The Lord's Supper

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb 9:24-28)

This coming Sunday we will finish up chapter 9 of Hebrews, which is a perfect segue in to The Lords Supper. Last week we talked about the reality of what Jesus did:  In the physical realm He went to the cross, died, and rose again.  However in the spiritual realm Jesus entered heaven and went into the real tabernacle, into the real Most Holy Place, in the presence of God, and He sprinkled His blood on the real Mercy Seat!  When God looked upon that sacrifice, He declared that our sin, all of our sin, had been atoned for.  Paid in full.  For that reason we can claim the promise in Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!”

So when we celebrate communion, we are not simply practicing a ritual; we are coming together, with the Spirit of God and the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and partaking of a physical activity that has implications in the spiritual realm. We are…

Proclaiming our unity with Him

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread (1 Cor 10:16-18)

Identifying with the new life we have been given

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Cor 5:7-8)

Proclaiming His death

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26)

Participating in the fellowship of believers

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42)

So we see The Lords Supper is a special time, a holy time, and we should treat it as such.  We are celebrating the New Covenant!  We should come with hearts that are ready to worship the Lord and proclaim that He is our Lord, and we are His people! 

This Sunday I look forward to taking communion with you all, as we come together in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Pastor Clay

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26)