Communion

 As we took part in the ordinance of communion this past Sunday thoughts occurred to me. Even the word Communion;the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.

We become intimate with our Savior, when we participate in communion.

Which would imply an already eatablished relationship. We believe Who He is and what He has done for us. We have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. 

The word "ingest"came to mind. We are to make Christ a part of us. 

He handed wine and bread to those closest to Him, those He was spending His last hours with. He used it symbolically to try and have them understand what was going to be happening. 

"This is My body broken"

"This is My blood..."

📖 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28

Representations of His sacrifice on the cross for each of them. Now place yourself at that table...representation of His sacrifice for YOU!

It didn't end with His demonstration...He said "take, eat" 

He had already said He was the Bread of Life, 

📖 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35

He wanted them to understand He needed to become a part of them. 

We must do the same. And it is far more than being obedient and remembering what He asked us to do "in remembrance of me"

📖 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.” Luke 22:19

We must "consume" all we can of Christ. We must "devour" His word so it flows through as as naturally as our life blood.  It becomes a part of our being. 

We have to have Christ be more than something we know about, He has to be something that becomes a part of us.

We can sit and look at food, tell people about it, read about it, but unless we take it into ourselves and digest it to become part of who we are...it does nothing. 

And, personally, I believe He used what was available. No special properties in bread, or the wine they had then. It was what they had for their passover meal...a traditional celebration all Jewish people recognized every year commemorating their salvation from the Angel of Death that took every first born son in Egypt and their freedom from the chains of slavery.

Don't you find it interesting Jesus used that ceremony to create a new ceremony for us. He asked that this be done "in remembrance of Me"

We are to commemorate, celebrate, our salvation from eternal death. We are to celebrate our freedom from the chains of slavery to sin!

We eat the bread, and drink from the cup as a reminder to ourselves the sacrifice made on our behalf and to be obedient to what He asked us to do. 

He wanted a new tradition to come from what would seem like a tragedy. But I also think He knew we would need a reminder of what has been done for us.

We don't eat once and it lasts us forever.

Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we also need to continue to "feed" our souls if we are to grow and mature. 

Though our salvation is once, we must continue to learn and listen and communicate to grow closer to Him

📖 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

We don't want to be a "malnurished" Christian, not strong enough to withstand the storms that will come our way. Too weak to help others, too tired to serve. 

📖  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”  John 6:51

🙏🏼 Lord, I pray that we have the desire to consume everything YOU every day, that we feast in Your presence.  Forgive us for allowing ourselves to become malnurished. I thank you for calling us to remember what You have done on our behalf.❤️