The first Sunday of every month is when we regularly schedule our Communion services.  Today is the first Sunday of the month and we are going to serve Communion at the end of the service.  Sometimes the Communion service seems to be sandwiched into our regular service and at times it is more meaningful to those who receive than others.  This morning I want us to take the time to think about the Communion and then participate in a more meaningful manner.

Matt 26:26-30

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.

28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

            The first thing we should notice that this is an intimate meal shared between Jesus and His disciples.  If you are not a disciple of Jesus, this table is a place of invitation to become a disciple, but only disciples are encouraged to receive the table together.  Jesus planned this time of the Passover with those closest to Him.

            The question arose in my mind of the presence of Judas.  If you read the story in the Gospel of John you will discover that Judas is present when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, but he apparently left during the Passover meal.  According to the Passover Seder I have read, the sop is a part of the ceremony which takes place about half way through the Seder.  Apparently Jesus shared the sop with Judas and then excused Judas from the table so he could take care of some unspoken errand.  Jesus said, “What you do, do quickly.”

            Afterwards, near the end of the Passover Seder Jesus broke the bread and shared the cup with the remaining eleven disciples.  This is a time Jesus has chosen to share only with those who have made a commitment to become a follower, a disciple, of His.

            If you have not become a disciple of Jesus Christ, this is your invitation to become a disciple.  Without Christ you are living outside the blessings of God.  You have no covenant with God the Father which provides relationship with Him.  That is not what God desires for you and the Communion is a time when He extends an invitation that you would receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord.  He wants you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

            You can make the first steps in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ by turning your life over to Him and receiving Him as your Lord.  You can begin by praying this prayer:  “Lord Jesus I repent of my sins and I receive your forgiveness.  I accept you as the Lord of life and I believe you have begun a good work in me.  I make my commitment to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and follow Him.”  Amen!

           The next thing we notice in the Communion is that Jesus broke the bread and explained to the disciples that the bread symbolized His body.  We serve traditional Jewish matzo bread during Communion because I believe it best represents what was served during the Passover when Jesus was with His disciples.  The matzo bread is unleavened and unseasoned.  In the Old Testament leaven was used as an illustration of the effect of sin in a person’s life.  Jesus was spotless … there was no sin in Him at all … and He offered Himself as our sacrifice for sin!  His body was broken for you.

Isaiah 53

5 But He was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions, He was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace (well-being) was upon Him, and by His stripes (scourging) we are healed.

            The disciples accepted this passage of Scripture as speaking about the ministry of Jesus and Peter repeats it in his writing:

1 Peter 2

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

            The broken bread represents the broken body of Jesus Christ who gave Himself freely to the Centurion soldiers who whipped Him with a cat-o-nine tails whip, drawing blood with every blow.  He paid the price that it would be a finished work!

            Most of us have prayed for healing at one time or another and I have seen that the healing Jesus has provided to be real. 

            There is a place of spiritual healing.  There are those who bear deep spiritual pain and sorrow because of doubts about God’s goodness and they need healing.  When things don’t turn out as we planned, when we refuse to accept the disappoints of life, when we blame God and remove ourselves from His presence … there is a deep spiritual pain that Jesus desires to heal.

            In the book of Acts there was a sorcerer by the name of Simon who made his living by casting spells.  After Philip, Peter, and the other disciples had preached in that city of Samaria, Simon the sorcerer asked to buy the gift of laying on of hands … here is Peter’s response:

Acts 8:23

23 I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

            Simon had lost his influence, he had lost his income, and he had lost his future security and Peter perceived spiritual bitterness in his soul – he was mad at God and at the work of God’s ministry!  Peter exhorted him to repent but Simon’s response was, “You pray for me.”  And we never find a place where Simon repented or made a change!  He needed spiritual healing.

            If you are here this morning and in need of spiritual healing, let the broken bread be a time of healing for you. 

            By His wounds you were healed, spiritually … and emotionally.

            Closely tied to spiritual healing is the need for emotional healing.  You may not be angry with God or with the plan of God for your life, but you may have been hurt by someone in your life. 

            My wife purchased a book called Bridge Called Hope which is about a Christian ministry which finds neglected horses and matches them with neglected children; and allows them to help rehabilitate each other as God heals the hurts.  One story was about an ugly, malnourished, stunted pony that no one else wanted … and how that little broken pony connected with a broken hearted little boy who had been abandoned and mistreated all of his life. 

            In response to God’s healing, the tearful words of a little boy to his counselor were, “My heart!  My heart! Something’s happening in my heart!”  He clutched his shirt in front of his heart and whispered, “I never knew that I could be loved.”  In a moment of time, God healed his heart!  And Jesus is still healing emotional pain caused by rejection1

            By His wounds you were healed, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

            Ann McDaniels asked for the opportunity to share her testimony of healing this morning.  When she was younger she apparently had curvature of the spine and was fitted with a large brace which held her in an upright position.  The brace was cumbersome and the future prognosis was for the disease to get worse, but God healed her!  It has been years since the healing took place but it’s still real to her.  By His stripes we are healed.

            There are so many stories to tell about the times when those in this congregation have been healed that we couldn’t possible share all of them, but would all of us who have been healed please stand?  Let God receive the glory for our healing!

             When we receive Communion this morning, when you take that piece of broken, unleavened bread in your hand, reach out to Jesus for your healing!  He said that His body was broken for you whether it is spiritual healing, emotional healing, or physical healing which you need.  Jesus is present to heal.

            The next part of the Communion is the receiving of the cup.

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.

28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

            The cup represents the blood of Christ which was spilled on the cross for our sins.  Jesus said that we are to drink all of it.  Let the sacrifice of His life be the cleansing of our sin and every stain and every memory and all the bondages which we may have in our life!  We need to be washed in the blood!  There is power in the blood to wash your sins away!  There isn’t anything that you’ve done that is “stain resistant” enough that it will not yield to the power of the blood!  Let Jesus wash you!

            We need to be reminded of the power of the blood.  As Christians we come under attack from Satan and he will lie to us and say that we’ve done something which cannot be forgiven.  There is no unforgiveable sin except for resisting the Holy Spirit when He draws you to Christ!  What can wash my sins away?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!  Let Him!

           It is through the blood that we now have a covenant between ourselves and God the Father.  Jesus provided His blood, and we are now “blood kin” to God!  He is our Father!  Jesus is our Brother!  We are in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus!  Our sins are gone, we’ve been set free!  We are now God’ family!

           The last item I want to look at is found in 1 Corinthians.  The church of Corinth needed to grow spiritually and when they observed Communion they were having dinners instead of just the bread and the cup.  At those dinners there were some who brought abundant meals which they ate and did not share, and there were those who were poor and had nothing to eat. 

1 Corinthians 11

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

            The problem Paul is addressing has to do with how we treat one another.  We are called by God to being loving, kind, and forgiving of one another.  The time of Communion is addressed specifically to being aware of the needs of others in the Body of Christ.  This is a time for healing in relationships.

             Before you receive Communion today examine your heart.  Is there anyone you have mistreated?  Do you have anything against someone and need to release that?  Do you need to forgive someone who done something against you?  Take time to forgive and release these before you drink the cup.

             Some have taken this Scripture to mean that there are times you shouldn’t take communion because you have sinned during the past week.  This passage doesn’t say that!  If that is the problem, repent and then take Communion!  What I think Paul is saying, is, “If you live an unexamined life you are allowing Satan to attack your health.”  Communion is time for healing, restoration, and examination!  If you skip Communion and continue with an unexamined life you will still have problems!  Examine your heart and be set free!

             Now!  Let’s receive Communion and let Christ minister to us!