Pastor Bill Francis
Morello Hills Christian Church
Luke 22:17-18 Then he took a cup of wine, and when he had given thanks for it, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
It is common to call the Lord’s Supper – Communion. In fact I’ve never heard it called, “By Myself” or “Alone”. The word “communion” technically says nothing about the meaning of the elements, and it says everything about how the elements are taken … together – shared. The word communion is all about the “more than one” nature of the sacrament. I’ve grown up with “communes” and “communism” being bad words. They became synonymous with free-love and nuclear war! But even with its cousins taking on bad images, “communion” has held its own.
As Jesus prepares his follower for his imminent death he uses the elements of the Passover Celebration to draw His disciples together. He also uses one of the cups (possibly the third of the four, the “cup of redemption”) to shed light on his identity as the Messiah. His message to His disciples is: you are about to see some shocking and incredible events take place (His death, burial and resurrection), and I am preparing you for this by your togetherness. The actual detailed elements of the Lord’s Supper will be covered in the reading tomorrow, but our verses today place emphasis on the sharing, the communion.
Jesus always goes before us and we are obedient and wise to share the cup together with other believers as we follow after Him. This coming week at the Maundy Thursday service, we will do just that!
Prayer: Father, as I take the elements of the Communion and remember Jesus’ broken body and shed blood which paid for my sin; may I also be ever thankful for the church (all believers) with whom I share this remembrance and may I stay faithful to doing this until Jesus comes back! Amen!
Love the “together” insight – great reminder we are called “together,” and what a gift when life gets horrific and we have laid the groundwork to be one! Thanks Bill see you Thursday at the Community Wide Communion 7pm WC Presbyterian Church – Together!
Bill, I enjoyed this simple but penetrating insight into the community of communion. It is a wonderful reminder to “remember Him” and His great work on our behalf with others, together in celebration. How great is our God and what joy we can experience — together!
It is especially so gratifying to be in a loving church when we are in our so-called golden years (like myself!).
Always good to remind myself in this so very hetic world that taking the time remember what the “wine” and “cracker” means to us is real. Keeping the act of communion should not become automatic but always have real meaning.