The Lord’s Supper is a special sacrament implemented by the church still today. Witnessing the passing of those shiny gold trays across the sanctuary will always be an experience and privilege to hold onto. (And yes, there’s even something unexplainably satisfying about those COVID-19-friendly cups and the sounds of that crackling plastic reverberating across the pews!) So, whether you’re a well-seasoned Christian or if you’re fairly new to the faith, we have this continual opportunity to gain insight into what it means to partake in the breaking of bread and in the drinking of the fruit of the vine.

Remembering Communion

In many Christian traditions, the Lord’s Supper is also referred to as “communion.” Communion is defined as “an act or instance of sharing; an intimate exchange.” How overwhelming it is to ponder how Christ has already given so much, yet still continues to share more of Himself. He said to His disciples in Luke 22:14 that He “fervently desired to eat this Passover with [them]” before His own suffering took place. Fully aware of all the suffering that awaited Him, Jesus still took time to sit down for a meal with these followers who did not understand all that He was doing, nor the gravity of what this suffering would fully entail. He wanted to experience this moment with them then, just as He does with us now.

Even in Our Wandering

A great pastor once said, “The whole history of the people of God is that we are a people prone to forget the goodness and grace of God.” It’s easy to look down on the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness and grumbled about the bread from heaven, or to judge the disciples asleep in the garden, clueless throughout the events of Holy Week. It takes humility to truly empathize with them and realize that even in our greatest wanderings, we have the chance to come back to the table of grace. Here, we accept the portions Christ has prepared for those who are His.

More Than Breaking Even

It’s altogether too easy for us to forget the ways the Lord has provided for us in all the simple things we overlook each day. Or—more glaringly—we tend to overlook the extent to which He gave of Himself so that we could partake in fellowship with the Father. Jesus’ once-and-for-all sacrifice fulfilled the Old Covenant’s debt and paid the total cost for our sin. He died the death we deserved, and the reward received is far greater than breaking even. So, we come back to this simple act of remembering His body broken for us and His blood poured out on our behalf. Through Christ’s work, we have the privilege of being made right before God, able to partake in the exchange of fellowship with Him forever—which is life’s greatest joy and treasure.