Sermon Notes

An Ordinance of Triumph: Beholding King Jesus at the Table

As Believers and as Baptists, we hold firmly to the truths of Scripture. We rightly reject the idea that the bread and the cup physically turn into the literal body and blood of Christ, or that taking this meal somehow imparts saving grace to our souls. We recognize the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance—a sacred act of obedience commanded by Jesus Himself for His local church.

However, in our effort to emphasize that the elements are symbolic, we sometimes fall into a trap: we treat the Lord's Supper as merely a memory test. We hand out the trays, we pray, look back to the cross, and reflect on a crucified Savior.

However, the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is not an obituary. It is an ordinance of triumph. Hence the Title of the message …An Ordinance of Triumph: Beholding King Jesus at the Table.

When we gather as a local body of baptized believers around this table, we are not just looking back at what Jesus did; we are beholding who Jesus is right now. The bread and the cup direct our attention directly to the unmatched, absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ.

The Supreme Creator at His Own Table

(Colossians 1:15–17)

Consider the authority of the One who instituted this ordinance. The night before He was betrayed, Jesus took bread and broke it, but who was this man sitting in the upper room?

The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:15-17)

Think about the sheer majesty of that truth:

• The wheat that was harvested and baked into this bread He broke existed because Christ spoke it into creation.
• The fruit of the vine that was shared was designed by His divine hand.
• The very wood of the cross upon which He would hang was sustained, molecule by molecule, by His power while He was being nailed to it.

The Lord of the cosmos—the Creator of every star and galaxy—humbled Himself to take on human flesh, live a sinless life, and yield His body to be broken for sinners. When you hold these symbols this morning, remember you are answering the call of the supreme King of Creation.

The depth of this truth lies in the absolute contrast between Christ’s infinite sovereignty and His grace-filled humility.

Think about it, church!

The One sitting at the table is not merely a wise teacher or brave martyr—He is the active Architect of everything.

• The hands that stretched out the heavens allowed themselves to be bound. The voice that commanded light into existence spoke words of quiet surrender in Gethsemane.
• In creation, Christ freely gave bread and life to humanity. In redemption, He became the Bread of Life, offering His own broken body to satisfy our spiritual starvation.

When Paul writes that "in him all things hold together," he is revealing a profound theological mystery at the center of the Lord’s table. So again, the Lord's Supper is not a generic memorial service; it is a royal audience.

·         All thrones, dominions, and authorities are subject to Him, and yet he invites frail, finite sinners to sit and feast with Him.

·         He is preeminent over all things, yet He uses everyday elements –the bread and cup-to draw close to us.

When you partake of the bread and the cup, you are participating in an ordinance established by the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. In doing so, He meets you at the table, inviting you into fellowship through His sacrifice.

The Complete, Unrepeatable Sacrifice

(Colossians 1:19–20; Hebrews 10:11–14)

Did you know that under the Old Covenant, the temple had no chairs? The Levitical priests stood continuously, day after day, offering the same sacrifices because animal blood could cover sin temporarily, but could never eradicate it.

“And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11)

Their standing posture was a perpetual visual declaration: the work is never finished.

When Jesus offered His own blood, the paradigm shifted forever:

·         It was the ultimate sit-down. After making purification for sins, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” (Hebrews 10:12)

·         A seated priest signals a completed task. His seat at the Father's right hand is the verification of His final words on the cross: "It is finished" (Tetelestai—paid in full).

This is why we observe the Lord's Supper strictly as a memorial and a proclamation, not a re-sacrifice. Christ’s supreme work on the cross leaves zero room for human addition:

• You cannot add your good works to His blood to earn God's favor.
• You cannot add your church membership, your baptism, or your morality to His broken body to secure your salvation.

Paul reveals why Christ's single sacrifice was effective where millions of temple sacrifices failed:

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

Because the full essence of Deity dwelt in human flesh, His sacrifice possessed infinite value. His blood did not merely appease God's wrath temporarily; it established permanent peace between God and redeemed humanity.

The bread proclaims: His body was enough.

The cup proclaims: His blood paid for it all.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. At this table Christ’s supremacy shines because His atonement is completely sufficient. To Rescue, To Save, and To Keep.

When you hold the bread, you hold the sign that His body was completely broken so yours wouldn't have to be. When you hold the cup, you hold the testimony that every drop of wrath targeted at your sin was entirely drained by Him. At this table, we don't work for salvation—we rest in the One who accomplished it.

The Sovereign Head of the Local Church

(Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 11:20–22)

Paul writes, “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Col.1:18)

Notice how we partake of this ordinance: we do it together as a gathered local assembly. The Lord’s Supper is a family meal for the redeemed.

When we take the bread and the cup as a congregation, all human distinctions fall away:

• There is no high status or low status at the foot of the cross.
• We all come as sinners saved by the same grace.
• We come as individual priests under one Supreme High Priest, unified by His Spirit.

Christ’s preeminence demands our unity, our humility, and our self-examination. To come to this table while harboring unconfessed sin or division against a brother or sister in the faith is to disrespect the supremacy of the Head of the Church.

In 1 Corinthians 11:20–22, Paul sharply rebukes the church at Corinth because their social divisions ruined the Lord's Supper.

“When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.”

The wealthy were feasting while the poor went hungry. Paul warned that taking the meal this way was not actually partaking of the Lord’s Supper at all but treating the ordinance with contempt.

So….

·         Status, wealth & Influence – Stripped away; we stand equally in need of grace

·         Social & Ethnic Divisions – Flattened; one bread forms one body

·         Individual Rights – Subordinated to love and unity for the whole body

We cannot be right with the Head of the church while harboring active malice toward His body.

• Remember, self-examination is also relational. Examining oneself is not just looking upward at our personal relationship with God—it is looking outward at our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
• To partake of the symbols of Christ's broken body while fracturing His spiritual body through gossip, bitterness, or unresolved conflict is a direct offense against His sovereignty.

When we share this meal together, we proclaim that Christ is not only our personal Savior, but the supreme Leader of our church family—and that His love is powerful enough to unite us across every human line.

The Returning King of Glory

(1 Corinthians 11:26; Revelation 19:9)

Finally, we are a people of hope. The Lord's Supper does not stop at the cross or the empty tomb; it points straight to glory.

Paul declares, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:26)

Notice those three words: Until He comes.

This simple table is an invitation to a far greater feast — the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. CHURCH! Jesus is not dead; He is alive, seated on the throne, and returning in glory. Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we make a bold, public declaration to the world: Our King is coming back.

• We are sending a loud, counter-cultural message to a hopeless world. It asserts that human history is not a series of random, chaotic events—it is moving purposefully toward a glorious divine climax.
• The phrase "until He comes" marks out the current stage of human history. We live in the time of "until"—an era where grace is extended, the gospel is preached, and the Table stands open to all who will repent and believe.

In Revelation 19:9, the Apostle John records the heavenly announcement: “And the angel said^[a] to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” (Rev. 19:9)

The Lord’s Supper is an earthly rehearsal for the heavenly banquet.

• We do not gather at the Table as defeated people mourning a lost leader. We gather as a triumphant army awaiting the return of our undefeated Savior.
• Therefore, when you hold the bread and the cup today, look past your current trials, heartaches, and physical limitations. Let these elements anchor your soul in the certainty of His return: Our King is coming back, and we will feast with Him face-to-face.
• Yes, indeed it is an Ordinance of Triumph.

I came across a prayer a while back that I kept in my files. I believe it is very appropriate for this moment.

Heavenly Father, Almighty God,

We lift our hearts to You in deep awe and gratitude. We have gathered around this Table—not as those without hope, but as a people anchored in the absolute promise of your Son’s return. We thank You for the bread that speaks of His body broken for us, and the cup that proclaims His blood shed for our complete redemption.

Lord Jesus, resurrected King, keep our eyes fixed on the horizon of Your glorious return. We thank You that this meal is not the end of the story, but an invitation to an eternal banquet. Strengthen our weary hearts with the assurance that every trial, every sorrow, and every tear of this present age will be swallowed up in the joy of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Awaken our souls from spiritual slumber. Purify Your Church, tune our hearts to Your Spirit, and make us a faithful Bride—watching, praying, and proclaiming Your death until You come. May the light of Your promised return shape how we live, how we love one another, and how we share the Gospel with a broken world.

Until that day when faith becomes sight, when the trumpet sounds, and when we feast with You face-to-face in Your eternal Kingdom, we join our voices with the redeemed of all ages and cry.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

In Your holy and triumphant name we pray,

Amen.

Finally:

As the elements are passed today, do not let your mind drift into routine. Look past the simple bread and juice and behold the supreme Christ. Therefore, before this, I invite you to do four things.

1. Trust Him as Savior: The One whose finished sacrifice paid your debt in full.
2. Adore Him as Creator: The Lord who made all things.
3. Submit to Him as Head: The King who rules His church and demands our holiness.
4. Await Him as Bridegroom: The triumphant Lord who is coming again.

Let us examine our hearts, confess our sins, and come to this table celebrating the supreme, unrivaled glory of King Jesus. Amen.