Communion, How Important Is It Really?

At our church, Nesconset Christian Church, we celebrate Communion every week. Sometimes it's in the beginning of the service, sometimes towards the end after the pastor's sermon.

Wherever it is positioned in the service, it can be argued that it's the most important part of the service.

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul recounts what the Lord told him regarding communion. Jesus didn't give instructions on the sermon or teaching. He didn't give the disciples hints on what kind of music to play. He did, however, give specific instructions on Communion.

We see in Acts 2:42 and Acts 20:7, that the "breaking of bread" is a central part of every meeting of the believers. They did this each and every time they met.

In 1 Corinthians 11, we see Paul said, "whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes". Why is that important?

This is of the utmost importance, because without the Lord's death and resurrection, every other element of the service is meaningless. If Jesus never died for our sins and then arose from death, He is shown to be a charlatan, at best. However, in the days after His bodily resurrection, He was seen by over 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:6). This has never been disputed or proven false.

And, as humans, we tend to forget, so the Lord knew how important it was for us to be reminded of His death, which He took on so we did not have to suffer the punishment for our sins, each time we meet.

DaVinci's Last Supper

As you approach Communion time at your church, remember. Remember the Lord's death and his resurrection. Remember his body, when you take the bread. The body that hung on that tree. Remember, it is you and I who belonged there, but in His love, grace and mercy, Jesus, God in bodily form, allowed Himself to be nailed there with all our sins. And as the cup is passed, which represents His shed blood, remember the writer of Hebrews (9:22) reminding us that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. We must remember, that the reason we are saved is because of this one act of love on God's part. 

Never forget. That's what Communion is about and it's the reason we should partake of it every time we meet as believers.

It's that important.

Communion - by Third Day