Dr. Billy Holland

Last week, we touched on the subject of baptism, and this week I thought we could follow up with a chat about communion. For those who are Christians, the church ordinance of communion is a sacred and spiritually personal event. In some circles, the Lord's Supper is referred to as a sacrament, while others call it an ordinance, depending on the theological tradition. However, regardless of the term, within Christian churches, it is seen as a means of grace and an integral part of obedience and worship, established by Christ Himself. A time of sacred reflection on Christ's death and resurrection. Where does it come from? It's a recorded true event that is told in each of the four Gospels, along with the Apostle Paul, who also discusses it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. Verse 26 declares, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes."

Most have seen the images of what is called the "Last Supper," where Jesus and His disciples are sitting around a large table eating and drinking at what was called the Passover celebration. We read in all four gospels about this true account, and how Jesus wanted His followers to remember Him as the promised Lamb of God. In Luke 22:19-21, we read, "Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said, this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you." Matthew 26:30 reveals that He concluded the meal by singing a hymn, then they walked out into the night to the Mount of Olives. As they entered the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told them to rest while he took some time to pray. It was there that, as predicted, Jesus was betrayed by Judas. The following day, He was crucified.

Jesus declared that the bread spoke of His body that would be broken, as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 describe that He would be so brutally and violently tortured that it was hardly recognizable. The wine spoke of His blood, with Him indicating the terrible death He would soon experience. It is agreed that most likely He literally bled to death. Christ, the perfect Lamb, the Son of God, became the fulfillment of the countless Old Testament prophecies concerning a Redeemer. Genesis 3:15, often called the protoevangelium or first gospel, is an amazing biblical prophecy where God reveals that at the crucifixion, the serpent will bruise the heel of Jesus the seed of the woman, but in the resurrection, Christ the Son of God will crush the serpents head, establishing the Lord as the ultimate power and authority in the cosmic struggle between good and evil. In my view, the communion does not literally transform into the blood and flesh of Jesus, which is called transubstantiation. Since it is symbolic, I do see the point. It's simply about keeping the sacrifice of His great love fresh within our hearts and minds.

So, as we partake of the unleavened bread and wine or grape juice, the elements serve as a covenant symbol of Christ's body and blood, and how we grieve as He willingly suffered. He gave the supreme sacrifice of love that can redeem us. Now we can have spiritual hope and faith, as we celebrate this sign of unity and truth among believers, anticipating His return. I've served communion in churches, prisons, and correctional facilities throughout the years, and I currently work with a jail ministry preaching the gospel, baptizing, and serving communion, where I remind everyone how serious this is. First Corinthians chapter 11 says that whoever receives these elements unworthily will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. They absorbed damnation to themselves, and some have literally died. Never allow the ceremony to become a dead and formal ritual, or come to the Lord's table with unconfessed sin. Personally, when I take communion, I embrace this as entering into the holy presence of God. A sacred time and place of repentance, asking forgiveness, being cleansed, and made presentable to become one with Him. I imagine Jesus hanging on the cross, and what great love that caused Him to willingly die to save me. It's a deeply meaningful moment of remembering and appreciating.

Dr. Holland is a licensed and ordained minister, a certified chaplain and teacher, and a Christian author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.