Rev. Johnson V.
6th February 2011

Taking communion involves us partaking of the bread and wine/grape juice. The bread, is symbolic of the body of our Lord Jesus which was broken for us on the cross of Calvary. The wine, is symbolic of the blood of our Lord which was shed for our sins. This symbolic nature of Communion carries immense significance for us all.

The day the Jews left their lives of slavery in Egypt that was the day of the Passover. 50 days after that, they were at Mount Sinai and received the Torah or the Law from God. This day also coincided with the day of harvest and Jewish people marked the celebrations by bringing grain offering into the temple.

This is not the first instance of people offering grain in the Bible. There was an earlier instance where one offered God a grain offering but God was not pleased with it. The story is told in Genesis chapter 4. Cain offered fruits from the soil, while his brother, Abel, brought a blood sacrifice. God was pleased with Abel’s offering. In another instance that takes place in the New Testament, God again chooses a sacrifice of blood over grain.

This instance begins at the time that our Lord Jesus ascended to heaven after His resurrection. There were about 500 people who watched His ascension. They all heard His last instruction to them. Acts 1:4-8 records that our Lord Jesus told them, ‘to wait for the Holy Spirit’. 500 disciples heard His instructions, yet only 120 obeyed.

It was the time of the Passover feast; in fact it was the last day of the great feast which coincided with the day that the Israelites had received the Law of God many years before. 380 of the 500 disciples, joined in the celebrations and participated in the grain offering ceremonies that were taking place. 120 of them stayed in the upper room praying and waiting. They devoted themselves to teaching, to fellowship, to participating in communion and in prayer (Acts 2:42).

In those days, tradition probably meant everything. The 120 disciples who missed the celebrations would have had to forsake all that they knew, it may have meant turning their backs on tradition, on family, on friends and on society. Sometimes you have to break tradition and laws to get to know Jesus. And just like the past, God blesses the blood offering and not the grain offering. The day of Pentecost was the 50th day of the Passover and it was a celebration of when the law was given. But God blessed it and made it the day that grace was given.

Celebrating the Lord’s communion helps us to remember the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus endured for our sakes. But more importantly it reminds us that this was God’s plan and we have His acceptance because we are doing what He wants us to do.