When we have communion we want to be clear about what we are remembering and what the elements represent.
The elements themselves explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help us to celebrate!
I Corinthians 11:23-25 “The Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it,”
Jesus is telling how He redeemed us from our sin. Jesus provided for the depravity of us all. When I say depravity I mean our sin or our state of being against a Holy God.
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:23-25 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.”
- We celebrate Communion because it helps us remember how Jesus died in order to activate the provisions of the New Covenant.
See, the Old Covenant, the Law, declared that “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). The New Covenant does not violate or void the Old Covenant, it fulfils it!
Through Jesus’ death we are provided the way of forgiveness and freedom from sin and death. The body and blood of Christ paid our penalty for our sin.
When we take these elements, we remember who Jesus is and that He redeemed us. Therefore, He says “do this in remembrance of Me!” He is our savior, and our Messiah. We owe Him our worship and praise!
- Communion celebrates the love of Jesus Christ; John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for His friends.” Jesus gave His body and blood so we will have life through Him.
- Verse 26 states that when we celebrate communion we are acknowledging Christ’s death and resurrection. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
This important part of Jesus redemption is stated because without His resurrection we would not know for sure God accepted His death for ours until He rose alive from the grave.
This is the example set forth under the Law of God.
The blood sacrifices under the Old Covenant, the High Priest would go into the holiest place of the temple every year with blood from an animal sacrifice. It was a fearful time for the priest, who could lose his life if he did anything wrong. But not only that, it was also a fearful time for the people. They anxiously awaited the priest’s return to see if God had accepted their sacrifice to pardon their sin of the past year. If the priest did NOT return, they knew God did not pardon them. If the priest DID return, they knew God had accepted their sacrifice.
The Bible states that Jesus, the Greatest High Priest, has gone into the holiest place (heaven) with His own blood when He died on the cross. Three days after, Jesus rose from the grave in order that we know that God has accepted the sacrifice of His own Son on our behalf. And we know for sure that our sins are covered not just for another year, but for all eternity!
- We celebrate communion to remind us that we are to eagerly wait for His return (not anxiously, but eagerly as His promise to fulfil the New Covenant to bring us into glory and unite us with Him for all of eternity.
Following the most eventful week in Hebrew history and in the city of Jerusalem, the apostles were told Acts 1:11 “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Communion is a reminder of the accomplishment of Jesus Christ for our eternal life. Yet, when we celebrate, we are to remember not to just stand in wonder but go tell, share the salvation found in Jesus body and blood that was given for every person who believes.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 11:23:
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
To conclude our communion we take a collection. This offering is for needs for our brothers and sisters in Christ and is a tangible way we can show God’s love and grace to others. This is a voluntary offering and we ask that you give as you are led. We base our giving on the Scriptural text:
I John 3:17-24 “But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him, ….And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.