Recently I was the guest speaker for the worship service in a church on Communion Sunday. When the pastor asked me to oversee the taking of Communion, I did it the way my home church does it. The pastor later told me that it was not the “usual way” they did it. He also said, however, that it was good for the congregation to experience another way of celebrating Communion.
Regardless of how it’s celebrated, Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, is a remembrance feast started by Jesus. Some 3,456 years before He held the first feast, God commanded the Jews to observe the Passover meal to remind them how the blood of a lamb had protected them from certain death (Exodus 12:1-14, 13:14-16). Hours before He went to the cross, Jesus observed the Passover meal with His disciples and made it the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:13-20).
Just like the Passover meal, Communion fulfills four important functions:
- It is commemorative. It points back to the cross where Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, was sacrificed to save us from our sins and eternal death (vv.19-20).
- It is instructive. It provides an opportunity to teach our children about Jesus. I believe that God intends for young ones to be part of the Lord’s Supper. It gives parents the opportunity to tell them more about what the Lord has done (Exodus 12:24-27; 13:14).
- It is evangelistic. It reminds us that every time we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we are publicly announcing the Lord’s death (1 Cor. 11:26).
- It is predictive. It reminds us that Jesus is coming back again (v.26).
Communion is vital for believers in Jesus. Take it often!
More:
• Exodus 12:3-14
• John 1:29
• 1 Cor. 11:23-26
Next:
What is the significance of the Communion elements to you? How can God use the Lord’s Supper to help you and your family grow spiritually?
monicafpp on April 19, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Our church is not allowed to take Holy Communion but only after we have our church confirmation cert even though we have been baptized. I can not search any where in the Bible that we take communion only after a confirmation in church. I believe we should take our communion once we have been baptized. Am I mistaken anything?
kpblessed on September 29, 2009 at 10:15 pm
The Bible tells everyone that is baptized to take the communion every first day of the week in rememberance of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection 1 Corinthians 11:23-29, and Matt. 26:26-29
inhisword on August 21, 2009 at 9:49 am
28.A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29.For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 1Cor. 11
Sometimes churches, like governments, have good intentions in their attempts to maintain accountability among the people. A certificate merely shows that you once demonstrated worthiness of partaking communion. But our walk is constantly met with temptations that could weaken this relationship. Thus, the importance of holiness should be stressed before each communion and not through a one time certificate.
Akinolawale on January 23, 2011 at 6:54 am
@inhisword- you have hit the nail on the head. God looks at man in his present state on every issue of the spirit. To qualify for Holy Communion one must be worthy of the body and blood of Christ. I do not know what is “confirmation”, but i knpw there is no certificate for holiness. It is an inner spiritual qualities.