Introduction

Good morning, dear family of faith. It's a joy to gather with you, to come together as brothers and sisters united in the love of our Savior. It's a beautiful day, isn't it? A day filled with promise and potential, a day we've been blessed with to live, to love, and to learn more about the God who loves us so deeply.

Today, we're going to spend some time pondering, reflecting, and appreciating the profound significance of the communion we share as followers of Jesus. It's something we do often, isn't it? We break the bread, we drink from the cup, and we remember. But do we truly understand the depth of what we're remembering? Do we grasp the gravity of the connection to Christ that this sacred act signifies?

John Piper once said, "The purpose of the Lord's Supper is to receive from Christ the nourishment and strength and hope and joy that come from feasting our souls on all that He purchased for us on the cross, especially His own fellowship." This is our calling, dear friends. To remember Christ and His cross, not just in passing, not just in a fleeting thought, but in a deep, abiding, and practical way.

Let us look together at the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:22-32: "In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! 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. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."

Communion's Connection to Christ

The act of communion is a profound reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus. When we break the bread, we are reminded of His body, broken for us. When we drink from the cup, we remember His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. This is not a mere ritual or tradition, but a powerful act of remembrance that brings us closer to the heart of Christ. It's a moment of deep connection, a moment where we are invited to remember not just the act of His sacrifice, but the depth of His love for us.

But communion is also about reflecting. As we partake in the bread and the cup, we are called to reflect on our own lives, our own actions, our own hearts. Are we living in a way that honors the sacrifice of Jesus? Are we living in a way that reflects His love and grace? Communion gives us a moment to pause, to reflect, and to recommit ourselves to living a life that honors Christ.

And finally, communion calls us to respond. It's not enough to simply remember and reflect, we must also respond. We respond by living lives of love, grace, and forgiveness. We respond by striving to be more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions. We respond by sharing the love of Christ with those around us. This brings us to the first aspect of our reflection on communion's connection to Christ.

The act of communion is a profound reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus. When we break the bread, we are reminded of His body, broken for us. When we drink from the cup, we remember His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. This is not a mere ritual or tradition, but a powerful act of remembrance that brings us closer to the heart of Christ. It's a moment of deep connection, a moment where we are invited to remember not just the act of His sacrifice, but the depth of His love for us.

The second aspect of our reflection is the call to self-examination. As we partake in the bread and the cup, we are called to reflect on our own lives, our own actions, our own hearts. Are we living in a way that honors the sacrifice of Jesus? Are we living in a way that reflects His love and grace? Communion gives us a moment to pause, to reflect, and to recommit ourselves to living a life that honors Christ.

The third aspect of our reflection is the call to respond. It's not enough to simply remember and reflect, we must also respond. We respond by living lives of love, grace, and forgiveness. We respond by striving to be more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions. We respond by sharing the love of Christ with those around us.

The fourth and final aspect of our reflection is the call to unity. Communion is not just a personal act, but a communal one. It's a moment where we come together as a body of believers, united in our love for Christ and our commitment to living out His teachings. It's a moment where we are reminded that we are not alone, but part of a larger community of faith.

Christ's Crucifixion and our Cleansing

As we turn our attention to the crucifixion of Christ, we find ourselves standing at the foot of the cross, looking up at the One who gave His life for us ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO