Easter Communion

COMMUNION

We have brought our Communion trays this morning for a very good reason. On the night of the Passover, known as the “Last Supper”, Jesus told His disciple He wanted them to remember the occasion of His death. At that time the disciples did not know that Jesus was heading for His crucifixion, but He knew.

Today, we celebrate Communion to look back on Christ’s life and death and to look forward to His second coming.

Communion is our opportunity to examine our relationship to Christ and to be restored to the blessings of the relationship we have with Him through His shed His blood. Could there possibly be a better time to take communion than now as we remember His death at Calvary and prepare to celebrate His resurrection at Easter? As 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 states: “the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

The bread represents Christ’s body and the cup represents His blood.

As we prepare our hearts for communion, we need to remember that communion is a reminder of the incredible cost to God for us to enter the new covenant. We each need to examine our self. That is the nature of the covenant God has made with us. We are to partake rightly.

Let’s read 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 now. It says: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.”

To remember the cross and the new covenant in Christ’s blood should make a deep impact on each of us who take communion seriously. Some of the greatest revivals in history came as a result of God’s people participating in communion. In 1727, the Moravian Brethren were so impacted by the sacrificial death of Christ that every member of the church was drawn back to God and His purposes for their lives. They saw their relationship to one another and to Christ in such a way that they felt the need for repentance and cleansing. Immediately, God heard their cry and brought revival to the congregation, and through a revived people, God made an impact that literally reached every corner of the earth.

Let’s read John 6:47-58: “ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

As we prepare to be served, let’s pray for the consecration of these elements: Father, we are thankful for the bread and cup. We pray that these elements will provide more than physical nourishment. Grant us the peace, unity, and spiritual nourishment this bread symbolizes. May this cup speak again of the blood Christ shed for the forgiveness of sin. Cleanse us and consecrate us again as we partake of this token meal together. We eagerly await the day we shall eat it with you in the Kingdom of Heaven. In Christ’s name, Amen.

We’ll serve you the elements of communion now. Please hold on to your serving until all have been served so we may partake together.

(When all are ready to partake) “The Lord Jesus on the night He was betrayed, took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me”  Let’s partake.

(When all are ready to partake of the cup)  “In the same way, after supper He took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

Let’s close in prayer:

 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.