Why Do We Practice “Communion”?
The Lord’s Supper
In the last few days of his life, Jesus desired to celebrate the Passover with his disciples. You may know this as “the Last Supper” or “the Lord’s Supper.”
The Passover was a Jewish tradition that remembered God saving the Israelites from Egypt. The Israelites were forced into slavery in Egypt and God rescued his people by sending plagues upon Egypt. The final plague was death to the firstborn sons of every family but God spared the Israelites by instructing them to sacrifice a lamb and putting its blood on the door of their home. When death came for the firstborn, it passed over the homes that had this sacrificial lambs’ blood. Further, this final plague caused Pharoah to release the Israelites from captivity and was followed by the parting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians came to take back the Israelites. God rescued his people through miraculous means. The Israelites had been remembering God’s redemption through this Passover meal for over one thousand years when Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples in Matthew 26.
During the Passover meal, Matthew 26:26-29 says:
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body.“ And he took a cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
In Luke 22, Jesus also says:
“Do this in remembrance of me.”
Jesus foreshadows his death on the cross and ties his future sacrificial death to the sacrificial Passover lamb. While the Israelites had sacrificed lambs to remember God’s faithfulness in Egypt, Jesus was now becoming the sacrificial lamb that would offer forgiveness and rescue his people from the slavery of sin once and for all.
The Beautiful Meaning of Communion
This is why we take Communion together as a body every week at Missio. We share the bread and the cup in remembrance of Christ’s work. It reminds us of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. Jesus sacrificed his body and blood for us.
To forgive us.
To save us.
Communion also reminds us that Jesus is with us now. We participate in the Communion meal, knowing that Jesus rose from death and is with us through his Spirit. We are never alone. We have the Spirit of God with us.
Every week we read 1 Corinthians 10:16-17:
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Participating in communion reminds us of our unity as one body of Christ.
Communion also reminds us of the salvation that is to come. Jesus promises that one day we will join him in His Father’s Kingdom. We celebrate communion now as a foretaste of the feast that is to come for all those that put their hope and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
For me, each week communion is a time to reflect on my sin, remembering that it was my sin that made it necessary for Jesus to die. I reflect on the amazing gift of grace that Jesus died for me. That through his death I’m forgiven. No matter how great my sin, Jesus’ body and blood were shed for me so that I could be with him forever.
I am reminded that I am not alone. No matter how difficult life may be right now, God is with me and his people are with me. We as a church participate together, while simultaneously millions of other believers are participating in their local church. We are united as one body. I am not alone.
I reflect on the future hope of seeing God face to face and worshipping him with all believers from all time. No matter how difficult life may be in the moment, I know the day will come when all will be made right. When every tear will be wiped away. Where death will have no sting.
Each week, when we take Communion together as a church, we are proclaiming the good news of Jesus, we are participating in the death of Jesus, turning from sin and trusting in him and we are celebrating the hope that we all share, as one body, in the salvation that is ours in Jesus.