To do Communion

When I was little, I loved communions Sunday. I knew that the sermon would be short and that we would get a piece of warm bread. My dad would invite everyone to participate and at the end, my dad would call everyone at the altar to pray and give out the blessing. This was a church that was mainly family from my mom's side. Grandparents, cousins, uncles. Everyone was related except for two families. When we would go to the altar some of my cousins and siblings would wait for my dad to begin praying and everyone else to close their eyes. Then we would go to the altar and grab as much bread and juice. Right in the middle of prayer. I could not understand what was the significance of communion, but I knew it was once a month and we would eat.

Then it was one day that my dad decided to do a Maundy Thursday service. Maundy Thursdays are usually done during the Thursday of Holy Week. It is to remember the Lord’s supper. Twelve people would go with my dad in a room at a time. There was a table set up nicely. And as my dad went over and gave communion there was something about sitting and in a way reenacting the last supper. It was welcoming, relatable and the meaning of the last supper change.

The last supper in the UMC as you know is done on the first day of the month, and other denominations do it weekly and some only on special occasions.

Today as we finish the Series “The Why Behind the What” on the first Sunday of the month we will be learning about Communion.

Most of us have grown up in church and have taken communions thousands of times and know but there is nothing wrong with refreshing our minds and maybe seeing it from a new and fresh perspective.

If you can open your bibles to Luke 22:7-20

Luke 22:7-20

The Last Supper

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

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.”

20 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.[a]

To begin, let me paint a visual. So Jesus is with his disciples during the festival that is called the “Passover” the Passover celebrated every day. The observance is based on the exodus story. When God sent Moses to Pharaoh to request that he let God's people go and set them free from slavery. To let them go so that they can worship God like they were called to do. However, Pharaoh did not let them go. Therefore, God brought plagues to Egypt. The 10th and final plague was the death of all the firstborn—human and animal—in Egypt. God punished Egypt but spared the firstborn of Israel, as long as the Israelites properly followed Moses’ instructions. On the night of the plague, the Israelites were instructed to stay in their homes after slaughtering a lamb and placing its blood on the lintel and doorposts of their houses. The blood was to be a sign that distinguished the Israelites and separated them from the intended victims of the plague. Since the people were to be ready to depart Egypt at a moment’s notice, they were to eat the lamb quickly, dressed to travel and with staff in hand.

The Israelites followed Moses’ instructions, and at midnight that night, Yahweh struck down the firstborn of Egypt. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in the middle of the night and ordered them to take all the Israelites and depart Egypt. The Israelites left hastily, taking their bread dough before it was leavened, so on the journey, they had to bake unleavened cakes because they had not had time to prepare any other provisions. The Israelites were instructed to observe the Passover on the 14th of the first month every year to commemorate that night when God delivered them from Egypt.

It was their own type of "Easter" if you will. So now, years later, several years later, we read the Jesus, the Savior of the World is nowhere on Earth. And as a Jew, Jesus celebrated Passover. This time around he had his disciples and Jesus knew that what He was there on Earth was about to be fulfilled.

So, the last supper was an actual supper and an actual celebration. I'm assuming there was lamb and unleaved bread just like the actual day of the Passover. Jesus is with those with who he has spent the last couple of months. And He genuinely loves them. In fact, before the supper, Jesus washed all the disciples’ feet. Something that a Rabi was never to do. But Jesus, during His ministry never fit the standards. His desire was to save them and make them believe in Him not get the admiration from the high priest.

While having the actual dinner Jesus grabbed the unleaved bread and said it is body broke for them. During those times the bread was just more like bread for sandwiches or to make rolls to eat during thanksgiving. It was an essential part of their meal. Jesus had been introduced as the bread of life. Something that is ever fulfilling. Then he grabs the wine, the wine represented the blood. As mentioned above during the actual Passover in the book of exodus, the Israelites needed blood from a pure lamb. That blood that was placed on top of the doors represents “set apart.” Going back to the story, when Moses was in exodus with the Israelites, God created a covenant between them. That was the first Covenant. Here we have Jesus saying, that the wine should be remembered as the blood. The blood that will protect those that are covered by it from death. This is the new covenant. Jesus is the new and perfect Lamb the bloodshed through The sacrifice on the Cross. As Christians, we believe that the bloodshed is covering us from death, from the reigns of Hell. The beautiful thing about this is that we do not need to kill a lamb or cover ourselves or our houses with blood. The sacrifice done in that new covenant is powerful that one sacrifice is sufficient.

The last supper was done during the Passover. Back then it was the Passover was celebrated by the Israelites as a remembrance of the first covenant. Now, everyone not just the Israelites can celebrate the last supper during Easter to celebrate the New and Final Covenant. We celebrate it each month because we believe that we need to remember not only the Sacrifice but The power that the blood of Christ Has. I hope that when we eat and drink that we are remembering that their no SIN that God will not forgive. There is nothing that divides us from Him.

This past Thursday I attended the tent services led by the Baptist Church. As a pastor, I think it is important that we also feed ourselves with the word and we are not exempt from hearing sermons. I wanted to hear the Word and also I thought the tent was pretty cool. It reminded me of how Rev. Billy Graham, started the crusades. With a tent and then he would be in our stadiums because the tents were not big enough. It was my first time attending an all-white Baptist church. The songs were amazing and the people were so welcoming towards me. They were all dressed up and I had just come from Walmart. But I was treated kindly. I BRING THIS up because the sermon was about SIN. Sin/transgressions are the things that are separating us from God. You see God is Holy. And nothing but perfect can be seen or acknowledged by our Perfect Creator. God knows that, and how God wanted to redeem what was done in the Garden of Eve was through the sacrifice of His Son.

God the Father, himself became human, we know as the God the Son. Only through someone as perfect as Jesus could be enough sacrifice to save us from the condemnation caused by Adam and Eve. However, for God to do the sacrifice He has to become like those He wanted to save. God still being 100% God became 100% human. God the Father saw God the Son being sacrificed. So that the Sin that divides us from Him should divide us no more. The pastor talked a lot about Sin. Later as I was processing, I felt both convicted and affirmed. I felt convicted because I do not want us to become desensitized by sin. Just because Chisty died for our sins that does not mean we are meant to continue living in Sin. I do not want to give the impression that it is ok to sin because we will be forgiven. We are called to live a set-apart life, to be Holy just like God is Holy. Is there a sin that you are struggling with? Sin is not just alcohol or doing drugs. Sin is all that separates us from God. The pastor went on to say that video games can be in too. I had to stop and reflect on that one. If this video game becomes our idol and that we choose first in our lives that is a sin. It is not video games in itself but it is what it does to us when we put it first. It separates us from God. God is supposed to be first in our LIVES, if we are feeding our souls and quenching the spiritual thirst that we have God becomes the center.

Jesus the Son has died and gone to heaven. God the father is in heaven and we read in the word that God the Son is sitteth on His right hand. Then who is here with us? God the Spirit, The Holy Spirit.

When God becomes the center, The Holy Spirit leads us and helps us live a Holy Life. It is not perfect and yes we will sin, HOWEVER, we claim the Blood of Christ and we are forgiven. Earlier I said that nothing unholy can withstand God’s Holiness it is only But the blood of Christ. That covers us and God does not see our sins. He sees His creation but it is only through the blood of Christ. That is why as Christian we say that we need to accept Christ in our hearts When we accept Him we are accepting His blood as well.

When we take communion we are remembering Our Father’s compassion towards us. Our Savior’s Sacrifice for us and The Holy Spirit comfort and ever presence. We are not MEANT to overcome sin or to do life on our own. The Holy Spirit is right there with us, embracing us, encouraging Us, and leading us towards God. We need to make time for Him. We need to quiet outside voices and listen to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.

As we enter the time of communion I want to say, that this is an open table. We believe that all are welcome. Jesus knowing that Judas was going to betray Him, alone him to take part of it. All are welcome to the table because ALL are worthy of the blood of Christ. Will you pray with me?