When Jesus taught about Communion the first reaction to some of the people was, "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?"
This is the reaction to some of the people even today, either in understanding the concept of Communion or the way it is observed.
Communion is called by different names: (Eucharist, Lord's Supper, Mass)
The Meaning & Purpose:
Jesus while he was telling about the "Bread of Life" he told that he is "the bread from Heaven".
There is a two fold purpose one Jesus told in John 6, "Eternal Life", the second "Remembrance" that he said in Luke 22:19 NIV And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Why Bread & Wine?
Bread symbolizes one thing, purity. The unleavened Bread of Passover symbolizes the uniqueness of God's people not mingled with any other kind of impure community. God wanted them to be pure so that other will learn from them, but eventually God's own people failed several times. The Bread also gives us a lot of picture about temptation of Jesus in wilderness, Jesus' saying about, "Ask, Seek and Knock", Breaking Bread represents the way that God creates to break any hindrance that may be between Man and God. His broken body represents our sin's consequences that should have been ours, but he bore it. When he said to do this in remembrance of me, he did not say to do it for any other purpose other than the fact that we should remember his struggle and death on cross, so that we may also die to this life from sin and bondage, he said to remember so that we may not go through the same process of struggle, but that there is a savior who not only saves us from the troubles of life, but already found the solution to our sins by dying on the cross. He told us to do in remembrance of him because that one act is enough to forgive our sins which in no other way could help us to be with God, to be accepted. As Bread represents his body, the Wine represents his blood. Which is for the remission of sins. When we see the Blood that has been poured from the beginning. The sacrifice of the animal to cover Adam & Eve, the first blood shed on account of envy and pride - The killing of Able, and throughout history men and women being killed as a result of sin. The blood sacrifices for the remission of sins, the blood on the door post during the time of testing in Egypt. Jesus poured his blood to cleanse the heart of the sinners, His first miracle of turning the water into wine, using new clothes/bags for new wine, The fruitfulness because of being with him - John 15 The analogy of the wine and branches. Jesus teaches that these elements represents not just simply as Bread & Wine, but his Body & Blood, which is far more that our understanding, the only thing he asks us is do is to remember him.
Though there are doctrinal differences in the way how we consider the Communion - The Lord's Supper. The Bread & Wine as actual Body & Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ or representation of his Body & Blood. We should never forget to examine our motives, testing our heart is very important, saying to our Lord, I am a sinner and by partaking this Holy meal I am made pure not by works or efforts, but purely by your work on Cross. Forgive me of my sins.
This is the reaction to some of the people even today, either in understanding the concept of Communion or the way it is observed.
Communion is called by different names: (Eucharist, Lord's Supper, Mass)
The Meaning & Purpose:
Jesus while he was telling about the "Bread of Life" he told that he is "the bread from Heaven".
There is a two fold purpose one Jesus told in John 6, "Eternal Life", the second "Remembrance" that he said in Luke 22:19 NIV And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Why Bread & Wine?
Bread symbolizes one thing, purity. The unleavened Bread of Passover symbolizes the uniqueness of God's people not mingled with any other kind of impure community. God wanted them to be pure so that other will learn from them, but eventually God's own people failed several times. The Bread also gives us a lot of picture about temptation of Jesus in wilderness, Jesus' saying about, "Ask, Seek and Knock", Breaking Bread represents the way that God creates to break any hindrance that may be between Man and God. His broken body represents our sin's consequences that should have been ours, but he bore it. When he said to do this in remembrance of me, he did not say to do it for any other purpose other than the fact that we should remember his struggle and death on cross, so that we may also die to this life from sin and bondage, he said to remember so that we may not go through the same process of struggle, but that there is a savior who not only saves us from the troubles of life, but already found the solution to our sins by dying on the cross. He told us to do in remembrance of him because that one act is enough to forgive our sins which in no other way could help us to be with God, to be accepted. As Bread represents his body, the Wine represents his blood. Which is for the remission of sins. When we see the Blood that has been poured from the beginning. The sacrifice of the animal to cover Adam & Eve, the first blood shed on account of envy and pride - The killing of Able, and throughout history men and women being killed as a result of sin. The blood sacrifices for the remission of sins, the blood on the door post during the time of testing in Egypt. Jesus poured his blood to cleanse the heart of the sinners, His first miracle of turning the water into wine, using new clothes/bags for new wine, The fruitfulness because of being with him - John 15 The analogy of the wine and branches. Jesus teaches that these elements represents not just simply as Bread & Wine, but his Body & Blood, which is far more that our understanding, the only thing he asks us is do is to remember him.
1 Corinthians 11:20-21English Standard Version (ESV)
20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk.
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