WHAT IS COMMUNION AND WHY DO WE TAKE IT?
KEY POINTS
- Communion is coming together to remember Jesus, his sacrifice and this New Covenant.
- Jesus actually established this new covenant himself at the last supper.
Most people are familiar with the NT version of Communion known as the last supper. But even within the last supper, Jesus and his Disciples were partaking in an existing Old Testament tradition known as passover. Passover was started in Egypt when the Angel of the Lord passed over and did not kill the firstborn of the Israelites. (Exodus 12)
The purpose of Communion is found right there in the name, Communion, or Common Union. Believers are coming together, because we have something in common which unifies us together as one. In the Old Testament that common union was the Covenant: God’s contract with his people that he would bless them if they remained obedient to him. In the New Testament that common union was the new Covenant, which is expressed through Jesus and salvation.
Jesus actually established this new covenant himself at the last supper:
Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
From that point on, through the early church, Church and even today, communion is coming together to remember Jesus, his sacrifice and this new Covenant (which is salvation) If you look at the last supper as our example, Jesus took communion with those who were closest to him, those he served with, and did life with. These are the same people we should be taking communion with; the people we serve with and do life with who are also followers of Christ. Communion is not for anyone willing to take. Communion is for those who are united as followers of Christ.Not those who are members of a church, or who want to be blessed, or those who have completed some class.
There are so many different expressions of this sacrament, denominationally and even with different areas like Catholicism. It doesn't really matter how different denominations do communion. Some use bread and wine, or crackers and juice, some wear robes…etc. We should always go back to scripture, not to tradition in order to get an accurate understanding of scripture on this topic. One issue many people have when it comes to scripture is taking symbolic things literally. People will say that Jesus said this is my body and blood, so therefore the elements have to change into blood and flesh, but this is a foolish idea. In John 10:7 Jesus declared that he was the door of the sheep pen... meaning he was the gate to enter into the flock. What Jesus did not mean was that he transformed into a wooden door. It was symbolic, and the same is true when it comes to the last supper. The main thing when it comes to sacraments is that they are symbolic only. There is no magic in the water, when it comes to baptism... Baptism is symbolic of regeneration. And There is no magic in the wine. It doesn't change. It is only symbolic of the blood of the sacrificial lamb. The Bread doesn't change and become flesh. It is only symbolic of the Manna God provided the Israelites in the wilderness.
When it comes to the last supper, the event was symbolic and many things point to that and confirm it Jesus himself even said... "Do this.. (taking communion) in remembrance of me... " The importance is remembering how Jesus fulfilled these pictures in the old testament and became the bread of life and blood of the lamb symbolically. Jesus also said: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”. What that doesn't mean is that the cup itself is the covenant. The cup is only a symbol of the covenant. That would be like a pastor handing a newly married couple a marriage certificate and saying: "This sheet of paper is the covenant of marriage between you two." ... And the couple would need to protect that paper because it is their marriage and if the paper got destroyed then they would no longer be married. No, the certificate isn't the marriage, the piece of paper is just a symbol of the marriage.
The purpose of Communion is found right there in the name, Communion, or Common Union. Believers are coming together, because we have something in common which unifies us together as one. In the Old Testament that common union was the Covenant: God’s contract with his people that he would bless them if they remained obedient to him. In the New Testament that common union was the new Covenant, which is expressed through Jesus and salvation.
Jesus actually established this new covenant himself at the last supper:
Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
From that point on, through the early church, Church and even today, communion is coming together to remember Jesus, his sacrifice and this new Covenant (which is salvation) If you look at the last supper as our example, Jesus took communion with those who were closest to him, those he served with, and did life with. These are the same people we should be taking communion with; the people we serve with and do life with who are also followers of Christ. Communion is not for anyone willing to take. Communion is for those who are united as followers of Christ.Not those who are members of a church, or who want to be blessed, or those who have completed some class.
There are so many different expressions of this sacrament, denominationally and even with different areas like Catholicism. It doesn't really matter how different denominations do communion. Some use bread and wine, or crackers and juice, some wear robes…etc. We should always go back to scripture, not to tradition in order to get an accurate understanding of scripture on this topic. One issue many people have when it comes to scripture is taking symbolic things literally. People will say that Jesus said this is my body and blood, so therefore the elements have to change into blood and flesh, but this is a foolish idea. In John 10:7 Jesus declared that he was the door of the sheep pen... meaning he was the gate to enter into the flock. What Jesus did not mean was that he transformed into a wooden door. It was symbolic, and the same is true when it comes to the last supper. The main thing when it comes to sacraments is that they are symbolic only. There is no magic in the water, when it comes to baptism... Baptism is symbolic of regeneration. And There is no magic in the wine. It doesn't change. It is only symbolic of the blood of the sacrificial lamb. The Bread doesn't change and become flesh. It is only symbolic of the Manna God provided the Israelites in the wilderness.
When it comes to the last supper, the event was symbolic and many things point to that and confirm it Jesus himself even said... "Do this.. (taking communion) in remembrance of me... " The importance is remembering how Jesus fulfilled these pictures in the old testament and became the bread of life and blood of the lamb symbolically. Jesus also said: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood”. What that doesn't mean is that the cup itself is the covenant. The cup is only a symbol of the covenant. That would be like a pastor handing a newly married couple a marriage certificate and saying: "This sheet of paper is the covenant of marriage between you two." ... And the couple would need to protect that paper because it is their marriage and if the paper got destroyed then they would no longer be married. No, the certificate isn't the marriage, the piece of paper is just a symbol of the marriage.
BIBLICAL REFERENCES
Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe...
Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes... Exodus 12:22-27
Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes... Exodus 12:22-27
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:19-20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:19-20
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. John 10:7
TRUE NORTH COLLEGE COURSE
Christian Spirituality | Practical Theology 256
A study of what it means to be spiritual and how to grow spiritually. Special attention is given to the need to understand the nature of the gospel and how to live it out by focusing on repentance and the life of the cross. Special emphasis is put on fasting as an example of a spiritual discipline that highlights “vessel theology.”