THE LORD'S SUPPER AND BAPTISM

I want to discuss the connection between the Lord's Supper and baptism but let me begin with a story. When I was a student at Northwest Christian College there was an informal, unofficial theological debating society that we called simply the "radiator club." Just inside the front door of the main building is a radiator and students would gather there, especially on cold days. Whoever showed up had a good time discussing and answering all of the big biblical and theological problems of the day. One of the questions sometimes debated was, "when is the cleansing blood of Christ applied to a sinner's life?"

First John 1:7 says: "If we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son, cleanses us from all sin." John seems to be saying that when we live in accordance with God's revelation, his light, we are brought into fellowship with each other and it is within this fellowship that we experience the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. But, is there a specific time or action in which this happens? What is it, precisely, that brings us into this fellowship and at the same time cleanses us from sin?

Before he became the Apostle Paul, Saul learned the answer to this question in a most dramatic fashion. On the road to Damascus to find and persecute Christians he was suddenly blinded by a powerful light and heard Jesus ask him, "why are you persecuting me?" They led him into the city and Ananias, one of the Christians he had come to persecute, was sent by the Lord to explain things to him. Ananias concluded by saying, "Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name." Ananias was saying to him, in baptism you can experience the cleansing power of Jesus' blood. In doing so he also entered the fellowship of those people called Christians.

Later, he reflected on the meaning of baptism in Romans 6:2-3 when he wrote: "How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?"

But baptism is only the beginning. In First John, John is writing to people who have been Christians for a long time. He recognizes that sin is powerful. It can smear and pollute the best of us and all need cleansing, more than once. If we claim that we do not sin, he says, we are liars. How is it then that being within the fellowship of those who walk in the light provides the opportunity to experience the cleansing power of Jesus' blood?

Again, Paul can help us. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 he says, "Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?"

Baptism and the Lord's Supper are connected by the blood of Jesus. The initial cleansing of sin and entering into the fellowship takes place in baptism, an act of faith. The continued fellowship and cleansing occurs at the communion table. To be sure, there may well be other times and actions in which we experience the cleansing of Christ, but at the very least we can experience it both in baptism and in the Lord's Supper.