Communion

A practice of remembrance

Jesus, I thank You for setting me free from the bondage of sin and death. I acknowledge that You were bruised so that I could be forgiven, crushed so that I could be healed, and beaten so that I could be made whole. Thank You, Jesus that You did this all for love. As I receive these elements, You said that I am receiving Your body and Your blood. I remember all that You have done for me. I also receive the fullness of what You paid for into my body, soul, and spirt. Thank You, Jesus that as You died and rose again, I am now free and made whole through Your perfect sacrifice.

The celebration of communion by eating of the bread and drinking of the cup is a remembrance of Jesus’s broken body and spilled blood. This  includes all that He accomplished through the Cross, and all the benefits of being in this New Covenant with Him as a new creation.

This is why communion or “The Lord’s Supper” has been called “the meal that heals.” Not only was the power of sin and death destroyed on the cross through Jesus’ spilled blood, but also the effects of sin (such as sickness in the body) were also destroyed with it through Jesus’ broken body given up for us. Through this continual reminder of taking the Lord’s Supper and celebration by faith of what Jesus accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection; we remember and believe, receiving of those benefits by faith.

This celebration is not a mindless act of religious duty, but it is a powerful way the Lord has provided us to receive the benefits of His redemption. We are remembering that we are now One with God—He abides in us and we abide in Him. Just as the Jews were commanded by God to celebrate the Passover as a feast or celebration—remembering when God set the Israelites free in Egypt and passed over their homes, visiting judgment on Egypt their oppressor—we Christians celebrate the Lord’s Supper as instructed by Him, remembering how He set us free from slavery to sin and death.

Communion in the Bible

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV)

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever’.” John 6: 53-58 (NRSV)

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (AMP)

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 (NRSV)