"this do in remembrance of Me"

sunday evening i had the privilege to partake in communion, known also as the eucharist, a holy sacrament of particular--even paramount--importance and significance. in 1 cor. 11:23-34, paul reminds the church of the institution of the Lord's Supper, established the night He was betrayed.

taking part in communion is something we are blessed to do. to some degree, it's also something Jesus commands. concerning the bread and the cup, He instructs His disciples in matt. 26 to "take, eat," and to "drink all of it." this sounds more like a command than a suggestion to say the least :-) paul notes that by partaking in communion we are remembering Christ's broken body and His shed blood.

i think Jesus' instruction to eat and drink has a threefold purpose: it reminds us of what He did in the past; it symbolizes our present relationship with Him; and it is a promise of what He will do in the future. through communion we become aware of what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do through us and for us. this intimate interaction with the body and blood of Christ provides us with the recognition that we, our circumstances, our families, etc., can be changed.

with respect to the broken body of Christ, represented by the bread, we are reminded that Jesus took stripes on His body for our healing--not just physical, but emotional, psychological, and spiritual. is. 53:5 says that Jesus "was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed." i believe this applies to our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. we can be made healed and whole. as for the precious shed blood of Jesus, represented by the cup, we are reminded that Jesus shed His blood for our salvation. 1 peter 1 tells us this: "God paid a ransom to save you...and the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver as you very well know. but He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God." Jesus says in matt. 26, "for this is my blood..."it is poured out to forgive the sins of multitudes." Jesus' blood indeed has the power to save to the uttermost, but we must partake in its entirety.

a final note on the power of the blood is this, from lev. 17:11, God speaking: "for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given you the blood...as an atonement for your souls; it is the blood that makes atonement because it is the life." in other words, the blood is equated with life. we can experience new and true life with Christ because of His shed blood. after all, He came to die so that we could live. atonement is the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ. i once had atonement explained to me as 'at-one-ment,' meaning we are made one with Christ through His shed blood. col. 1:19-20 makes it clear that God sent His Son "to reconcile all things unto Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross" (col. 1:19-20). the application of the blood to our lives will indeed bring reconciliation, salvation, and peace.

the observance of communion has a powerful effect, both personally and corporally. we can experience deep healing, and it makes us one with Christ and each other. and i think that's the point, as we reflect on what Christ did, is doing, and will do...and the point is healing and unity. one final point comes from Jesus' prayer to His Father, in john 17 (a beautiful prayer worth reading). here's the passage that i think is of acute relevance: "13 And now I am coming to You. I have told them many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them Your commands. and the world hates them because they don’t fit in with it, just as I don’t. 15 I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from satan’s power. 16 they are not part of this world any more than I am. 17 make them pure and holy through teaching them Your words of truth. 18 as You sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world, 19 and I consecrate myself to meet their need for growth in truth and holiness. 20 I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to Me because of the testimony of these. 21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are, Father—that just as You are in Me and I am in You, so they will be in Us, and the world will believe You sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory You gave Me—the glorious unity of being one, as We are— 23 I in them and You in Me, all being perfected into one—so that the world will know You sent Me and will understand that You love them as much as You love Me."

i'm thankful for the power of communion!