The truth about "Communion"

Communion or Eucharist or The Lord's Supper has been a traditional part of Christian ritual for centuries. However, recently I have been researching the origin of communion and its meaning and have been astonished to discover that the modern day concept of 'communion' is actually not Biblical at all--and sadly much of meaning is misunderstood. 

To understand what was really going on at the Lord's Supper we have to look at Jewish culture and tradition. For the average Jewish family living in Biblical times, everyday life centered around the family meal. Families would spend hours sharing, laughing, and just being with each other around the table. They didn't have TV or video games to distract them from what was most important--so for them much of their lives was fellowship with their friends and family.

The Jewish meal always began with a custom known as Challa or "breaking the bread". During this time, the leader of the house would say a blessing over the time of fellowship, break the bread, and then pass it around inviting everyone to partake. Wine was often served at meals as well and was used during special occasions to sanctify the meal. 

Now...let's jump to the Upper Room. Jesus is sitting with His disciples during the Passover meal. At the opening of this meal he says something interesting...He picks up the Challa, blesses it and says, "Take, eat: this is my body"--the bread is then passed around. Next, Jesus picks up the cup of wine and says, "Drink of it all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

So...what was Jesus saying? He was in essence saying that His sacrifice and death on the cross was the beginning of celebration. The start is gory and painful and agonizing, but once it is accomplished there is reason to rejoice! The brokenness caused by the fall of man is being restored. Jesus' blood has sanctified and redeemed us. The work has already been done--it is finished!

We are then told, "As often as you do this, do this in remembrance of me"

Well, for a good Jewish audience, they would have "broken the bread" every day. So it would have been a daily reminder of what Jesus had done. Every time they gathered together with their family and friends to eat and fellowship they would have broke the bread and they would have remembered Jesus' words. 

Jesus was not starting something new--he was fulfilling something that was already present in their culture.

What does this mean for us? This means that every time we gather in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ we are to remember that the work has been done. Church should be a place of great joy and celebration not of dead, somber worship! The communion table should be a place that reminds us to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Yet, so often we turn it into something so solemn and depressing.

The message of the Lord's Supper goes beyond a few hours on a Sunday morning. It should be present everywhere you are. In your family, in your work, in your school--joy! Divine joy because the feast can begin because the sacrifice has been made; the bread has been broken; the blood has sanctified us.

...and as Christians we need to share that with everyone around us. Because we can choose to focus on what was dead and rotten--sin OR we can choose to celebrate what has been resurrected and been made new. The choice is yours :-)