This Do In Remembrance Of Me: The Significance of Communion

We're going to take a look at the Communion, what it means to be a part of it, its significance, and its overall importance in the life of the believer. We will look at several instances throughout the New Testament where it is referenced, first at its institution, and then at the ways in which it was used, and misused, in the first-century church, and how we, as followers of Christ, are to use it today.

We'll begin with the institution of the Communion, the very night in which Jesus was betrayed. We read in Matthew 26:26-28..."And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 

Jesus told his disciples in John 6:35..."I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Just as the life of the body is supported by bread, so the life of the soul is supported by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus upon the cross, and by His mediation on our behalf. As Jesus takes the bread, He blesses it, and then He breaks it, signifying the fact that His own body would soon be broken for us. He was willingly broken in order that we, through His sacrifice, might be made whole. 

Jesus then gives the bread to His disciples, thereby establishing the fact that all of His disciples are to partake of and benefit from, this memorial. He then tells them to, "Take, eat; this is my body." Jesus fully expects His followers to accept His sacrifice, as well as the healing which stems from it, and to receive the atonement which He died to provide for them.

Jesus then takes the cup, and gives thanks, gives it to His disciples, and tells them..."Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." He uses the phrase "drink ye all of it", not to ensure that every drop in the cup was ingested, but rather, to establish that all of his disciples drink of the cup, in other words, that none should let the cup pass by them without drinking from it. Its importance is paramount, for it is the blood of the new testament, the new covenant, and without it, there can be no remission of sins. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that..."without shedding of blood is no remission." The Old Testament was confirmed by the blood of bulls and goats, but this New Testament is established upon the blood of Jesus Christ. His precious blood being the reconciling factor between God and man, Jesus wants to ensure that each one of us comes in contact with His blood and receives the healing benefits and forgiveness that it alone can provide.

We read of the institution of the Communion also in 1 Corinthians 11:23-31, as Paul goes into great detail concerning the importance of discerning the Lord's body, and how we are to conduct ourselves, and to bring our thoughts under subjection, when we partake of this solemn feast. "For I have received of the Lord that which I  also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the  Lord's death till he come. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." It seems that some first-century Christians were using the Lord's supper as a normal meal, eating and drinking to excess, and not separating it as the solemn memorial that it was intended to be. Rather than focusing on the Lord, and on His sacrifice, they were simply eating and drinking, placing no significance upon the Communion as a reflective, introspective time of self-examination and solemn remembrance. This is why Paul warns against partaking of the Communion unworthily. It is not that any of us could ever actually BE worthy, because none of us are, but it is the attitude with which we approach the Lord's table that we need to be keenly aware of. The Communion is a sacred institution, and therefore we must enter into it with our minds firmly affixed on the sacrifice which Jesus made for us, and on His suffering, on His death, His burial, and His resurrection. It is a time of intense self-reflection, of coming to terms with our own weaknesses in light of His strength, of our own frailties and failings in contrast with His victory, and His Almighty Power. It is a very humbling thought indeed, to consider the fact that all of His sufferings, the very blood that He shed, was for ME, as an individual, for me personally, and if I were the only person who had ever lived, He would still have died just to save me. And He loves us all, individually, in this way, this much. We need to personalize what Jesus did for us, and the Communion is the perfect opportunity to do just that. 

So far, we have examined the significance of the Communion, how it was instituted, and how we are to approach it, but what role does it play in the life of a believer? Is it really necessary, and what benefits does it provide? 

First of all, we are commanded to partake of the Communion, as Jesus tells us in John 6:53-56..."Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." It is both spiritually unhealthy, and neglectful, not to partake of the Communion. 

Secondly, our participation in this commemorative feast is a personal proclamation. We read earlier in 1 Corinthians 11:26..."For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." When we partake of the Communion, we assert our faith in not only Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, but also in His future return. Our participation exclaims, "Jesus died for me, I believe this, and I know that He was raised from the dead, and that He will return to take me home to be with Him forever!"

Finally, we need to understand the fact that the Communion is not a ritual to be performed, but rather, a blessing to be received. Jesus took upon Himself all manner of disease, mental, physical, and otherwise, upon the cross in order that we could be healed. We read in Isaiah 53:4-5..."Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." The selfless nature of our Savior and the healing which He suffered to provide are represented by the bread in the Communion. Just as we receive healing in our bodies, and in our minds, when we partake of the bread, we receive forgiveness and mercy as we drink of the cup.  His precious blood procured our forgiveness, and it continues to cleanse us from our sins, and to solidify our place as joint heirs with Christ, as sons and daughters of God. We should consider it a privilege, as the highest honor, to be a part of this memorial. 

No higher price has ever been paid, no greater suffering was ever endured, than that which Jesus experienced in our stead. Let us meditate on these things as we accept and receive His healing, as we allow ourselves to be wrapped in His mercy and forgiveness, as we partake of the Communion in remembrance of Him.