26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
In this simple action, Jesus enshrined the practice of remembering Him with poignancy. Concise and simply stated. Yet, I grieve today because so few Christians obey the Lord in this simple way, written off by some as a stale ritual, by others as boring. In today’s milieu of so-called “Bible believing” churches, this observance is relegated to once a month or every three months, as a 15 minute tack-on to the end of the preaching service. Or we find people attending the preaching service, while neglecting the communion service.
Some say having it too often renders it common and rote. But does that logic hold for Christians gathering for prayer, teaching of the Word or for fellowship? The early church was committed to all four things, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Why should the Lord’s Supper be emphasized less than the other three?
There are three biblical reasons for observing the Lord’s Supper today: 1) Jesus commanded it, 2) the early church practiced it and 3) the apostles taught it (see 1 Cor 11:17-34). There are also three spiritual reasons: 1) it keeps our focus on what is absolutely central to the Christian walk, namely, Jesus’ sacrificial death, 2) it reminds us that His death is as important to our spiritual life as basic food is to our physical life and 3) it portrays the one thing that binds us together as Christians. “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:16-17).
Three strategic reasons: First, it is better to obey than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22), second, it is better to worship than to serve (Mary vs. Martha, see Luke 10:41-43) and third, the Lord’s Supper helps us keep our priorities in place, by centering our lives on Christ’s work on the cross, His grace and mercy. By devoting ourselves to worshiping the Lord through remembering Him in the way He appointed, we are placing ourselves on the solid footing for giving us traction in the Christian life.
Lord, I worship You in the beauty of holiness, as I take the bread and wine in remembrance of You. I want to be constantly reminded of Your sacrifice for me.
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