The Lord's Supper

1. We need to take deeper look at what communion really is. If we eat His flesh and drink His blood we can have true life, eternal life, in them. We will not die but live forever (John 6). Jesus speaks very strongly about the necessity of eating and drinking His flesh and blood. This is an indication of how deeply the believer partakes of Jesus Himself. We partake of everything He is, has and does.

2. The bread that we partake of in the sacrament represents the incarnation of the Bread of Life. The incarnation was God Himself, in Jesus, taking on a fleshy body and offering His body in sacrifice for them. The cup or the wine represents the shedding of Jesus' blood as the means of God's establishing a new covenant with His people. Our observance of this sacrament forever reminds us in a personal way of the price paid for our salvation.

3. Our celebration of communion points ahead to the great supper in Heaven. It reminds us of the covenant that God has made with us through the blood of Jesus that was shed at the Calvary. At the same time we can partake of covenant blessings.

4. When we receive and "eat" Jesus through participation in Him we share in Him deeply and intimately and so we become a part of Him. He is in us and we are in Him. When we eat of Him, we are given life, health, strength and joy. His life is imparted to us (John 6:55).

5. We are placed in this grace through God had done for us in Christ. He has forgiven us. He has acquitted and pardoned us. Through forgiveness of sin we have peace with God and have fellowship with God. This is because Jesus took all the sins of mankind upon Himself on the Cross. Grace does not stop at forgiveness. Grace is power from above, which we can live on daily and which sanctifies and changes us. Grace comes to us in several ways. This is why Communion is one of the "means of grace" that is means that convey grace to those who will receive by faith.

6. When we break bread, we come in direct contact with the body and blood of Christ in an intimate and special way which is why we have to approach it in the right manner. Jesus presence is there. If we believe, we participate in it and receive blessing. Communion has a real function in conveying forgiveness, cleansing, restoration and strength to us it is easy to see this if we realised Jesus' real presence. Then it becomes weapon on God's hands helping us to live godly and holy lives.

7. Communion is essentially a proclamation. The words proclaimed about Jesus atoning death and the content of communion. By virtue of the words of institution, Communion is no longer a just another meal, but the Spirit of God works with these words. Jesus Christ is present in Communion. At the Creation, the Lord sent His Word and created and by His Word He is also present in Communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).

8. As in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, The bread that is broken is the body of Christ, which was broken when He died for us on the cross. We are one body as long as we partake of this one bread, His body. The bread speaks of true unity in the body of Christ and it was for this unity that Jesus died for us. In John 17:21, Jesus did not pray for inward unity but for an outwardly visible unity. Tremendous strength of unity pulls down satan's strongholds.

9. Remember what Jesus have done in atoning death. Remind ourself, meditating on, taking hold of and believing and proclaiming everything He did for us through His death. He took up our infirmities, carried our sorrow, punishment that brought us was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed. The flow of life from the cross that brings forgiveness also brings us healing and restoration when we come to Him and receive Him in Communion (Hebrews 4:16).

10. The kingdom became a reality for the disciples at the cross. When we take part in the Lord's Supper, we have the assurance of His promise that He is present with us. Realize that He is at the table with you. You will hear Him saying, "It gives Me pleasure to fellowship with you. Is there anything you need? Is there anything I can help with you?". When you approach in this intimate manner,  that He desired to share this time with you but it will be a present day manifestation of communion with God and expereience of His power - the power of the blood. Therefore, when you go to communion remeber what God has done to wash your sins away, redeem you, heal you and give you joy on the earth. Every blessing we enjoy is through the blood of the Lamb (Mathew 26:29; Luke 22:15).

Written By Ekman