Communion

Communion 

The Little Meal That Points Us to the Real Meal

What is the most important meal of the day? Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Supper, Second Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert?

The “Lord’s Supper” sounds like it should be much bigger than it is. 

It may not be a large meal, but it is a very robust meal. Let’s look at all that is going on when we talk about this meal.

It’s the most important meal of our lives! 

There is a lot going on when we celebrate communion. 

Communion is…

Lord’s Supper, Eucharist (latin Thanksgiving), “The Table”... it is the terms that we use to refer to the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples. 

Communion is Preparation for Participation in the Proclamation of Jesus

Now, one thing I want to point out about this message is that, I am going to be talking about communion in two different senses. Sometimes, I’ll be talking about the little meal that we engage in, but most of the time, I’m going to be talking about what that meal represents… I’ll call that the real meal. This little meal points us to the real meal. The truth is that this practice of sitting in a pews passing little squirrel sized pieces of crackers around a room and then drinking barely enough juice to get the bad taste of the squirrel cracker out of your mouth… this practice is all symbolic. It is a little meal that points us to and reminds us about the real meal that feeds us and is the most important meal of our lives. 

The fact is that..

We are made from communion and we are made for communion.

Communion is not a means of grace (not a sacrament) 

God eternally existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit has always been in communion and so we were made for communion… Communion with God and communion with others.

One of the last things that Jesus did with his disciples before He was crucified, was to celebrate the Passover. There is a deep history and tradition there and it is no coincidence that this is the time that Jesus went to the cross.  However, the point for today is that it was at this meal that Jesus instituted a new practice or sharing a meal in a particular way.  It is a representative meal of something more.  But one of the key features is that it is something that is done together in community.  It is a meal that brings these two ideas together.  The elements of the meal represent the means by which we have communion with God and because we take it together it represents the communion that we have with one another. 

But this is a sacred and special thing.  It is not sacred because of the bread, it is sacred because of what the bread and juice represent. 

Communion is Preparation for Participation in the Proclamation of Jesus

Communion is Preparation…

The first thing that I want to point out is that communion is really an act of… 

• obedience

Obedience is only required from someone who isn’t prepared. You don’t ask a grown adult to be obedient, because hopefully they are prepared to live as an adult. You ask a child to be obedient, because they don’t know how to live. As soon as a response becomes natural, you don’t need to worry about obedience anymore.  

a. "Do this in remembrance of Me" - I Cor. 11:24

b. An ordinance of the Church, ordained by Jesus as obedient act of remembrance.

• identification

John 6:53-56

⁵³ 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. ⁵⁴ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 

Jesus hosts the Supper for those who know Him and are identified with Him.

(a). The Lord knows whose are His - II Tim. 2:19

(b). Not our place to invite or debar

• examination

a. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat.." - I Cor. 11:28

b. Self-examination

(a). Not navel-gazing introspection of sinfulness

(b). But examine our mind-set, attitudes, motives

(1) We are all unworthy of what Christ did

(2) But we are not to partake "unworthily" - I Cor. 11:29

… for participation…

a. "communion in the blood and body of Jesus" - I Cor. 10:16

b. Unified in "common union" of fellowship around Jesus Christ.

(a). Not an individualistic act

(b). Collective and corporate act of church

• thanksgiving

a. "when He had given thanks He broke bread" - I Cor. 11:24

b. Eucharist is transliteration of Greek "to give thanks"

(a). From two Greek words: eu = good; charis = grace

(b). Recognize "good grace" of God in gratitude

• covenant

a. "this cup is the new covenant in My blood" - I Cor. 11:25

b. New arrangement between God and men in Jesus Christ

(a). Old covenant obsolete - Heb. 8:13

(b). New covenant is final covenant

• representation

a. "this is My body...this is My blood" - I Cor. 11:24,25

b. Must avoid crass materialistic literalism

(a). Jesus spoke figuratively & metaphorically - Jn. 6:48-58

(b). Doctrines of transubstantiation and consubstantiation

… in the Proclamation of Jesus

a. "as oft as you eat...you proclaim the Lord's death" - I Cor. 11:26

b. We proclaim that we are believers in the efficacy of Christ's death, resurrection and life.

• commemoration

a. "Do this in remembrance of Me" - I Cor. 11:24

b. A memorial observance

(a). Not an altar of confession, to remember your sins

(b). But a table of memory to remember Jesus

• anticipation

a. "you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" - I Cor. 11:26

b. Expectation of the consummation of Jesus' work

Communion is Preparation for Participation in the Proclamation of Jesus

So, while this meal is one that we celebrate symbolically once a month at church, this is a meal that we can’t live without. We can’t live without communion with God and communion with others. So, let’s make this the most important meal of every day.

Lead into Communion

Take a few minutes quietly Examining yourself.

Remember that as you Participate in this act of Obedience, the goal is to Identify with Jesus, agree to God’s Covenant, to Proclaim that He is Lord of your life, and to Anticipate His return.