Devotional 28 January 2026

January 28, 2026 • Steve Torres

1 Corinthians 11:23-24.jpg

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–26, ESV)

Paul confronts the Corinthians not by softening their behavior, but by placing it beside the Lord’s Supper itself. The table they claim to share exposes the contradiction in their worship. What was meant to display unity in Christ had become an occasion for selfishness, division, and pride. Paul responds by reminding them what the Supper actually is, and who stands at its center. The Lord’s Supper is not a human invention or a social custom. Paul did not receive it from the church, but “from the Lord” (v. 23). Its meaning is fixed by Christ Himself. At the table, Christ gives His body “for you” and His blood as the “new covenant” (vv. 24–25). Communion, therefore, is the celebration of God fellowshipping with His people through self-giving sacrifice. What is represented is not abundance or status, but Christ laying Himself down so that God might dwell with man (Isaiah 53:5; Hebrews 9:14). This is why Corinthian pride is so jarring. The Supper proclaims a Savior who did not grasp for honor but emptied Himself (Philippians 2:6–8). Christ did not come to consume, but to be consumed. He did not take from His people, but gave Himself entirely for them. To approach this table while asserting self-interest is to deny what the table proclaims. Paul reminds them that every time they eat and drink, they “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (v. 26). The Supper is anchored in the past, declaring the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. It is present, marking real fellowship with Him and with one another (1 Corinthians 10:16–17). And it is future, pointing forward to His return and the final consummation of communion at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). The Lord’s Supper, then, is not neutral. It reveals whether we understand the gospel we claim to celebrate. When we gather for worship, do we come primarily to receive for ourselves, or do we come shaped by the One who gave everything for us? The table calls us to examine whether our worship reflects Christ’s self-giving humility, or contradicts it.