1 Corinthians 11:23-24 “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.”
Memories. Some are pleasant, some precious, and some are so traumatic, they haunt us. Many will struggle with the ability to recall certain things, and others cannot forget.
Paul was reminding the church at Corinth something they had not only forgotten but replaced with carnal practices. The reenacting of what took place at the last supper of Christ is a way for a saved child of God to keep things in proper perspective.
Jesus offered His body to be broken, as the prophets foretold. It was the needed and necessary sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.
Many will associate this reenactment with the spiritual ‘eating’ of Christ’s body through the Eucharist. Some denominations believe that the one presiding over the ‘sacrifice’ can call Christ to come into the host to be broken again for the atonement for sins.
This is unbiblical.
Jesus Christ was offered ONCE for sins and is now seated at the Father’s right hand, awaiting the time He will be told to get His bride, the church.
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Some will say that a child of God can lose the gift of salvation based on their behavior after receiving Christ. They misinterpret the scriptures and misunderstand the beauty of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
Question: “How can we lose that which God promised us is eternal, seeing it was a gift given in exchange for our faith in Him?”
It was God who gave us the power to become a child of God.
John 1:12-13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
God oversaw our birth into the family and empowered us by His Word to do so. It was not a birth of heritage (blood), nor by motivation (will of the flesh), nor of desire (will of man), but of God.
God saves those who come to Him by faith and place their trust in the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.
It is in such an extreme act of love we should remember what was given for our salvation.
Communion in the local New Testament church is an ordinance given by God to remember. The bread signifies the broken body offered for the punishment and penalty of our sins. The juice (not alcoholic wine) symbolizes the shed blood that is now on the mercy seat in Heaven there, to ever make intercession for our sins.
Hebrews 9:22-23 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”
Jesus became our High Priest to enter the Holy of Holies with His blood to sprinkle it on the mercy seat in Heaven. We must come to Christ for salvation. He is the only way.
Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
There is no other way to Heaven. Remembering this great act of love toward us while focusing with the rest of the church brings our hearts in unity with Him.
The gospel is the apex and pinnacle of the church.
It is the church’s sole purpose for existence.
Our enemy seeks to distract us, divide us and our hearts from God, to ultimately destroy our ability to effectively give the gospel to a lost and dying world.
Our remembrance of how we got here is key to keeping things in perspective. We have an eternal purpose for remaining here on earth.
Let us take up our cross and follow the steps of our Savior. That which God commands, He can empower and enable us to do.
Let us remember what was done for us and allow God to do something miraculous through us!
Daily Manna 