What Is Communion?
An Old Tradition
Communion has several names, including the Eucharist and the Lord’s Supper. Its practice dates back to Moses, when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12).
The night before their escape, God commanded His people to sacrifice a lamb and to spread its blood on the door frames of their homes. By doing so, God promised to pass over their homes during the plague of the firstborn.
Every year following their escape, God’s people celebrated Passover in remembrance of how God delivered them from death and bondage by the blood of the lamb.
Fulfilled in Christ
The night before Jesus was betrayed, He gathered with His disciples to celebrate the Passover meal together (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20). It was a meal they had partaken in many times, but Jesus flipped the script. He made it about Himself.
“Do this in remembrance of me.”
The bread was His body; the wine, His blood. Jesus is the fulfillment of Passover. He is our Passover lamb. By His blood, we are set free from bondage and death. As such, Communion is open to all followers of Jesus, not just members of the church.
Why Do We Take Communion?
To Look Back
Remember. Don’t forget. We are saved by grace, but salvation came at a high cost. We must never forget the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. In remembering His death, we also remember our own. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NIV).
To Look Forward
Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God. Now, we eagerly await its completion. We long for the return of Jesus and the day when we will take Communion with Him at the great “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:6-9). In taking Communion together, we declare that we are in this together. In Christ, we are one body. We will not let this world divide us.
“Communion is a time of identifying with and participating in Christ’s sacrifice, proclaiming His message, remembering what He did for us on the cross, and anticipating His soon return” (Kristi Northup).
