Stumped about what you want to say at your Table Talk?  Never fear; everyone one hits one of these creative dry spots once in a while.  Check out these resources as a way to break out some of your own ideas.

Scriptures which relate to the Lord’s Supper:

  1. Isaiah 53:1-12.  This prophecy of Isaiah describes the life of Messiah in a descriptive and powerful way.  “He was despised and rejected by others” is an example of the way that Isaiah takes his readers into the mind of Messiah and the meaning of the Cross.
  2. John 13:1-20.  The apostle John records in this passage Jesus’ own action and words pertaining to the last supper he ate with his disciples before his crucifixion.  He put on a towel and washed their feet prior to the meal, and then he told them that he did this to provide an example of how he wanted them to live with others.
  3. 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 is a teaching from Paul regarding the Lord’s Supper.  It is the longest passage in the New Testament about the practice of the Lord’s Supper.
  4. Philippians 2:1-11 is famous for describing how Jesus gave up heavenly equality with God the Father in order to come to earth.  “…and he became obedient to the point of death–even death on a cross.”
  5. Romans 6:1-11 is a passage about baptism in which Paul teaches that baptism reenacts the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
  6. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.  Paul says, in this passage, that the most important thing he gave to the Corinthians church was his teaching about how Christ died for them, was buried, raised, and then appeared.
  7. 1 Corinthians 15:12-24 is a part of a large text on the resurrection.  This is a good text to read when talking about why it is important that Jesus, after dying on the cross, rose from the grave.
  8. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says that talk of the cross is foolishness to the world but wisdom to the disciple of Christ.
  9. Galatians 6:11-16 says that Paul doesn’t want to boast about anything but the Cross of Christ.
  10. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 discusses how the power we have from God overcomes the suffering and difficulty we experience.  See also 2 Corinthians 13:1-4.

Themes of the Cross:

The Cross of Christ contains themes in it that pertain to many aspects of our human existence.  Any of these themes a huge in scope and can be used quite well as core ideas in your Table Talk.

  1. The theme of suffering as the way to victory.  It was only after Christ suffered through his human experience and death that he defeated Satan and honored the Father.
  2. The theme of service is also within the cross because Christ was willing to go through the cross in order to serve the needs of human beings.  This service was also seen when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples just before his capture and crucifixion.
  3. The theme of obedience is present in Jesus’ willing to follow his Father’s direction in coming to live among mankind.  Hebrews 5:8 says “…he learned obedience through what he suffered.”
  4. The theme of weakness as a paradox to strength.  Jesus, by his death, proved that death and suffering are disarmed by the weakness of the cross.
  5. The theme of the cross as every person’s responsibility to bear.  “Take up your cross and follow me.”
  6. The theme of forgiveness is a huge theme in the cross.  On behalf of the ones crucifying him Jesus said to God, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they do.”