Today, like the first Sunday of each month, we participated in the celebration of Holy Communion. We said the words and came forward to eat the bread and drink the cup. So I would like for us to examine today the reason for this celebration. Why do we do it? What does it mean?
In Jesus’ time on Earth, and even today, to share a meal with someone is usually a sign of special friendship between those at the table. The Passover meal was especially important to the Jews, as it was a remembrance of Moses leading their ancestors to freedom from captivity by the Egyptians. Jesus uses that meal to represent, and help us to remember, the New Covenant between Himself (God) and all people who will receive Him.
Many people, even some Christian denominations, believe and teach that without Holy Communion there is no salvation, as if salvation is somehow contained in the bread and cup themselves. Our Catholic friends even teach that the bread and wine are somehow magically transformed into the actual physical body and blood of Jesus Christ. This came into being because of the teachings of one of the early Popes. But understand this – that teaching has no scriptural basis at all. It actually comes from a cannibalistic form of Baal worship performed in those days by the pagans of Babylon.
Jesus never once said that the bread and wine became His actual body and blood. They are symbols that contain no saving power on their own. Salvation comes only through our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, because of His sacrificial work on the Cross for us and in our place.
Holy Communion is a ceremony of remembrance of those mighty acts. One can be saved even if he or she never has the opportunity to partake of it. How do we know that to be true? We know because Jesus told the thief on the cross next to His that because the thief recognized and accepted Jesus as the Messiah, that he would find himself in paradise with Jesus that very day. Did the thief have to take Holy Communion first? No. He had no opportunity to do that.
So if Holy Communion is not necessary for salvation, why do it at all? We do it because Jesus tells us to. When speaking of eating the bread and drinking the cup, Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Holy Communion may not be absolutely essential for salvation, but it is essential for obedience. Jesus tells us to, “Do this.” It is more than a suggestion. It is a command.
Holy Communion is not just some nice little thing we do. It is intended to remind us of the fact that we are sinners in dire need of a Savior, and that our Savior has, in fact, already come. Jesus gave His life for each one of us on that cross, in payment of our sin-debt to God. For that He tells us to “Do this in remembrance of me.” We are to remember. “Remember what?”, you ask.
We need to also focus on the work of Christ in our present life and time. Many people, even some Christians, are far too comfortable with a Jesus of the past. They want only a “historical Jesus” who lived and died. They are not interested in a Jesus who wants to take control of their daily lives. They are bent on ruling their own lives, and will not relinquish control until they are so far out of whack that only Jesus can straighten them out. That’s okay I guess, but wouldn’t you rather save yourself all of the trouble and heartbreak, and just let Jesus handle things before they get so far out of hand?
Holy Communion takes us into the presence of the One who lived and died for us and wants to impact our daily life. Jesus said, “I come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus is our risen Savior. He is alive and, through the Holy Spirit, is with us right here, right now.
Jesus also promises to be with us in the future! Are you ready for the future? Do you think about that meeting in the sky when Jesus returns to take His Church, His People, with Him? Have you ever thought about what you would like to be doing when Jesus comes to take you home? Jesus tells us in Luke 21:27-28, “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Do we ever forget that Jesus is Lord yesterday, today and tomorrow? I find it very interesting that when Jesus tells the disciples that one of them would betray Him, each one of them says, “Surely not I, Lord.” In other words they were saying, “No way. Not me Lord. I would never betray you.” How ironic that later that same night in the Garden of Gethsemane, not one, not two, but all of the disciples will abandon Jesus at His greatest hour of need. “Surely not I, Lord.”
How many times have we said that? “I would never abandon or betray Jesus!” Yet, every Sunday, Christians find something else to do in place of coming to church to hear God’s Word, or do God’s work. I remember a time when I could find a million things to do instead of going to church. Maybe it was a ballgame I wanted to go to. Maybe I had to cut the grass (which I didn’t really want to do, but it beat going to church). Maybe I was too tired. Maybe it was this, maybe it was that. Oh, I could find a reason to not go to church without expending too much effort.
Well, every time that I, or every time that you, choose to do something else in place of taking an opportunity to worship God, then for that moment you have betrayed and abandoned God, because at that time something else is number one in your life. Understand this:
But here is the Good News. Our defense attorney, Jesus Christ, will rise and ask the judge, “Abba, Daddy, may I approach the bench?” His Father, the judge of mankind, will say, “Yes, Son. Come forward.” Jesus will stand before His Father and say, “It is true. This man, or woman, (actually, He will call us by name) is indeed guilty of everything the prosecutor has brought before you. But (He will stretch out His arms so that everyone will be able to see His nail-scarred wrists) I have already paid the penalty for those crimes. This person belongs to me, because you gave him to me!” The judge will say, “Case dismissed! Take this person to the Eternal Kingdom of Glory!”
Satan will hang his head. But he will not give up. He will bring each believer in Christ before God in the hopes of defeating them. But each and every time, Jesus will step forward, bare His nail-scarred wrists and God the Father will declare, “Case dismissed!” That is what Jesus will do for each of us in the future. So as we come to the Lord’s table today, let’s come in the same spirit that our Jewish friends came, and come to their Passover meal. They came, and still come, to their tables remembering how they were set free from bondage, and spared from the Angel of Death because they were covered by the sacrificial lamb’s blood sprinkled over their doorframes.
I ask that, as we come to the table of the Lord this morning, we remember that we too have been set free from bondage, not to a people, but to sin. We must remember that we too have been spared from the Angel of Death. No, not the death of our mortal, physical bodies, but the eternal suffering and death of our immortal souls. As we come to the table of the Lord this morning, I ask that each and every one of us do a little self-examination.
Nothing, no sin is too small, nor too big, to be forgiven. If you do not believe that, then I want you to hear what Jesus asked of God the Father while hanging on the cross. He was speaking about those very men who took part in His crucifixion, even those who had driven the nails into His hands and feet, when Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they are doing.” This is the forgiveness that He offers to everyone who will receive His gift of salvation by accepting Him as their personal Savior and Lord.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your very own Savior and Lord, there will be an opportunity to do so as we receive Communion at the chancel rail. For Jesus says, “All who call on My name shall be saved.” Jesus says, “Eat this bread, drink this cup. Do this in remembrance of me.” Amen!