Communion

Jesus’ resurrection was a time of triumph, of victory, of joy, worship and celebration. It was a demonstration of the hope that all Christians have of conquering death, of becoming imperishable, of rising to glory.

"This do in remembrance of me." With these words ringing in our ears, we regularly celebrate communion. As we drink the cup and eat the bread, we reflect on Christ's sacrifice and look forward to his return.
Corpus Christi. timeanddate.com

Yet communion is more than a memorial. Our continued participation in this powerfully symbolic ceremony moulds our thinking and brings to life deeply spiritual truths in very concrete ways. It shapes our identity as a people of God and provides the truly blessed assurance that we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The "message" of communion is important and deserves our full attention

Communion is not an individualistic matter; it is a body matter. We commune as a body; we come to the Lord's table as a family. This truth is bound up in the biblical symbol of the one loaf and the one cup. "Because there is one loaf," Paul writes, "we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1 Cor. 10:17, NIV).


Communion:

Remembrance

Luke 22:19 ‘And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’

What is Remembrance?

We look backward to the cross
We look outward to the lost – Partaking in Communion is preaching by example
We look forward to eternity
We look inward to ourselves
We look upward to the Glory of Christ

https://www.simplybible.com/f432-remem-do-this-in-remembrance-of-me.htm

Reflection

God hates thoughtless religion. In Amos chapter 5 in verses 20-24 He says "I hate, I despise your religious feasts...away with the noise of your songs!" God is always looking to see who’s really worshipping. In Act 17:10-11 it says that the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians. God makes a distinction of worship. Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God, Cain’s was not. Worship is when the invisible part of man meets with God. In 1 Corinthians 11: 28 and in 2 Corinthians 13:5 it says that we should examine ourselves. Before you take the Lord’s supper, here are two areas you can examine.

Reconciliation

Is our opportunity to prepare ourselves to receive communion. To examine ourselves and to confess our sins to God, to repent and to ask God for forgiveness.  We need to make sure that we are a clean and spotless because God is a Holy God and He expects and deserves nothing less.  We are warned about the consequences of taking communion in an unworthy manner…… 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 ‘So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgement on themselves’

Reconciliation involves a change in the relationship between God and man or man and man. It assumes there has been a breakdown in the relationship, but now there has been a change from a state of enmity and fragmentation to one of harmony and fellowship. In Romans 5:6-11, Paul says that before reconciliation we were powerless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies; we were under God's wrath (v. 9). Because of change or reconciliation we become new creatures. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 ).

Renewal

When we take this cup each week, we — the church — are the bride of Christ. And we as the bride in waiting are renewing our vows with the soon coming Bridegroom. Jesus is among us, you know. And he’s kept his end of the covenant. He’s paid the ultimate price. We now renew our commitment, our covenant, to be true to Jesus, to be faithful, to honour him, to serve him, and to love him

Rejoice

In one of Paul’s most emphatic statements, he declared, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). If Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, everything else is a waste of words. If he is not alive right now, Christianity is a hopeless fraud. But the good news is that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead—as our Savior, and as the promise that we will also rise from the dead.

The doctrine of the resurrection is an essential of the faith. All of Christianity depends on the truth of this doctrine. But it is more than a doctrine—it is wonderful good news, news that should fill us with joy, hope, confidence, excitement and celebration!

Jesus’ resurrection was a time of triumph, of victory, of joy, worship and celebration. It was a demonstration of the hope that all Christians have of conquering death, of becoming imperishable, of rising to glory. It expresses faith, hope and joy. It is no surprise that Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.












Author: Anonymous

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