Communion is one of the most important ceremonies in the church. Jesus tells us to come to the table and partake of the bread and cup which symbolize his death on the cross. When we partake we are telling God that we believe and live under the redemption that took place, we commit to follow Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.
The Atoning Work
The most sacred of ceremonies in the Christian church is the sacrament of communion. As believers, we are to partake in the bread and cup to remember the death of Jesus Christ. That atoning work that paid the debt of our sin is symbolized by the bread and the cup. He gave his body for us, and the cup recognizes the new covenant between God and us. Every time we take it it is a reminder of that day Jesus hung on the cross. We need to come to this ceremony with reverence and gratitude. We proclaim the Lord’s death every time we do it.
Examine Your Heart
We also need to understand that our hearts need to be right with God when we take communion. If we partake of these elements and there is undealt with sin in our hearts, it will bring judgment. Paul tells us to examine our hearts. If there is some unforgiven sin, we need to spend some time in prayer repenting of it. Failure to do this brings judgment on ourselves. This could be a reason why so many of us are sick and struggling. There were many people in the church of Corinth who weren’t doing this. Take the Lord’s supper seriously and come to it with a clean heart.