Last week, we touched on the subject of baptism, and this week I thought we could follow up with a chat about communion. For those who are Christians, the church ordinance of communion is a sacred and spiritually personal event.
In some circles, the Lord’s Supper is referred to as a sacrament, while others call it an ordinance, depending on the theological tradition. However, regardless of the term, within Christian churches, it is seen as a means of grace and an integral part of obedience and worship, established by Christ himself. A time of sacred reflection on Christ’s death and resurrection.
Where does it come from? It’s a recorded true event that is told in each of the four Gospels, along with the Apostle Paul, who also discusses it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. Verse 26 declares, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
Most have seen the images of what is called the “Last Supper,” where Jesus and his disciples are sitting around a large table eating and drinking at what was called the Passover celebration. We read in all four Gospels about this account and how Jesus wanted his followers to remember him as the promised lamb of God. In Luke 22:19-21, we read, “Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said, this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.” Matthew 26:30 reveals that he concluded the meal by singing a hymn, then they walked out into the night to the Mount of Olives. As they entered the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told them to rest while he took some time to pray. It was there that, as predicted, Jesus was betrayed by Judas. The following day, He was crucified.
Jesus declared that the bread spoke of his body that would be broken, as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 describe that he would be so brutally and violently tortured that it would be hardly recognizable. The wine spoke of his blood, with him indicating the terrible death he would soon experience. It is agreed that most likely he literally bled to death. Christ, the perfect lamb, the Son of God, became the fulfillment of the countless Old Testament prophecies concerning a redeemer.