Communion is probably one of the most misunderstood events that Christians practice. Those who are not Christian-based often conjure up images of some ritualistic cult practice, while others just think it is a waste of time.
As a Christian community, I believe that this practice of communing with our Lord, in memory of His sacrifice for us, needs to be shared in truth with all people.
As we gather every Sunday morning to share this communion with the resurrected Christ in spirit, in memory of His physical death that was a sacrifice for your sins and mine, I want to share these thoughts.
One of the things that people seem to notice a difference in between churches of Christ and other religious groups is in the Lord's Supper.
This memorial supper was inaugurated by Jesus on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:26-28):
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.
It is observed by Christians in memory of the Lord's death (1 Corinthians 11:24,25):
24 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."
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
The emblems - unleavened bread and fruit of the vine - symbolize the body and blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16):
16 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?
Churches of Christ are different from many in that we observe the Lord's Supper on the first day of every week. As in all that we do, our reason centers in our determination to follow the teaching of the New Testament. It says, describing the practice of the first-century church, "And upon the first day of the week . . . the disciples came together to break bread ..." (Acts 20:7).
Some have objected that the text does not specify the first day of every week. This is true--just as the command to observe the Sabbath did not specify every Sabbath. The command was simply, "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). The Jews understood that to mean every Sabbath. It seems to us that by the same reasoning "the first day of the week" means the first day of every week.
Again, we know from such respected historians as Neander and Eusebius that Christians in those early centuries took the Lord's Supper every Sunday.
What does this memorial supper, the communion, mean to us?
When Stephen was being stoned to death, every rock hitting him causing excruciating pain, and he knew that all he had to do was say "OK, I don't believe in Jesus being our Savior either, I was just saying it because..." and all of the stones would have stopped; he could have simply left that town for another and started preaching again to a friendlier crowd where no one knew him; and asked God to forgive him of his denial in the previous town. But he didn't. Why?
The same thing that motivated the martyrs then, and still does today, is the same thing that motivated Jesus on that day that he was beaten, and scourged, and beaten some more, and then hung to a splintered cross with nails pierced through His hands and feet.
There wasn't a nail or ropes or chains made that could bind Him there. There wasn't an army strong enough to keep Him there. There wasn't a ruler on earth powerful enough or scary and evil enough to intimidate Him to stay on that cross.
He stayed and went through that humiliation, through that torture, and through that death because He Loves you. More than life He Loves you and He ALWAYS wanted to do His Father's will and do the right thing, no matter what the cost was. And we thank God this morning that He did.
The ONLY thing that held Jesus' tongue when He was being questioned and struck in the face; the ONLY thing that kept Him doing what His Father in Heaven wanted Him to do; the ONLY thing that kept Him on that cross and on that hill that morning, was Love. Love for His Father, Love for you, and Love for me... even when He knew that He could have called those ten thousand angels and changed it all.
We share this communion now, to remember His voluntary death; and to live in the celebration of the hope that we now have because of that sad morning on a hill.
Think of the divine blood sacrifice that was made for you.
Whether you believe in God or not, He believes in you and is still waiting.
So, who is this Dr. D guy writing to you today?
Dr. Daryl B. Detherage, PhD, PMP (Dr. D) was inducted with a Lifetime Membership into the United Who's Who of Executives & Professionals in 2007 for his outstanding work in Strategic Planning, International Mergers & Acquisitions, and Project Management process implementations in several Fortune 100 companies
He was also inducted into the Gamma Beta Phi National Honor Society in 1995, based upon strict standards & guidelines combined with consistently high GPA's that always exceeded 3.5 up to 4.0 throughout his education
Dr. D has over 25 years of real-world experience in business, leading senior management teams through successful strategic projects across the globe. He has also been involved in international travel, including third-world countries
Dr. D is currently involved in freelance writing, article marketing, and web designing. You may enjoy visiting: http://www.WaterFleet.com
http://www.MissionsWorks.org
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