What does it mean to Me?
Communion is something that we realize that we are supposed to do. Do we understand why we are supposed to do it? Does mean something to my life that I’m missing? These are some of the Questions that we will attempt to answer in this study.
Communion is so important to us that we need to understand why that is. First we are going to define ‘communion’, many time the definition of something is enough to help us have a better understanding of what we are doing and why.
The word communion is translated from the Greek word “koinonia”. It has been translated into the word “fellowship” 12 times in the New Testament and “communion” 6 times.
The full meaning is: having in common; partnership; fellowship; to share a common experience; oneness.
So when we talk about ‘Communion Service’ or what we commonly call ‘The Lord’s Supper’, we are participating in the Lord’s death in all it’s fullness.
1 Corinthians 11:26 ‘For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.’
Message translation says it this way: ‘What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.’
Read 1 Corinthians 10:16- 18. Literal Greek says 18 this way: ‘See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?’
It tells that when we eat the bread and drink the cup that we are having fellowship with what Jesus did for us. If we go back to the full meaning and realize that having fellowship ‘means to share a common experience’; then we see that we are actually taking part in what He really did.
The two features of the communion service are the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We use bread and grape juice which are symbols of that body and blood. By doing this we are coming into “oneness or sharing a common experience” with what He has done for us.
In Luke 22:19-20 is the time that Jesus instituted communion for us. He said as often as you do this: which means that we should do it. There is no reference to when we should do it or how little we should, just that as many times as you do.
The blood of Jesus has two basic functions:
1) To establish a new contract; or new covenant. 1 Corinthians 11:25
2) To cleanse away sin.
Remember that it is not a covering of sins; if you were simply covering them up they would still be under there somewhere. God said He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west, to remember them no more. In Matthew 26:28 He said the ‘remission of sins’. Remission from the Greek means: ‘forgiveness or pardon, of sins letting them go as if they had never been committed” Read Revelation 1:5 it says ‘washed from’ and we know that when you wash something that it is clean. So His blood cleans from all sin.
There is significance between the last supper and why it was done at Passover time. Read Exodus 12:1-14 and as you read it you should notice several things.
1) They were to eat it together. When we take communion we wait for everyone to be served and eat it together.
2) They put the blood on their door posts and top and by this the death angel recognized them as God children. It is the same with the blood of Jesus Isaiah 53:10 says ‘when you and He make His blood an offering for sin that God sees His Seed.’
3) They ate it with their shoes on, this way they were ready to go. The Bible tells us that we should be ‘instant in season and out of season’ in other we are ready all the time with the Gospel message.
Also realize that just as by the stripes of Jesus we were healed; they also were healed as they ate the lamb. Read Psalm 105: 37 ‘there was none feeble among them’. Notice the first part of that verse we also have a covenant of prosperity through Jesus blood.
So as you receive communion remember that you are having fellowship with what Jesus has done for you. You should take communion times when it is just you and God having fellowship: you and you spouse having fellowship with God. When your having trouble because of an attack from the devil you should take communion to remember what Jesus did to encourage yourself in the Lord.
Have fellowship with the Lord
David
