THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTIAN TRADITION

 

Chapter 7

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The Christian Tradition of Communion

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Text

1 Cor. 10:15-18 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

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Memory Verse

1 Cor. 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

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Introduction

“Communion” sounds fancy, but it just means being in close fellowship with God and with each other. You cannot see fellowship, so Jesus gave us something physical to represent it: bread and wine.

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Bread and wine were normal food back then, just as rice and water are for many now. But in this meal, they point to something bigger - Jesus’s body broken and His blood shed for us.

 

It is not magic food. It is a reminder, a declaration, and a responsibility.

 

Presentation

 

1. Why Jesus Told Us to Do This

 

(1) It is for sober reflection, not a party.

 

Solomon said wine is for making merry (Eccl. 10:19). But the Lord’s Supper is different. It is to remember Jesus’s sacrifice seriously.

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(2) It points to our reunion with God.

 

Like water baptism, communion is not just a ritual you do on the outside. It reminds you that through Jesus’s death, you are back in relationship with God (1 Pet. 3:21; Matt. 26:26-28).

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(3) It shifts us from law to grace.

 

The meal reminds us that we are saved by grace, not by rules. And because of that grace, we should live in a way that shows God’s love to the people around us (Tit. 2:11-14).

 

(4) It is a partnership reminder.

 

When you take communion, you are saying, “I am working with God for the good of others.” (1 Cor. 3:9)

 

2. How this Tradition of Communion Applies to Our Faith

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(1) Jesus’s death matters more than His birth.

 

We are saved by what He taught, but the reason that we can be saved is through His atonement. That is why He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:25).

 

(2) Jesus is the Bread of Life.

 

He called Himself the bread God sent from heaven (John 6:33). First He came as the Word (John 1:1), then He became flesh (John 1:14), and now we feed on Him spiritually by faith.

 

3. Communion Makes the Preaching Practical

 

(1) It reminds us that we are one body.

 

Just as we all eat from one loaf and one cup, we are one family under God the Father and Jesus the Lord. That is how the early church lived (Acts 2:42, 46).

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(2) It pushes us to live for each other.

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If we say we believe in God’s love, communion reminds us actually to live it out and depend on each other.

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(3) It defines who we are in the world.

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We are the light that pushes back darkness and the salt that preserves love from corruption (Matt. 5:13-16).

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(4) It makes us think about life and death.

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It helps us to take stock: am I living in a way that glorifies the Christ who lives in me? (Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27).

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4. Who Should Take It and When

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(1) The early church had a meal first, then communion.

They ate a “love feast” together, then remembered the Lord’s death (Jude 12; Acts 2:42, 46).

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(2) The problem in Corinth was division and disrespect.

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The rich were eating early, getting drunk, and ignoring everyone else (1 Cor. 11:17-22). That is partaking in an unworthy manner - not because of who they were, but because of how they acted. They despised the poor believers, not seeing Christ in each other (Matt. 25:40).

 

1 Cor. 11:28-30 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

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“Not discerning the Lord’s body” means coming to Communion without recognizing what it means – that Jesus’s body was broken for us, and that we, the believers are now His Body together. When we divide from each other at the table, we miss Christ at the table.

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(3) Nobody is “worthy” on their own.

 

All of us were sinners. But if you understand and respect what Jesus did, you can take it worthily. Paul called himself the chief of sinners but still served God (1 Tim. 1:15).

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(4) The timing is flexible.

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Jesus said “as often as” you do it (1 Cor. 11:26). The original Passover meal was yearly for deliverance from Egypt. But we are not under that system anymore. The focus is not the calendar – it is remembering Jesus’s death and living as though it changed you, because it has changed you.

 

Conclusion

Communion is the practical picture of the gospel. When we preach salvation, it is theory. When we take communion, it is theory put into action.

 

If we do not block people from hearing the gospel, we should not block them from the table either - unless they are causing division as in Corinth. The goal is to help everyone grow toward maturity in Christ (Matt. 5:48).

 

The point is not to get every detail perfect. The point is to remember Jesus and to live as if His death actually meant something.

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Evaluation Questions & Answers​

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1. What kind of meal is the Lord’s Supper?

   • It is a spiritual meal, not just a physical one. It uses bread and wine to represent Jesus’s body and blood, and it is meant for remembering and fellowship.

2. What makes a meal the Christian communion?

   • It becomes communion when it is taken to remember Jesus’s death, in line with His command, and with an understanding of what it represents.

3. Why were the Corinthians partaking in it unworthily?

   • Because of their actions - division, selfishness, and drunkenness during the meal. They turned it into a party and ignored the meaning and the other believers (1 Cor. 11:20-22, 29).

4. What is the divine timing for observance of the Lord’s Supper?

   • There is no fixed time. Jesus said “as often as you do it” (1 Cor. 11:26). It is not tied to the old yearly Passover anymore. The focus is on remembering Christ regularly with the right heart.

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Prayer

Father, thank You for Your Word. Help the oneness of all believers in Christ to grow stronger every time we come to the table together. In Jesus’s name, Amen.​​

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