Part 1
“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
Matthew 26:25-29
What does communion mean to you? In all the times you have participated in the Lord’s table have you ever made a “personal connection” with Christ, or have you simply been going through the exercise of receiving the elements. The more I read about it, the more I am convinced, that communion was never intended to be formalized, but rather personalized. Not personalized in that it is changed to fit each individuals needs, but rather “made personal” by the people receiving it.
Communion was personal to Christ. As He took the bread He said… “Take and eat; this MY body.” When He lifted up the cup he said… “Drink from it, all of you. This is MY blood of the new covenant.” Jesus was painfully aware of what He was about to face. Later, that very evening, He would anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane praying… “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:44 tells us that he would pray so earnestly that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Communion was more to Jesus than a tiny piece of broken bread and a little cup of juice.
Do you take it personal? Taking it “personal” is more than just understanding that the bread represents Christ’s body and the fruit of the vine represents His blood. In John 6 the people who were following Jesus asked him:
“What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
John 6:30-31
What I found interesting was that these people had never seen manna, tasted manna, or experienced it. They knew what had been written about it, but by their own admission it wasn’t a personal experience for them… “Our FOREFATHERS ate the manna.” “He gave THEM bread from heaven.” They wanted Jesus to do something similar for them. Jesus responded to them by saying:
“I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
John 6:32-33
They cried out to him saying… “From now on give us this bread.” What Jesus would say next would challenge them to the very core of their beliefs:
“Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, 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 a 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 him. 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 forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 6:53-58
On hearing this, many of Christ’s followers said: “This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?” and from that time on many of them turned back and no longer followed Him. It had become too personal for them!
Pastor Scott Burr http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com
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