For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me” and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Staring down at the matzah bread and grape juice, I suddenly became overwhelmed and full of thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord. The tears would not be held at bay as I held in my hand a portion of flatbread reminding me of my Savior’s broken body.
Once a month in our church, we hold a service dedicated to receiving communion with songs and the reading of Scripture. On this particular Sunday, the meaning of communion was impactful.
As I personally reflected on even the past few years of my life and what God had done in such a short period of time, I was humbled even further to think on the truth of His body that was broken and His blood that washes me clean.
This is such a beautiful reminder of His everlasting love and mercy toward us. This is not a chore in the life of a believer. We get to remember what Jesus Christ has done for us while awaiting His glorious return.
Reflecting on the Body and Blood of Christ
Reflecting on it since that day, the thought of being redeemed by the Lord when I had received salvation through faith in Christ alone initiated the wave of emotion. The ability as a child of God to partake in communion ushered a joyful tsunami, knowing that eternal life is promised and secured in Christ.
Though I am unworthy to receive it based on my own merits or righteousness, there is comfort and joy in that communion is not based upon my worth, and it is not based on your worth. It is based on His.
There is no other like our Lord and Savior. He is worthy to be remembered and to be exalted. He is worthy of praise and adoration.
The Lord Jesus Christ cleanses, redeems, reconciles, and resurrects those whose faith is in Him for salvation and eternal life. In a broken and fallen world, those of us who are in Christ have much joy and hope.
John Piper has said this about receiving communion, “The Lord’s Supper is a stark reminder, time after time, that Christianity is not new-age spirituality. It is not getting in touch with your inner being. It is not mysticism. It is rooted in historical facts. Jesus lived. He had a body and a heart that pumped blood and skin that bled. He died publicly on a Roman cross in the place of sinners so that anyone who believes in him might be rescued from the wrath of God. That happened once and for all in history.”
Participating in communion is a beautiful thing we are not to take lightly.
The Cup of Communion
Years ago, I read a book about biblical feasts, and in this book, the author discusses the cups pertaining to the Passover. I believe it is important that we as believers have an understanding of these feasts based on Scripture as they point back to Jesus Christ. Prior to reading that book, I have no idea that there were four cups in the Passover feast.
When Jesus sat down with His disciples to celebrate the Passover feast, He sat down as the Passover Lamb that would fulfill this feast. We find the account of the Lord’s Supper in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22.
The Passover feast is in remembrance of the promise from God to the people of Israel found in Exodus 6:5-7,
“Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.”
We can see even in this the type and shadow of Christ Jesus saving the people of His own possession from the ravages of sin, cleansing them, and redeeming them back to the Father. That promise is for those who are in Christ.
One thing I was not aware of when studying about the Passover is it consists of four cups. The first cup is the cup of sanctification, the second cup is the cup of deliverance, the third cup is the cup of redemption, and the fourth cup is the cup of restoration.
The third cup is the cup we know as the cup of communion at the Lord’s Supper. Jesus Christ established His new covenant in this meal. We will not drink the fourth cup with Christ until we all drink it with Him in His Father’s Kingdom.
According to this one author, “Jesus took two symbols associated with Passover and imbued them with fresh meaning as a way to remember His sacrifice, which saves us from spiritual death and delivers us from spiritual bondage.”
Isn’t that wonderful? Do you ever find it easy to overlook this beautiful truth when receiving communion? I think we all can say this. Granted, we may not be like the Corinthian church in treating it as a meal to indulge while forsaking others and a drink to indulge to the point of drunkenness.
However, it can be easy for us all to go through the motions and not truly understand the gravity of receiving the Lord’s Supper.
Every time we do receive communion, we remember what Christ did on the cross for us. We remember His sacrifice and His everlasting love for us. We remember the Bread of Life who came down from heaven and who satisfies us.
What Does This Mean?
We remember the fifth cup Jesus drank on our behalf, the cup of God’s wrath as we stare down at that morsel of bread or that portion of matzah with its “bruising” and its striped exterior.
We drink down the cup of redemption, knowing that His blood cleanses us from our sins. We thank God there is no fifth cup for us to drink.
Communion is not a mundane act. It is a gracious opportunity for each of us as the body of Christ to think on Him and to worship Him for who He is and what He has done.
Paul reminds us in Scripture, “Whenever you eat this bread or drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Let us testify of His death, burial, and resurrection while anticipating His glorious return.
For further reading:
What Is the Meaning of the Body of Christ?
Why Did Jesus Use the Same Body After the Cross?
What Does it Mean to Be Washed in the Blood?
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/jhc
