Lord's Supper Homily

Here's a brief homily I used to introduce the Lord's Supper on Sunday:

The cross is seen as the main symbol of Christianity, and rightly so.  The cross clearly symbolizes Jesus' suffering and death, which is essential for faith and the gospel.  Unfortunately, the other important symbols--the bread and the cup--can be easily downplayed or totally ignored.  However, we cannot overlook them because Jesus used the bread and the cup to interpret and explain his death.  Jesus did not die as an inspirational martyr under a corrupt system; he died for us.  "This is my body given for you."  And his blood was not shed to display his guilt as a lawbreaker; it was shed to begin a new covenant--a new relationship between us and God--that manifests itself in the forgiveness of sin.  "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, for the forgiveness of sins."  Thus we see that Jesus' death isn't the end of a life, but the beginning of a new relationship between God and those who trust in him.  So let us honor and celebrate his death by taking the bread and the cup.