THE COMMUNION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2024.

SUBJECT: THE COMMUNION!

Memory verse: "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.” (First Corinthians 11 vs 26.)

READ: Luke 22 vs 17 - 22:

22:17: Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves:”

22:18: for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.

22:19: And He took bread, gave thanks and brake it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of Me.

22:20: Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 

INTIMATION: 

The Communion is a Christian sacrament commemorating the Lord’s Supper by consecrating bread and wine. It is a religious ceremony conferring a specific grace on those who receive it. Whatever name your church uses for this event (Communion, Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist) and on whatever schedule you celebrate it, the importance is that through celebrating Communion together believers experience the presence of Christ. 

The celebration of Communion: (1) humbles us before God. We confess our sin and restate our need for Christ to guide us. (2) reminds us that we are forgiven. We remember that His shed blood paid the price. (3) expresses our oneness in Christ. We are unified in our faith. (4) encourages us to recommit. We are reminded to pledge ourselves to serve Him who died for us. 

Each name we use for this sacrament brings not a different dimension to it. It is the Lord’s Supper because it commemorates the Passover meal Jesus ate with His disciples. It is the Eucharist (thanksgiving) because in it we thank God for Christ’s work for us. It is Communion because through it we commune with God and with other believers. As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus’ death and His promise to come again, grateful for God’s wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers. 

Christians differ in their interpretation of the meaning of the commemoration of the sacrament (Lord’s Supper, Communion or Eucharist). There are three main views: (1) The bread and wine actually become Christ’s body and blood; (2) the bread and wine remain unchanged, yet Christ is spiritually present by faith in and through them; (3) the bread and wine, which remain unchanged, are lasting memorials of Christ’s sacrifice. 

No matter which view they favor, all Christians agree that the sacrament (Lord’s Supper, Communion or Eucharist) commemorates Christ’s death on the cross for our sins and points to the coming of His kingdom in glory. When we partake of it, we show our deep gratitude for Christ’s work of this on our behalf, and our faith is strengthened. 

Christians participate in Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice at the Lord’s table when they eat the bread and drink the blood from the cup, symbolizing His body and blood. Jesus asked His disciples to always partake of the sacrament (Communion, Lord’s Supper or Eucharist) to remember Him. He wanted them to remember His sacrifice, the basis for forgiveness of sins, and also His friendship, which they could continue to enjoy through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus death for us on the cross seals a new covenant between God and us. The old covenant involved  forgiveness of sins through the blood of an animal sacrifice (Exodus 24 vs 6 - 8). But instead of a spotless lamb on the altar, Jesus offered  Himself, the spotless Lamb of God, as a sacrifice that would forgive sin once and for all. Jesus was the final Sacrifice for sins, and His sacrifice sealed the new covenant between God and us. Now all of us can come to God through Jesus, in full confidence that God will hear and save us from our sins.

Although the exact meaning of Communion has been strongly debated throughout church history, Christians still take bread and wine in order to remember their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do not neglect participating in the Lord’s Supper. Let it remind you of what Christ did for you. However, the sacrament is not to be taken lightly; this new covenant cost Jesus His life. It is not a meaningless ritual, but a sacrament given by Christ to help strengthen our faith. 

The apostle Paul gives specific instructions on how the sacrament should be observed. (1) We should take it thoughtfully because we are proclaiming that Christ died for our sins. (First Corinthians 11 vs 26). (2) We should take it worthily, with due reverence and respect (First Corinthians 11 vs 27).  (3) We should examine ourselves for any unconfessed sin or resentful attitude and be properly prepared (First Corinthians 11 vs 26). (4)?We should be considerate of others, waiting until everyone is there and then eating in an orderly and unified manner (First Corinthians 11 vs 33).

In reality, no one is worthy to take the Lord’s Supper. We are all sinners saved by grace. This is why we should prepare ourselves for Communion through healthy introspection, confession of sin, and resolution of differences with others. These actions remove the barriers that affect our relationship with Christ and with other believers. Awareness of your sin should not keep you away from Communion but drive you to participate in it. 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the sacrament of the body and blood of Jesus offered to us in commemoration of Your Supreme Sacrifice on the cross to pay the debt we owed as sinners in need of a Savior. My desire is to partake of sacrament worthily at all times, and that the blessings wrought in the body and blood of Jesus will find full fulfillment in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!