Communion

Communion celebrates the Gospel: Jesus was broken for us so that we can be fixed by Him. Celebrating communion marks the story of Jesus, how He gave Himself completely to give us a better life, a new start, and a fresh relationship with God (1 Peter 3:18).

King James Version Chapter 3

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

It’s not about a ritual to revere, but a person to worship.

As often as we remember Jesus, we should celebrate Jesus.

Chapter 0ne

Passover or Festival of unleavened bread

The remembrance of the exodus from Egypt, the miracles, and the Faithfulness of God to perform His word, are keys to the story that is remembered in the festival of unleavened bread.

Remember the story of Moses and Pharaoh and the plagues and “LET MY PEOPLE GO” this is the story.

From the death of Joseph to the Call of Moses the descendants of Jacob or the 12 tribes of Israel were in Egypt and the Pharaoh worried that the Hebrews were becoming too massive. So Supervisors and Task Managers were assigned over them. gradually the Hebrews tasks became more demanding, the rigors more intense and the freedoms gone.

This is how the Hebrews went from wards of the state to slaves. Different Pharaohs that didn't know Joseph, treated the Hebrews worst and worst until we read in the book of Exodus the conditions and the freeing of the Jews.

The last plague was the death of the 1st born, death was to come upon the land. But to protect His people God used blood to mark who belonged to Him. In the Book of Exodus Chapter 12, we read;

King James Version Chapter 12

22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever

King James Version Chapter 12

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. 38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

King James Version Chapter 12

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.

A festival to remember the Exodus ! Passover or Peshah is part of the story of Israel’s liberation from slavery!

Chapter B

The keeping of Passover

Exodus 13:3 KJV 1900

3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

Since 1446 BC until today the Jews have observed the festival of unleavened bread. It is a spring festival beginning at sundown the 14th of Nissan and lasting 7 days.

Jesus and the disciples were Jews and kept Jewish ordinances.

17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover

Mt 26:17–19.

There was much to prepare, the lamb had to be flayed at the temple with its blood, legs, head and entrails all burned in a ritual, then the meat was prepared with special seasonings and cooking methods, much of which is still is today.

Passover held such a high reverence to the Jews of Jesus’s time that Josephus writes;

War 5.3.1 98-105 Passover 70 CE: The Last Passover in the Second Temple

As now the war outside the walls ceased for a while, the factional violence within was revived. When the Feast of Unleavened Bread came on the fourteenth day of the month Xanthicus, when it is believed the Jews were first freed from the Egyptians, Eleazar and his party opened the gates of the temple court and admitted into it any of the people who desired to worship God. But John [of Gischala] made use of this festival as a cloak for his treacherous designs and armed the lowliest of his own party, the majority of whom were not purified, with weapons concealed under their garments, and sent them with great zeal into the temple in order to seize it. When these armed men had gained entrance they threw their garments away and quickly appeared in their armor. At this there was a very great disorder and disturbance about the Holy House, while the people who had no part in the rebellion supposed that this assault was made against all without distinction, while the zealots thought it was made against themselves only. The latter left off guarding the gates and leaped down from the battlements to avoid a battle and fled away into the subterranean caverns of the Temple, while the people that stood trembling at the altar and about the Holy House were rolled on heaps together and trampled upon and beaten without mercy with both wooden and iron weapons. Also there were others with their own private scores to settle who out of enmity slew many quiet persons as though they were opposing the rebels, and anyone that had ever offended any of these plotters were now identified and led away to the slaughter. And when they had done an abundance of horrible deeds to the guiltless, they granted a truce to the guilty and let those free that came out of the caverns. These followers of John now seized the inner Temple, and upon all the engines of war there, and then ventured to attack Simon [son of Gioras].

And thus that rebellion, which had been divided into three factions, was now reduced to two.

So important was the Festival of Unleavened Bread that the Jews of the first Jewish revolt, 70 AD, ceased hostilities to observe the ordinance.

A special meal called a Seder Supper was and still is prepared for the first night where these items are presented with special prayers and reading of affiliated scriptures, each item of the Sedar was and is treated like its own chapter in a story.

matzos or unleavened bread signifying Haste and Suffering. Jesus adds leaven as signifying sinful doctrine. Matt. 16:5-12

Matthew 16:5–12 KJV 1900

5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? 9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Bitter Herb, Maror, Horseradish signifying the slavery of their ancestory

Zeroa or the lamb shank, signifying the sacrificed lamb whose blood was used to signify ownership of God during the night of the passover

Charoset is a mixture of nuts, wine and apples signifying the mortar used to make bricks

A leaf of Romaine Lettus or Chazaret signifying how the Hebrews life in Egypt started soft but ended bitter

Parsely is used to signify spring or new beginnings. its first used in the Seder by dipping into salt water to signify the tears shed

Beitzah the hard boiled egg. Some families say it represents the pre-holiday offering. It’s also said that the roundness of the egg represents the cycle of life. Others say it represents new beginnings and hope.

The Beitzah isn't a certainty of being in use during the time of Jesus but is certainly an integral element today.

And of course there is the Cup, The wine, the challis Christ drank from and offered to those with Him. In historical Passover ceremonies, there is nothing is mentioned about the wine. But we do know that by the time of Jesus the Cup carried high symbology.

The Mystery of the Passover Cup by David Brickner | March 01 2024

The Passover cup is one of the central symbols of this holiday also known as the Feast of Redemption. Yet the original Passover story makes no mention whatsoever of a cup. In fact, the only biblical mention of a cup in connection with Passover is in the New Testament. When Jesus celebrated this feast with His disciples He raised a cup at least twice during the meal to make important statements

King James Version Chapter 22

17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

about Himself (Luke 22:17, 20). What is the significance of the cup Jesus uses during His Passover observance? Cup Symbolism in the Jewish Bible Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures the cup is often used as a symbol of God’s judgment. For example, the “cup of fury,” the “cup of judgment,” the “cup of trembling” and the “cup of horror and desolation” appear throughout the Old Testament. Yet we also find the Psalmist crying out, “I will take up the cup of salvation,and call upon the name of the Lord” (Psalm 116:13). So the symbol of the cup carries with it pictures of both wrath and redemption, of judgment and blessing. None of these references mentions the Passover. Yet, the themes of judgment and salvation are woven together beautifully in the Passover story. God poured out His judgment on the Egyptians, but spared the Israelites who obeyed Him by placing the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes. Each year Jewish families retell these events through the seder, the ceremonial meal that commemorates Passover. Not One Cup but Four Yet, how the cup became a Passover symbol remains a mystery. We do know that by the time Jesus observed the Passover, drinking a cup during the meal was an official part of the observance. Later on, the ancient rabbinic source, the Mishnah, instructs those celebrating to drink from the cup four times during the Passover seder (Pesahim 10:1). That tradition remains to this day. Each time the cup is filled, it is given a different name. Some contemporary Seder provide 4 different cups. Opinions vary as to what certain cups actually symbolize. Most agree that the first cup is the Kiddush, which means sanctification. With this cup, we begin the Passover seder. The second cup is called the cup of plagues. The third cup is referred to as either the cup of redemption or the cup of blessing. The fourth cup is often called hallel which means praise, though some traditions call it the cup of acceptance while still others use it as the cup of Elijah. The latter combine the second cup (plagues) with hallel—because we praise God for the plagues He used to bring Israel out of Egypt. Jewish tradition says little else about the cups—though we’re told they should be filled with red wine to remind us of the blood of the Passover lamb. Jesus and the Third Passover Cup The New Testament names one of the cups—the cup taken after supper, which today is the third cup. Jesus calls this cup “the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20). The Apostle Paul calls it, “the cup of blessing which we bless,” as well as “the cup of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:16,21). Both Jesus and Paul draw on something from Jewish tradition to provide insights not previously understood. By calling the cup “the new covenant in my blood,” Jesus makes a direct reference to the promise of Jeremiah 31. God had declared that He would make a new covenant because the previous covenant had become “broken” (Jeremiah 31:32). To violate a covenant agreement with God would surely incur His wrath and judgment—a terrible cup! But instead, God promised a new covenant of grace and salvation. Jesus declared that this new covenant would be poured from the cup of salvation in His blood. The cup of redemption stood for more than the Hebrews’ escape from Egypt; it stood for the plan and purpose of God for all the ages. Judgment and salvation, wrath and redemption are brought together in the mystery of one cup, explained by the Messiah in that upper room. Jesus was not speaking of the cup in a purely symbolic manner. He is describing events that would soon occur in His life. The Agony of Judgment and the Promise of Blessing Later that evening in the garden of Gethsemane He cried out to the Lord in anguished prayer, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). In His humanity, Jesus could wish that this cup of judgment—the one that everyone except Him deserved for breaking of God’s covenant—would pass over Him. Yet, as the obedient Son of God, Jesus knew that the cup of blessing could only be poured out for the salvation of many if He would first drink the cup of God’s judgment on all humanity. Despite the agony of separation from the Father, our Lord was willing to drink this cup, to bear this judgment, to suffer this horror and death that we might be free and forgiven. No wonder the Apostle Paul calls this “the cup of blessing which we bless.” What greater blessing can there be than that which Messiah purchased for us in His death, burial and resurrection? In calling this the cup of blessing as it was known in the Jewish Passover, the Apostle Paul points out the powerful connection between Passover and Holy Communion. The roots of this sacrament are sunk deep in the eternal plan of God, which is unfolded through the pages of Scripture, as well as in the traditions of God’s chosen people, the Jews. This cup embodies the problem of judgment as well as the promise of redemption. It reminds me of another cup that blends the problem and the promise.

Do you remember the story of Joseph and his brothers? After they betrayed and sold him into slavery in Egypt, God exalted Joseph to a place of great prominence and power. During a famine his brothers came to Egypt to buy grain. They didn’t recognize the mighty prince of Egypt as their own brother, yet Joseph recognized them. He kept his identity a secret and demanded that they return with their youngest brother, to prove they weren’t spies. Joseph had a plan. He hid his own silver cup in his youngest brother’s sack of grain. As the sons of Israel were returning home for the second time, Joseph’s soldiers intercepted them. They found Joseph’s cup and accused Benjamin of theft. That cup became an indictment against Benjamin and a symbol of judgment—certain death, as far as the brothers could see. They all tore their clothes in horror and returned with Benjamin to Egypt. There they discovered the true identity of the prince of Egypt and were reunited with the brother who had every right to execute all but the youngest—not for his silver cup—but for selling him into slavery. The cup that brought them back to Egypt was, to them, a symbol of judgment and death. Yet, it became the occasion for redemption and forgiveness

I don't want us to get hung up on Passover, the elements, nor the cup, and what all these things mean, Its not my intent to make us Jewish. but it is important for us to see that as Jesus took the Passover meal and when he used these elements that nothing He did was random. Each biblically recorded event has extreme importance and symbolism. And as a “Good Jew” Jesus knew each and every symbolic reference. As God He knew the significance of them was to Himself.

We loose the significance of the elements to include the Cup and the Bread when we don’t connect the history that they represent. It is understandable that Sunday school teachers focus only on the bread and wine because those are the flannel graft cutouts available. You may have taken many rounds of communion with the cracker and cup and heard leaders read from 1 Corinthians because Paul puts much of the ceremony into a neat tidy package that fits into a service. You might never had heard the story from other books of the New Testament. If you come from a Lutheran background you may have a more reverent view of communion or if you have been confirmed into the Roman Catholic faith you may view the service totally different.

And Ill wager a guess that you’re understanding has even been formed thru art and media also.

When I mentionn the last supper where this ordenace was given does your mind go to the painting of Leonardo Devinci? Thanks to our western education and movies like the Divinci Code, that is understandable.

In Divinci’s Last Supper, which there are multiple versions. Notice none are a Seder supper as would be set in the time of Jesus. Leonardo wasn’t Jewish, I doubt he knew much of Passover as I see the table set. And isnt this how we all sit when we go out? But thanks to our western mind we see this as we were taught or just grew up believing. We think it was only Christ and His Disciples, when scripture clearly says Jesus said he would keep passover with a man and his house. there would have been many attending.

These are not the only renditions of the Last Supper

Other works by Cota, Morman, Dutch, and Renascence Masters, plus Others rarely show the table set with any importance. Bread, Wine, Jesus , and normally the Disciples are what make it a last supper work. And not always the disciples.

Our mental picture of The Last Supper is normally focused on the Bread and Cup. But it was so much richer. The whole table is representative of the Messiah, Jesus, His redemptive work, and our hope in Him. The whole Ceremony screams the glory of God and the Love of Jesus to us who deserve punishment rather than forgiveness.

Section 3

The Focus of our Communion is Jesus

Biblical understanding of the Communion service as we experience it in our churches, closely follows the Pauline example as written for the church in First Corinthians. That Church in Corinth had started to loose the significance and reverence for the service. There are warnings and corrections in 1Corinthians about the Communion service being done with the wrong focus. This is not the only reference to the Communion. And as rituals go, there has been much added to the service by certain groups to attempt to present the importance and reverence that we should have to it. Fearing the same lack of celebration or knowledge regarding the service as was written about the Corinth church. But that too causes a problem; the focus moves from Jesus to the celebration and the elements of the ritual. The ritual becomes the celebration and not the Christ.

So keeping our focus on Jesus;

Matthew 26:26–30 “26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. 30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”

It was following the Seder supper that Jesus took the elements that all pointed to Him and gave us His acknowledgment of what was coming and what it was to mean. Jesus knew the significance of these elements to Himself, even if those who faithfully observed the ritual did not.

Jesus, The Sacrificial Lamb, that would would be slain to take us out of sin (as the Hebrews were taken out of Egypt) broke bread that certainly had no leaven as Christ had absolutely no sin. Jesus withstood the pressure to follow the leavening teachings of the Sadducee and Pharisees. Broken in my place by whips and beatings that I deserve, With a sinless body Christ went to the cross so my sins would be added to his sinlessness. Also the taking of my sins on Himself was know by Jesus, but not just my sins but the sins of the world population from Adam until right now. He was broken as shown in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prays “not My will but Thine be done” He was broken as prophesied in Isiah “He was wounded for our transgressions and He was bruised for our iniquities” As Jesus reached and took the bread and broke it He was remembering his temptations in the desert, his heartbreaks and sorrows that he wept and prayed about. He remembered EVERYTHING and knew EVERYTHING to come. The taking of the bread without Leaven and the ripping it apart to the knowledge that soon He would be beaten and whipped to a degree that would render Him miserable to even look upon. Its not the bread we take, its The Broken Bead representative of the brokenness of the perfect Messiah who came from heaven to this earth all because He loves us. The strength it took to break that Matzos without absolute terror coursing thru Him is by itself amazing. But Jesus our Lord, God in the Trinity, broke that which represented Him, and gave it to us as redemption and salvation freely. That which would cost Him EVERYTHING even the connection the The Father God, He would Give freely. We take the bread without cost because Christ paid for our privilege. By the stripes you are healed! By His breaking your chains are broken!

And Jesus took The Cup, The final Cup the cup of Hallel The third cup of redemption and blessings. he took the cup named plagues that pre-proclaimed the suffering He was about to experience, Jesus took the Kiddish for it was his and his alone to lift. No other could bring sanctification other than the Messiah. As Jesus raised THE CUP and said this is MY BLOOD, He proclaimed Himself Messiah, Lord, The culmination of the entire feast.! All the ritual that may have been allowed to become just ritual rote was forever removed with the Holy Power that was Christ’s alone to proclaim!

Imagine taking a Seder that you would know all the history of, know all the prayers and songs and have someone say THIS IS ALL ABOUT ME!! Jesus in the garden wasn't speaking of a literal cup when he asked God “take this cup” but what it was to mean in what was coming.

in Raiders of the Ark series the hero found the holy grail, and it was shown to be a plain wooden cup. but this was the Seder Cup! it wasn't a normal use item. it represented Elijah and everything previously discussed. Of course the host of the home would have brought out his best. God brought out His best for us, choose wisely.

With such significance it is no wonder the first century church would have special celebrations for the Communion Service or as it had evolved into being called The Eucharist meaning Thanksgiving. Special prayers and songs would be sung. Scripture would be read by the faithful and praise would be offered during special portions of the ceremony.

One belief that seems to have been present in the early Christian church regards Communion was that the bread and wine Actually BECOME the blood and flesh of Jesus. Its not recorded when this doctrine first became common, but theologians agree that it was very early in the Authorized church. This belief still holds within the Roman Catholic church. Apparently in 831 two monks named Rabanus and Ratramnus started arguing about if it was the real blood and flesh or just representations. and throughout the years there has been alternate debates. And that naturally, leads the religious leaders to dig in their heals and the topic and make declarations with doctrine. The Eucharist is technically the consecrated host — it is the wafer and wine. For a Roman Catholic, through transubstantiation, the wafer and wine change into the “body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ.” Aquinas brought about a full-fledged doctrine of transubstantiation that became definitive.

“Eucharistic teaching, it should be understood at the outset, was in general unquestioningly realist, i.e., the consecrated bread and wine were taken to be, and were treated and designated as, the Savior’s body and blood” (Early Christian Doctrines, 440).

Alternately Protestants look at the elements as representative of the life of Jesus the Christ and the blessings and promises given through His life, death and resurrection. Through the taking of Communion the believer is enjoining with Christ in the gifts the Blood and Body have to give. Jesus took a ritual that expressed the Hebrews life from slavery to freedom and brought it to show it meant how He would bring us from death and sin into life and promise.

Many Christian denominations never use the term Eucharist because of the connection to transubstantiation. But I see the real difference as the focus. The Roman Catholic Christians [Eucharist] are looking at the elements and a literal translation of scripture, and the Protestant Christians [Communion] are looking at Jesus and the action of taking the elements. `It is the belief of the IPHC, E4N, and this church; that the elements are there to bring our focus to Jesus and are representative and sacred. Not to be taken unworthily nor without reverence.

And as I began this time together I begin to wrap this portion of the service up=“As often as we remember Jesus, we should celebrate Jesus.”

“Do this in remembrance of me” means remembering what of our Lord?

What does the bread now mean for you?

What does the blood mean to you?

It’s not the wafer nor the juice, but the person, and what glory Jesus brought into a corrupt and broken world. Its what Jesus did in your life!

Communion is a celebration of Christ! Lets give thanks as we partake in this holy assembly.

Communion is open to all believers. If Jesus is your Savior and Lord, then join us as we celebrate Christ!

If there may be a question of Jesus being your Lord please repeat after me; "Jesus, I repent of my sins and surrender my life. Wash me clean. I believe that You are the Son of God. That you died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day for my victory. Father God, I believe that in my heart and make confession with my mouth, that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive eternal life, in Jesus name, Amen."

If you prayed that prayer and believed in your heart you are adopted into the family of God.

The ushers will pass out the elements, please hold them as we will take them together after appropriate prayers are offered.