The Proclamation of the Death of Jesus
Paul ends his revelation to the Corinthians about the Lord's Supper by saying:
26For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26
As we participate in this Supper, the Lord’s death is proclaimed. It is a testimony to all creation: the unsaved, the unlearned in the Assembly, and the heavenly realms, both evil and good.
Revelation tells us that the overcomers did so through the word of their testimony and the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11).
That word in Greek, λογον ("word"), has a deeper meaning of a matter or thought behind a spoken word. It can include actions, thoughts or the very substance of something; just as Jesus is the Word of Yahweh, or His express image and exact likeness (Hebrews 1:1-3).
John saw the Lord standing as a Lamb that had been slain (Revelation 5:6), though He yet lives. This Supper proclaims or testifies of the Lord’s death, and this Supper holds the blood of the Lamb in the cup.
Through our participation in the Lord’s Supper, we overcome the forces of darkness. Through the Supper, we testify to the world that the Lord Jesus died, but also rose again and intercedes for us in heaven. His sacrifice upon the Cross has bridged the gap between heaven and humanity.
This Memorial is the Word of our Testimony, that Christ has died, rose again and sits at the right hand of Majesty on high! And this Memorial brings the presence of that precious Blood that accomplished the undoing of Satan's works (1 John 3:8), and washes us white as snow (Revelation 1:5) (Revelation 7:14).
A Representation of Christ Crucified
As Paul once said, he would preach nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2) (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Because he also tells us that this Supper is a proclaiming of the Lord's death, so we can see that to participate in the Supper is to proclaim, publish or preach His crucifixion. In one other letter, Paul appeals to the fact that Christ had been graphically presented as crucified before his hearers' eyes.
1Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified? Galatians 3:1
This is strong language, a graphic presentation toward those watching, of Christ crucified. Paul could easily refer to the Lord's Supper here, as we have seen it is the proclamation of the Lord's death (which was by crucifixion). The apostle places a heavy emphasis on this fact that the Galatians saw this to chastise them for their easy return to their old life.
The life of works in the flesh is one that leads to death. A life lived by the Law of Moses could never give them the true Life that was in Christ Himself. The New Covenant was a testimony that God's Son had been made flesh, and was killed, that He might raise again in newness of life. Our entering into that covenant was an identification with Him that brought us to death and then spiritual life through a resurrection by the Spirit. The Galatians were trying to go back to their old ways, to which they had already died with Christ Jesus.
Paul reminds them by appealing to the fact that Christ was graphically portrayed as crucified before their eyes. Did they not remember what He did for them? Did they not recall that they were part of that death? Did they not realize that His death—and theirs with Him—was the separation of themselves from Moses' Law? They had viewed this representation of Christ's crucifixion before their very eyes, and were to awaken out of their fleshly stupor, waking back up to the spiritual truth that was before and in them.
In this Supper, this proclamation of the Lord's death rings loud and clear! He has been crucified, bearing our sin and weakness; and as we identify with Him, both spiritually and physically in His Supper, we too shall be dead to our old life, ready to be raised again by His Spirit!