[380 words]
In Jerusalem, in the upper room of a house, Jesus gathers His disciple s around Him for the last time to eat the Passover feast. This was on the same night of His betrayal. There had been about three and a half years of association between Jesus and His disciples, but that is about to come to an end. One of the twelve, Judas the traitor, had already made a deal with the chief priests to betray Jesus. As Jesus tells the disciples that “He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matt. 16:21), they didn’t understand why He had to die. What would happen to them? They really expected Him to be an earthly ruler.
With the old covenant coming to an end, Jesus takes this occasion to use the two elements to be used in the Lord’s Supper. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:26-28).
Paul put it this way: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).
So how are we able to commune with the Lord? In Eph. 1:7, Paul says that redemption in Christ comes through His blood, so accordingly, those in Christ who have been redeemed through His blood are in His kingdom and are eligible to commune with Him.
We are told specifically how to participate in this memorial feast, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Cor. 11:28-29).
How did you approach this hour? Have you properly examined your motives? Are you ready to commune with the Lord?
William C. Pulley
Mt. Morris, MI