Many years ago, Jesus sat around a table with His disciples, celebrating Passover. This was not an ordinary meal; it was the last supper of Jesus before He was to be crucified. Jesus took bread and wine, divided them among the disciples and they ate and drank together. Something so ordinary, bread and wine, is a symbol of the greatest thing to ever happen to humanity: Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.
"When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And He said to them, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.' After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' 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.'"
The very next day, Jesus laid down His life on the cross as the atonement for our sins forever, allowing us to dwell in paradise with Him.
Why Bread and Wine?
Today, though many churches replace wine with grape juice and bread with small crackers, the physical elements of bread and wine are purposeful beyond their historical importance.
The Bread
In communion, bread is taken as an image of Christ’s broken body on the cross.
The Wine
The wine represents the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross and poured out on our behalf.
In Jesus’ time, bread and wine were taken daily and have had many meanings throughout history. Taking the bread and the wine is not only symbolic, but also intentional.
So What?
The act of communion itself will not save you. It won’t get you closer to heaven. Communion is about not only remembering God but also obeying Him.
This act is dangerous for non-believers. Taking communion is the public proclamation that you follow and obey Jesus. If a non-believer takes communion, they can no longer claim that they didn’t know Jesus or about His sacrifice.
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself."
“Discerning the body” means understanding the glory of Jesus as human and His death and resurrection, something that non-believers do not do.
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
The eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine at church is not something to do out of habit, because Jesus did it or others are doing it. It is the union of our Savior and us, acknowledging that He was once flesh and blood like us. He understands us, hears us and cares for us.
Communion is remembrance of the blood shed on our behalf and the body He gave up in our place. Do it in remembrance of Him.
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