Communion

Today we will be celebrating communion. I was actually preparing a message from 2 Timothy 2:1-7 this week. However, while I was listening to a message from a conference this weekend and thinking about our celebrating communion, I decided to change things up and speak about communion.

Communion. We as a church, i.e. a gathering of people in this area who believe in Jesus, typically observe what we call communion on the first Sunday of every month, and sometimes on other occasions as well.

What is communion?

Typically, in this context of church, we think of it as the rite, the ritual observance of eating a wafer and drinking grape juice as a means of remembering Christ.

We take this from the gospels, where we see Jesus doing this with His disciples.

Turn with me to LUke 22:17-20.

Luke 22:17–20 NIV

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 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.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Remembrance or Communion?

As Jesus said on this occasion, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We do this to remember him. But why? Why are we to remember Him? What about Him are we to remember? Why remember that?

And if the whole point is just to remember Him, why is it not called the Remembrance? Why is is called communion? Have you ever thought about that? What does communion mean, outside of this ritual observance?

com•mu•nion \kə-ˈmyü-nyən\ noun

1: an act or instance of sharing

2 capitalized: a Christian sacrament ...

3: intimate fellowship or rapport: communication

Again, in the context of the church, we typically think of the second definition. However, the sacrament has this name because of what communion is supposed to be.

It is supposed to be a ritual that embodies the first and third definitions of the word.

It is an act of sharing.

It is supposed to be a time of intimate fellowship or rapport.

And, if we consider the when Jesus instituted this ritual to help us remember to have communion, we will find that is what was happening on the occasion when Jesus did this with His disciples.

Let’s look at the setting, and remember what was going on when Jesus instituted ‘communion’. Turn with me to another account of Jesus instituting this with His disciples, found in Matthew 26.

Matthew 26:26–29 NIV

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

What was going on when Jesus instituted this sacrament, or this observance of communion?

Notice the first phrase, “While they were eating.”

Jesus was eating with his disciples. Think about it. Was Jesus having communion with his disciples? Was he sharing with them. Was there intimate fellowship and rapport between them?

Yes. They were sharing a meal together. There was intimate fellowship and rapport. There was a closeness.

As I thought of this, and reflected upon the scriptures, I thought there is a theme that runs through the scriptures with Eating and Communion with God.

Eating and Communion

What does eating have to do with communion with God?

First, I want to point out that God does not need food.

God existed from all eternity past. He is truly from everlasting to everlasting.

Psalm 90:2 NIV

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

As Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God...” God existed before anything. He always has been, and always will be. He existed before all Creation, and therefore existed before food. He does not need anything to exist.

Acts 17:24–25 NIV

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

This is so foreign to us, who need so much just to survive.

One of the main things we need to survive is food.

God created us as physical beings that need physical sustenance. Which is why when God created Adam and Eve, He told them what He was giving them for food.

Genesis 1:27–29 NIV

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Food. What a wonderful thing. Food is an important part of our lives. Without it, we cannot live.

Food is a universal. Different cultures have different tastes, but they all have food. Eating is an important part of every culture in the world. Because God made us to need food.

Why would He do that? He does not need food. He created us in His image, so why create us with this need for food?

I think there is an answer for that in Deuteronomy.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses is reminding the people of Israel of how God has worked to make them His own people. He reminds them of how God led them out of Egypt, and then through the wilderness on their way to the land He promised to give to them.

This is what we see in Deuteronomy 8:3.

Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Food shows how we need the Lord

I believe God created us to need food in order to give us a continual reminder of how we need Him.

Just as we need food for our body to remain alive, we need our Lord for sustenance.

He created us in His image that we might have fellowship with Him. He is a relational God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He created us to be relational beings with Him, and with one another.

A real part of relationship in our lives centers around food, does it not?

What do you do when you want to get together with a friend and spend time with them? “Hey, let’s grab a coffee!”

What do you do when you want to spend time with a group of friends? How many times do you get together with friends and not have food and drinks?

What do you do to spend time with your family?

What are some of your favorite memories with friends and family? Was food involved?

Food is something we all need, and something around which we gather.

I love the fact that God created us and put a lot of our faculties together which seem to have a lot to do with eating. He gave us our whole digestive system which is amazing. He gave us a wonderful gift in smell, the ability to catch aromas.

He gave us eyes that see color and we can enjoy the colors of the variety of foods. Did you ever notice how food shows and restaurants try to pair foods to make it visually appealing?

He gave us the sense of taste. Our tongues are complex. We enjoy sweet, salty and spicy. We can distinguish different flavors, and the combinations of flavors that burst in our mouths! Anyone else enjoy food?

God did not just create us to need sustenance, and give us the basics to nourish us. He created us to enjoy the sustenance, and gave us a variety of flavors and textures to enjoy: the crispness of an apple, the smooth creaminess of ice cream!

And all of this is an image, a picture, a reminder of our need for Him. It is an image of how wonderful He is, and how He can satisfy in so many ways.

God does not need food. We do. And that created need is in itself a reminder of our need for Him.

However, that is not all. I think Food shows our need for the Lord. But I think it shows more than just our need for Him.

Food shows God desires communion with us

As I consider the way we find relationship, intimacy and fellowship with others as we enjoy food together, I see the same with our Lord. I believe He desires to use food to help us find relationship, intimacy and fellowship with Him.

Let me share with you how I see this in scripture.

Now, I am going to do a little reading between the lines here for this first example. Turn with me back to the garden of Eden.

We see the Lord making this special garden in Genesis 2.

Genesis 2:9 NIV

The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

After the Lord made the garden, He put the first man, Adam there.

Genesis 2:16 NIV

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

God made a special place with every kind of food that would please the man, and put him there.

What do you do when you want to have someone over to enjoy some fellowship? Do you prepare what they cannot eat, or what they would not enjoy?

No. You make something special. You try to put on a good spread of foods they would enjoy.

God did that here with Adam. He wanted Adam to come have a special time with Him. He put together a banquet, a feast with every kind of good food that would be pleasing to Adam.

But what does this have to do with Adam having communion with God?

Look at Genesis 3:8.

Genesis 3:8 NIV

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Now, the point of this account is to show how sin entered the world. Sin is rebelling against God, which results in a loss of fellowship with Him; being separated from Him.

However, though this isn’t the point, I want to point out that what we see here is Adam and Eve knew the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

This was something with which they were familiar. Apparently this was a regular occurrence.

And what was taking place before this, Adam and Eve had been gathering food to eat when the Serpent tempted Eve.

Now, again, I am reading between the lines. I believe that Adam and Eve were in the habit of gathering food to eat, and then enjoyed intimate fellowship with God as they ate food in the cool of the day.

They were having supper with Him! Isn’t it interesting that in every culture around the world, there is this universal gathering to eat at the end of the day with loved ones for intimate fellowship around food?

Now, our wonderful industrial revolution and greed for more which resulted in working around the clock with different shifts has effected for some in western civilizations. However, the general norm is evening fellowship around food.

Why? Because that is what God did with Adam and Eve. He desires communion, intimate fellowship with us, His creation. And God’s provision of food is a way we gather with Him for that fellowship, learning of His love and care for us.

Another occasion on which we see God fellowshipping with man around food is in Genesis 18.

Genesis 18:1–10 NIV

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.” “Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.” Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

On this occasion, God was sitting down and enjoying intimate fellowship with Abraham. And it was on this occasion that God revealed that He was finally going to provide a son for Abraham, miraculously, through Abraham’s wife, Sarah, when they were past the age of having children.

Intimate fellowship with the Lord around food.

Another occasion we see intimate fellowship between God and men is in Exodus 24. After the Lord gave the law to Moses, Moses related it to the people. They said they would obey, and enter into this covenant relationship with the Lord, whereby He would be their God and they would be His people.

Moses wrote the covenant down, and read it to the people again in the morning. Then, after the people agreed again, this is what happened. Well let me read the context here staring in verse 4.

Exodus 24:4–11 NIV

Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Moses and the leaders sacrificed Fellowship offerings, and enjoyed fellowship with the Lord around a meal! They were eating and drinking with the Lord to celebrate their relationship, their fellowship!

Later, the Lord had them build the tabernacle so that He might have fellowship with all of the people.

Part of that fellowship was at the people would bring fellowship offerings to the Lord, and eat the food there enjoying fellowship with the Lord.

Later, when the people were in the land, and had started doing what was right in their own eyes, on several occasions the Lord sent Judges to the people to bring them back to the Lord.

In Judges 6, the Lord appears to Gideon. Gideon prepares a young goat and the Lord makes the fire that burns the offering. It was then he realized he had just been talking with, fellowshipping with the Lord.

In Judges 13 we see the Lord appearing to Samson’s parents to tell them about the son He was going to give to them, and how they were to raise him. On this occasion, they brought a young goat as an offering, and the Lord rose in the flame to return to heaven. That is when they finally realized that they had been talking with, and enjoying fellowship with the Lord.

In 2 Chronicles 7 we see Solomon dedicating the temple he built for the Lord. It was a huge celebration. Once again the Lord shows up and provides the fire for the offerings of dedication. Then they have a feast with fellowship offerings, eating and drinking and enjoying fellowship with the Lord who came and filled the temple in their midst.

I am really jumping ahead now to Jesus.

What was Jesus known for?

Mark 2:16 NIV

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus was known for eating and drinking with sinners! Jesus came and provided wine at a wedding. He ate and drank with sinners. He came to have intimate fellowship with people!

What were a couple of His largest miracles? The feeding of the 5000 men, plus women and children, and the feeding of the 4000 men, plus women and children. Why did He do this? He was enjoying fellowship with these people, the way He intended it from the creation of mankind. And He used it as occasion to show them that they needed Him to have fellowship with God, just as they needed bread to live.

John 6:51 NIV

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 6:53–58 NIV

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. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

God desires fellowship with the people He created. That fellowship was broken by people’s rebellion against Him.

However, ever since that first sin, God is working to restore the fellowship with us, the fellowship He intended for us to have.

Then, as we were reading at the beginning of this time together, Jesus was enjoying a meal with His disciples, fellowshipping with them, when He gave them this ritual to remember Him, and what He was going to do in order to restore fellowship between us the the Lord.

Later, after His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to them on several occasions. What did He do with them?

He proved He was alive by eating. He ate with two disciples He instructed as they walked on the road to Emmaus. He prepared breakfast for them when they were out fishing all night. He enjoyed fellowship with them around food after His resurrection. And, He promised fellowship with them around food at a later time, in the Kingdom.

We saw this even on the night He instituted the ritual to remember Him.

Luke 22:17–20 NIV

After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 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.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

In the midst of this meal with His disciples, and in the midst of this ritual He was giving to them, he mentioned eating with them again in the future, in the kingdom.

He describes a little later in Luke 22:28-30.

Luke 22:28–30 NIV

You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

He talks of them eating and drinking at His table in His kingdom!

We see that actually taking place in Revelation 19, where God revealed the coming Marriage supper of the Lamb. Once again, Fellowship around the dinner table with the Lord!

Then, after all is done, and there is a new earth where we will enjoy fellowship with the Lord forever, it is described this way:

Revelation 22:1–5 NIV

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

did you notice the tree of life bearing fruit every month? God is going to be our God. We will be His people, and we will enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him, eating with Him, and enjoying Him and His provision forever and ever!

That is communion. That is what communion is all about. Intimate fellowship.

Our Lord wants to have intimate fellowship with us.

God gave us food for fellowship. It is a picture of the intimate relationship that God wants to have with us, sitting with us, being our God and us being His people. Talking with Him. Enjoying Him.

This is something that we look forward to, and long for. However, God does not just want to do this in the future. He wants to have communion with us now.

Revelation 3:20 NIV

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I love this imagery. He is currently wanting to have fellowship. He is waiting for us to open the door so that He can come in and eat with us, and us with Him.

Communion. Intimate fellowship.

When we celebrate communion, we are doing it to remember Him.

He is Our Lord, our God, Our Creator. He is the One who created us to enjoy fellowship with Him.

That fellowship was broken by our rebellion and sin. Do you have intimate meals, fellowship with someone with whom you are fighting? How is mealtime at your home when there is something between you and your loved ones? Do you eat with a friend with whom you have a disagreement? We do not.

However, thank the Lord, that He is the One who eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners. He came to seek and save the lost. He came to restore the fellowship.

Jesus made it possible for us to have fellowship with the Lord once again, by giving His body to die on the cross in our place. Jesus shed His blood, His life, for us. He gave His life so that we might live and enjoy fellowship with the Lord.

We have communion, intimate fellowship with God because of what Jesus has done.

Jesus has established the new covenant, the covenant whereby we can be God’s people and He will be our God, now and forevermore. He will write His laws on our hearts, and our sins and lawless deeds He will remember no more.

Do you have fellowship with God? Do you have communion with God? As we come to the table, this is a time to be with Him. To be close with Him. To enjoy Him, His presence and His provision.

This is our time to draw near to Him, to open the door and enjoy Him with us.

What hinders fellowship? Sin. That is what was taking place in Corinth that prompted Paul to write to them about communion.

They were coming together to enjoy fellowship with the Lord and one another. However, they were not being considerate of one another. They were not loving one another. As as John wrote in his first letter, how can we love God if we hate our brother? They could not have fellowship with God when there was a lack of love between them. Therefore, they were not having true communion or fellowship with God.

Paul wrote,

1 Corinthians 11:27–32 NIV

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 judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

Communion - Fellowship with God

The point of what we are doing today is to have fellowship with our Lord. If we have a lack of love between us and others, fellowship is broken. Just as you do have have intimate meals with an enemy, you cannot have intimate meals with your Lord when there is sin in your heart.

We need to take time to examine ourselves, and to ask the Lord to examine us. As He points out our sin, we need to confess that sin to Him and receive His cleansing. When that takes place, we can truly enjoy the fellowship of the meal. We can rejoice in His provision and blessing through Jesus, that we can be intimate with Him, our Creator.

Let’s take time to have intimate fellowship, communion with Him today. Let’s reflect and confess our sin to Him. Let’s ask Him for His cleansing and allow Him in to enjoy His fellowship!

Let’s have communion with our Lord, today, and everyday this week.