"One Sacrifice for all time"

Communion is defined as “the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.”

Communion is sometimes referred to as the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or in some church denominations as Eucharist, or Sacrament. Unleavened bread, together with wine, or juice, are consecrated and given to the participants.

Partaking in communion is a sharing and remembering of our covenant with God. This covenant is made possible by Christ’s sacrifice.

World Communion Sunday is a celebration observed by several Christian denominations, taking place on the first Sunday of every October, that promotes Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. It focuses on an observance of the eucharist. The tradition was begun in 1933 by Hugh Thomson Kerr who ministered in the Shadyside Presbyterian Church. It was his attempt to bring churches together in a service of Christian unity—in which everyone might receive both inspiration and information, and above all, to know how important the Church of Jesus Christ is, and how each congregation is interconnected one with another.

Luke 22:14–20 ESV

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Names for Communion: What Do They Mean?

The Lord’s Supper— We can now come to the table of our Father because we are part of His family.

Holy Communion— We are sharing in this Holy and intimate time with God as part of His body—the Church.

Eucharist— This word comes from the Greek language and means “thanksgiving.” It’s a time of personal reflection, humility, and thankfulness as we think about how we were brought out of the bondage of sin and stepped into freedom through Christ.

Sacrament— This is a religious ceremony or act that is regarded as an outward symbol of an inward relationship with Christ.

It is also referred to as the Breaking of Bread

Acts 2:42 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

No matter the frequency of communion, it is a moment of sincerity, to come before the Lord and to soberly and humbly assess your relationship with Him.

This assessment and time of reflection are not meant to be legalistic; God designed it to be humbling, purifying, accompanied by immense thanksgiving. The purpose is for Believers to experience more of Him through remembrance and reflection of the covenant relationship.

The Jewish Roots to Communion

We must remember that the Last Supper was a Passover meal.

Luke 22:14–16 ESV

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

In the context of Jewish traditions and biblical commands, this was a remembrance of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt to the Promised Land. Taking these Hebraic roots of the Passover, Jesus spoke to the disciples about its deeper meaning, a picture of the spiritual freedom that was to come from His blood shed on the cross.

Exodus 12:14 ESV

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

Luke 22:19 ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

The unleavened bread of the Passover meal is a picture of the sinless body of Christ. Unleavened bread was instructed to be part of the Passover Seder meal in the book of Exodus.

4 key aspects of Communion

Communion’s sacred symbolism is multifaceted, just like all of God’s work and design. As Believers, we have the blessing of experiencing Him in new and intimate ways every day.

These are things to consider when partaking in communion:

Remembrance Communion should stir our hearts to remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

In a few moments we will have the chance to participate in communion together. Be sure to take the time to reflect and remember how much Jesus loves you— he loves us enough to suffer that horrible death on the cross to pay the price for our sins and brokenness.

Acceptance Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior enters you into a covenant with God. Communion is a reminder of that covenant. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, you now have access to His resurrection power.

Celebrate As we remember and reflect, we can also celebrate the promises of God.

1 Kings 8:56 ESV

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.

Proclaim Paul tells the Church in Corinth, that through partaking in communion they are proclaiming the Lord’s death until His return. We can look forward to His return and the marriage supper of the Lamb!

1 Corinthians 11:26 ESV

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Revelation 19:9 ESV

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

The Lord’s Supper is not a tradition, its actually a command! It’s an opportunity. When we come to the table like this, we have the chance

to freshly remember His sacrifice for us

to celebrate His finished work, and

renew our faith to carry on until He returns again!