What is holy communion?

Communion is the sacrament established by the Lord Jesus during His last Passover meal with the disciples. "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." (1st Corinthians 11:23-24)

When we partake in Communion, we are in fellowship with Christ Jesus. In John 6:53?56 we read the Words of Jesus and He is saying that by partaking in Communion we are in a fellowship that allows God to impart His very life on us. We first say a prayer asking for forgiveness and making things right between our self and the Father. We say a prayer of thanksgiving for the giving that Christ already did for us with His life. The bread or wafer and juice or wine becomes the body and blood of the Lord in Spirit. By our partaking of this sacrament, we join with one another and with Christ in the fullness of life that has been promised to us.

The single loaf of bread broken into pieces is a symbol representative of there being only one body—the body of Christ. It is the body of Christ that we are partakers as believers. When we take the bread, we show our participation, acceptance, and fellowship with Christ. We show our desire to be one with Him.

The bread is spoken of as being 'unleavened bread' which means it was of an unmixed nature. It had no yeast no rising agent it was not blended with any other grain; it was pure. Representative of the pureness or holiness of Jesus, which is a reminder unto us that we as the church should strive to be holy unto Christ.

When we partake of the sacraments, we are partaking of a life. A life that can give unto us eternal life if we just let it. The cup we receive is the cup of the new covenant founded by the blood of Christ or upon the Basis of the Blood of Christ. “Luke 22:17 and he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. Luke 22:19 and he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, this is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Luke 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” This new covenant is the manifestation of our having become God's chosen people. We are a chosen generation, holy nation, and a royal priesthood and through Jesus Christ, we are able to abide by His commandments. “1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:”

We receive a cleansing through the Blood of Jesus. This is like unto a baptism in His Blood or by His Blood. We are partakers of a divine nature when we take the sacraments. The bread represents the body of Christ and the juice represents the Blood of Christ.

We give thanks for the body of Jesus Christ by taking the cracker and holding it in our fingers, and then we break it saying a prayer of thanks to the Father for giving us this gift of love. The juice is then held up in like manner and we drink it in remembrance of Christ, giving thanks to the Father for the gift of love that He gave. We may partake of Communion at home every day if we want, simply by giving thanks and cleansing our heart before the Father.

Many have taught that you can only partake of Communion if you have been baptized in to the true church, or having received confirmation, or having never committed a serious sin, but this is not true. The Word of God simply says to receive the body and the blood in a thoughtful and worthy manner. This means that before we partake we should examine ourselves before God. Then we simply need to ask God to forgive us our sins and any trespass or grievance that we have against any person. Also, while we are participating in the taking of the sacraments our mind is to be only on God. We are not to be looking around and thinking about dinner or the person beside us or the clothes the person in front of us is wearing. This is taking the sacraments in an unworthy manner.

The taking of communion is for anyone that so desires to commune with the Lord in a deeper manner. It is something that can be done daily at every meal by simply saying, “Father I believe You gave Your Son to die for us and accept communion with Him and You right now and commit my life before you a sacrament make it worthy and pleasing before Your eye. Jesus I remember what You did for me!”

“1st Corinthians 11:23 for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”

The thing to remember in the partaking of Holy Communion is that when you do so you are taking Christ as your Lord and Life, yielding your self to Him. You should come unto Him with a humble heart and a mind set on nothing other than Him. The Lord’s Supper is to be done in remembrance of Christ, keeping fresh in our minds His dying to give us life. Christ came so that we could have everlasting life, “John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” God sent Him so that we could have eternal salvation and Christ hung upon the cross, was buried in the tomb and rose to be seated at the right hand of the Father. And when we partake of Communion we are partaking of HIS life and it should be with a remembrance of HIS death, burial and resurrection.

The writer of 1st Corinthians 11 closes with this thought, let all look to the Lord’s Supper in a manner of worship coming before the Lord in praise with a heart full of forgiveness and love desiring to know Him in His fullness not provoking Him, the Lord of Lords to bring down upon us His vengeance or wrath.

“1st Corinthians 11:31 for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 1st Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 1st Corinthians 11:33 wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 1st Corinthians 11:34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.”

Resources:

Holy Bible, KJV, RSV, Thompson Chain NIV

Sermon Notes, Pastor Thomas E. Miles, Sr.

The New Testament and Wycliffe Bible Commentary

Greek-English New Testament