Communion: What Does It Mean? (The Crackers And The Juice)

Cornerstone Church January 8, 2006

"Communion - What Does It Really Mean?”

(the Crackers and Juice)

1 Corinthians 11:23-31

A little girl asked her mother, “Mommy, why do you cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” The girl’s mother told her that she thought it added to the flavor by allowing the meat to better absorb the spices, but perhaps she should ask her grandmother since she always did it that way.

So the little girl found her grandmother and asked, “Grandma, why do you and Mommy cut the ends of the meat off before you cook it?” Her grandmother thought a moment and answered, “I think it allows the meat to stay tender because it soaks up the juices better, but why don’t you ask your Nana? After all, I learned from her, and she always did it that way.”

The little girl was getting a little frustrated, but climbed up in her great-grandmother’s lap and asked, “Nana, why do you cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?”

Nana answered, “I had to; my cooking pot wasn’t big enough.”

We do a lot of things in life, and seldom stop to ask why. It is easy to develop habits and traditions, and if we’re not careful, we can forget why we do certain things.

This morning is Communion Sunday.

Conceivably you are a new Christian or possibly not even a Christian and you still do not understand what Communion is all about.

It is such a simple ceremony or observance.

There is really not much to it!

Just some bread (crackers) and some grape juice in a cup.

Possibly you came to Cornerstone from another church and wonder why our traditions might differ from the ones with which you are acquainted.

Christians use different titles:

The Lord’s Table

The Lord’s Supper

Communion

The Eucharist

Christians differ over frequency:

Weekly

Monthly

Yearly

Christians differ on how Communion is performed:

Some have very formal services

Some have very informal services

Some use real wine

Some serve with a single cup while others use individual cups

Some come forward while others stay seated.

Maybe you have been a Christian for a long time and you are on autopilot this morning. It is all too familiar to you which makes it easy to go through the motions!

I trust that isn’t the case!

I hope that Communion still overwhelms you with a sense of awe and wonder.

One thing I know for certain.

COMMUNION IS ABOUT JESUS!

While it might appear to be a simple ritual it is not. Its message is profound!

It is given to remind us of our need of a Savior!

It is given to remind us we have fellowship with God because of what Jesus did on the cross.

It is also given to proclaim the gospel message to the unbelieving world.

Communion is one of the two ordinances that Jesus left for the church to practice in His absence until He returns. The other is baptism.

Baptism is an ordinance which symbolizes our identification with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Baptism is a public testimony to others that you belong and are identified with Jesus Christ. He is your Lord and your Savior.

Communion causes us to reflect and meditate upon the death of Christ, where on the Cross He obtained eternal salvation for those who believe.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT JOHN THE BAPTIST SAID WHEN HE SAW JESUS?

John 1:29 NIV The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Communion reminds each of us that we had a problem.

A big problem!

An insurmountable problem!

An eternal problem!

Economists could not solve this problem.

Environmentalists could not solve this problem.

Philosophers could not solve this problem.

Politicians could not solve this problem.

The World’s Religious Leaders could not solve this problem!

The Problem is death! It comes to all! It comes unexpectedly! It comes without partiality or prejudice!

It makes us ask the question, is this all there is? Listen to Job, he had the same question on His mind!

Job 14:14 NIV “If a man dies, will he live again?...”

Death is not mankind’s only problem.

Hebr. 9:27 NIV Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Sin was our greatest problem. If we are going to die (and we know that we are) and if we believe the Bible when it says that we are all sinners, we are in trouble without Christ!

Rom. 3:23 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom. 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.