Fourth Sunday is when we have communion at our church. We have communion to remember the price Jesus paid for us. He took the sin of the world to the cross, so that it would no longer have dominion over us. Jesus made this sacrifice willingly, knowing He would endure pain and suffering to create an opportunity for us to be saved. Therefore, when we take communion it is to remember He died for us, and His body and blood have created an opportunity for us to have eternal life. Through His actions we know that we are loved by God, because He gave His only begotten Son to save us. Every time we take communion we are reminded of the sacrifice that was made for us. So, it should cause us to reflect on our relationship with the Lord, to ensure we are living in a manner that is pleasing in His sight.
In 1 Corinthians 11:23-32, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, because there were some issues with how they were administering the communion. In verses 23 to 26, Paul gives an account of what Jesus did with the disciples before He was crucified. This is what they were to do in remembrance of Jesus. They did not fully understand what was going on until Jesus was crucified, and was resurrected early on Sunday morning. This is when everything made sense, and it is something we still do in remembrance of our Lord and Savior.
The Christians in Corinth were not maintaining the communion in a way where the Lord was glorified. Some were drinking the wine until they were drunk, and others would not receive any bread or wine. This is when Paul shared with them in verses 27-32, the importance of examining themselves so that they would understand the significance of the communion. The Lord is expecting His people to make the necessary sacrifices in serving Him. Therefore, before taking communion we should take time to assess ourselves, and confess our mistakes to the Lord. When we do, then our lives will be blessed. However, this is not what was happening in Corinth. Paul pointed out there are a number of them that are sick and some have died, because they have not understood the impact of communion.
I want you to understand the significance of communion. Jesus did this so that we would not forget what He has done. He embraced the plan His Father had for Him to sacrifice Himself for the world to have an opportunity to be saved. He did this by offering His body and blood for us. This is why you take the bread as a symbol of His body, and the cup as a symbol of His blood. Everything He did was to create an opportunity for you. Therefore, examine yourself to see if your works are pleasing in His sight, if not, make the needed changes to be in the will of the Lord. Why, because communion should have an impact on your life. Now, you have to make the decision to live in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Continue to walk in your blessings!
