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. 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.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. 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. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
(1 Cor. 11:24-26 KJV)
As First Corinthians 11:26 states, every time we participate in this ordinance, we are calling to our remembrance what Christ's sacrificial death means to us. We are also proclaiming His death until He returns.
Therefore, the Lord's Supper is not only a memorial ordinance, it is a perpetual ordinance. It is also to be observed by every believer until that day when we share it with Him in His Father's Kingdom.
Holy Communion Is An Ordinance of Examination
As believers, we are encouraged to examine our hearts as we prepare to receive Communion.
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.We must approach this ordinance with reverence, making sure we have confessed any sins to the Lord and allowed Him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
(1 Cor. 11:28-29 KJV)
We must also recognize the significance and importance of discerning the Lord's body. Paul felt so strongly about the need to discern the Lord's body that he told the Corinthian believers their neglect in this area was the reason many were weak and sickly among them (1 Cor. 11:30).
Discerning the Lord's body means in part that we are to discern the spiritual Body of Christ. In other words, we are obligated to walk in love toward every believer—every member of the Body of Christ—and to recognize the universal Church.
Holy Communion: An Ordinance of Healing
Discerning the Lord's body also means to understand that Christ's body was broken for our physical health and well-being. As Jesus broke bread and gave it to His disciples, He was in fact symbolizing His body that would be broken on Calvary for the removal of sickness and disease (Ps. 103:1-3; Isa. 53:4,5; 1 Peter 2:24).
Exodus chapter 12 records the institution of the Passover. In the Passover supper, the Israelites were to roast and eat the Paschal Lamb to give strength and health to their bodies in preparation for their journey of deliverance.
Today as we partake of the element of the Bread that symbolizes Christ's broken body, we can appropriate health and healing for our physical bodies to prepare us for life's journey.
Holy Communion: An Ordinance of Forgiveness
The element of the Cup represents the shed blood of Jesus that ratified the New Covenant. In Matthew 26:28, Jesus said, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Under the New Covenant, the Christian is privileged to experience not only the forgiveness of sins, but also the remission of sins, which is a total cleansing and removal of sin with no more remembrance of it (Isa. 43:25,26; Heb. 8:12).
Jesus became the final Sacrifice, the spotless Lamb of God offered to take away the sin of the world (Heb. 9:24-28; John 1:29). His blood became the atoning sacrifice that once and for all settled the sin problem and redeemed mankind. The blood of Jesus is not only the proof of His death; it is also the seal by which the New Covenant was ratified.
The Cup represents a whole new way of life for the Christian. Not only does the believer receive remission of his sins and the restoration of favor with God, he can also walk in the spiritual blessings that are the result of an intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publication
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
