Question
Why is it necessary to take communion?
Answer
Why do we partake of the Lord’s Supper?
1. Because Christ Jesus commanded it.
2. We are observing a memorial to the greatest event which ever took place on this earth — that of Christ’s sacrifice that we may be reconciled to God.
3. Because the example left us of the Apostles and the early church’s worship to God included their observance of the Lord’s Supper.
Consider the Holy Scriptures —
Matt 26:26-29 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. (KJV)
1 Cor 11:23-26 23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (KJV)
Acts 2:40-42 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread [this means communion], and in prayers. (KJV)
Acts 20:7 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread [take communion], Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (KJV)
Memorials were a very important part of the worship and service of the people of God in the times of the Old Testament. Today the Old Covenant has been taken out of the way. Our memorial is the remembrance of the body and the blood of Christ.
The bread is unleavened bread, and represents the body of Christ Jesus as it was hanging on the cross. As unleavened bread is free from the corrupting influence of the leaven contamination, so the body of Christ Jesus was sinless.
The fruit of the vine represents the blood of Christ as it was shed on the cruel cross. Throughout the Holy Scriptures wine or the juice of grapes, etc. represents shed blood flowing freely. We see it as a metaphor in the illustrations Christ has given us in His Revelation.
Why do we necessary to take communion? Because we love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.
And because we recognize the importance of His sacrifice for us on the cruel cross;
He who came into this world knowing that He was going to be despised and rejected by His own people;
He who was totally sinless and innocent of the crimes trumped up against Him, but suffered anyway, because He loved us;
He who could have called legions of angels to rescue Him from the agony and cruelty of the cross, but suffered anyway, because He loved us.
And because we want to do what we can to remember and to honor His great sacrifice on our behalf.
Why do I take communion? Is it because it is a command, and if I mess up He will zap me for disobeying Him? It is because I want to and because I need to remember His sacrifice!!
By David Baize
