the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and to announce the day in which he shall return to the world, at the same time to give testimony of the communion that exists among believers. No person shall participate in this ceremony who is not a faithful church member or is not in full communion; if a person does participate without fulfilling these requirements, he or she will be unable to discern the body of Christ (1st Corinthians 10:15-17, 11:27-28, 2nd Corinthians 13:5).”

“After partaking of a supper with His apostles, the Lord washed their feet, an act that marveled them at that moment. When He was done, the Master explained to His Disciples the significance of this act and recommended that they wash one another’s feet. The Church practices this act in combination or indistinctly with the Lord’s Supper as an act of humility and Christian fellowship (1st Timothy 5:10).” – Constitution of the Apostolic Assembly, 2007, p. 102-103

The Lord’s Supper and Foot Washing are a part of Ecclesiology, or the study of the Christian Church.

Three (3) Parts:

1) Practice 2) Symbolism 3) Participation

Both the Lord’s Supper and Foot Washing are sacraments.

Sacrament – a formal religious act in which the actions and materials used are the channels by which God’s grace can be communicated, wither actually or symbolically.

- Derived from Latin (sacramentum), an oath of allegiance (sign of fidelity)

“The Protestant Reformation tended to reserve the title of sacrament for the *Eucharist (Communion) and *baptism, which could be shown to be instituted by Christ…” – Justo Gonzalez

*Eucharist (Greek) = “thanksgiving”

- 1st/2nd Century term (Justin Martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, and Didache

Origin of Communion/Holy Supper

- The account is described in:a) Synoptic Gospels

- “The Harmony of the Gospels”

b) John’s Gospel - Mentioned, but not

detailed- Focused on foot washing

c)1st Corinthians

The Lord’s Supper was conducted during the Feast of the Passover. This created a cohesion between Old Testament practices and New Testament fulfillment.

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” – Matthew 5:17 (KJV)

“FULFIL: pleroo play-ro'-oFrom G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: - accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.” – Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionaries

The Feast of the Passover (“shadow”)

1) Wine (mixed with water {dilute the alcohol}) 2) Lamb (or goat) killed 3) Blood sprinkled on the doorpost 4) Angel (judgment) passed over homes with blood, but “visited” the homes without blood and killed first born.

- Patriarchal Age- 1st Born =

Power/Proliferation- Exodus 3:22, 11:2-3

(pillaging of Egypt)

The Symbolism of Communion

1) Bread

“And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.” – Mark 14:22 (KJV)

Unleavened Bread - root word of “leavened” unleavened is “greedily devour” - Yeast – fungus, which is a living organism

- Helps the bread rise - Unleavened = Uncontaminated

- Sinless life - Bread symbolized the Word of

God (Gospel) in that it was clean of ulterior motives and man’s prejudices.

Broken (The Justice and Mercy of God) “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV)

“The lamb thus slain was roasted whole, with two spits thrust through it - one lengthwise and one transversely - crossing each other near the forelegs, so that the animal was in a manner, crucified. Not a bone of it might be broken - a circumstance strongly representing the sufferings of our Lord Jesus, the Passover slain for us, John 19:36; 1st Corinthians 5:7.”

“Thus roasted, the lamb was served up with wild and bitter herbs, Not fewer than ten, nor more than twenty persons, were admitted to these sacred feasts. At first it was observed with their loins girt about, with sandals on their feet, and with all the preparations for an immediate journey. This, in Egypt, was significant of the haste with which they were about to depart from the land of bondage.” – Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Broken - So that it could be shared

Take and Eat - The Gospel begins in the heart

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17 (KJV)

2) Wine

“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” – Matthew 26:27-28 (KJV)

Wine = Blood of Christ

- Sinless Nature of Christ (allusion to Genesis 3:15)

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power (exousia) to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” – John 10:17-18 (KJV)

The Gospel is the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. - If Jesus had sin, then he could not have the power (exousia) resurrect himself.

*Death has a legal right over sinners.

Unfermented Wine - During fermentation, yeast (sin) interacts with the sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide.

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” – Genesis 49:8-10 (KJV)

“Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.” – Genesis 49:11-12 (KJV)

Question) If Jesus was sinless, how did he become sin?

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” - 2nd Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)

The Language of Jesus during the Last Supper - “shed” and “broken” = past tense

“Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.” – Acts 2:23 (KJV)

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” – Revelation 13:8 (KJV)

Foot Washing (only recorded in John 13)

The Gospel of John - Two Divisions:

1) The Book of Signs (1-12)2) The Book of Glory (13-21 {Last

7 Days})

Elements Unique to John: - Miracle of water into wine, Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, crippled man (Bethesda), blind man (spits), Lazarus’ resurrection, foot washing, & farewell address

Foot Washing “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?” – John 13:4-5 (KJV)

“Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.” – John 13:7-10 (KJV)

“For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?” – John 13:11-12 (KJV)

“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. – John 13:13-17 (KJV)

Foot Washing was a customary practice, but the guests would wash their own feet. In a wealthy home, the slaves would wash the guest’s feet. - Menial and degrading occupation

The washing of the feet teaches Humility, Service, and Intimacy.

Foot Washing: - The Gospel forces man to shifts priorities from himself to others (John 3:16). - Disciple’s pride relative to Messianic Kingdom

*Elitism: The belief that certain persons or members of certain class(es) or group(s) deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority (intellect, social status, or financial resources).

Should Foot Washing Be Continually Practiced?

“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” – John 13:15 (KJV)

- “as” and “do” are present tense verbs - “done” is a past tense verb

Participation While Not In Communion “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily (unfit), shall be guilty (liable) of the body and blood of the Lord.” – 1st Corinthians 11:26-27 (KJV)

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” – 1st Corinthians 11:28-31 (KJV)

This admonition was not meant to deter people from participation, but it served as a call to CORRECT. - Unforgivenness (Matthew 5:24) - Open and Gross Sin - Neglect of the Holy Spirit - Resistance to the Holy Spirit

Participation in Communion and Foot Washing is both a right and privilege. - Participation during while on leave or visitation - Members in Full Communion:

a) Believe and practice true doctrine

b) Not currently on an form of church-wide discipline (i.e. backslidden and reprobate)

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:4-6 (KJV)

Who Can Judge or Determine Full Communion?

“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” – 1st Corinthians 11:31 (KJV)

- In the event of an issue regarding full communion, the Senior Pastor and the Core/District Pastors are the only people who can determine or rescind full communion.