Communion – Why I Love Bread and Wine

Good Friday is so special because it was through the crucifixion (and subsequent resurrection) that we were restored to the Father and so allows us to commune with Him. Communion is an act of sharing, participation or coming together. If we are to commune with Christ, we are to share in all of Him – both in His tribulation (see John 16:33) and His victory. In taking the Holy Communion, we accept this, and remember the broken body of Christ and the blood that was shed for us.

When I take Communion, I remember that He suffered for my sake – to wash my sins away, to bear the judgment for the sins I committed, to reconcile me to God, and to grant me the power to live life abundantly. When I take the Holy Communion, I realize who He is and who I am. I realize who I am without Him (lost, broken, worldly, and depraved) and who I am in Him (found, worthy, righteous, and beautified). I am reminded of His love for me and the sacrifice He made for me; that He did not run away from the Father’s will but was fully obedient because of His love for me and the Father; lowering Himself to be a man so that I can gain an undeserved position as a son of the Almighty God. In dying, He shattered the chains of bondage and granted me His Spirit so I may commune with Him daily.

It was unbelievable love that kept Him there on that cross. It was His love for me that kept Him diligent in His ministry and obedient to the point of sweating blood. When I think about His sacrifice on the cross, it reminds me of my responsibilities and what true love looks like. It reminds me that I am a new creation in Him and it reminds me of my sonship in Him; that He is my all in all; that He is the one in control of my life. When I remember His sacrifice and what it means, it brings me to my knees in total surrender.

Bread

“…this is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.” – 1 Corinthians 11:24

The body reminds me of the humanity of Jesus. Breaking the bread reminds me of His sacrifice and the painful death He endured to put me in right standing with the Father. What if in His humanity, Jesus had been disobedient? What a tragedy for us all that would have been. His broken body reminds me of His willful obedience, His immense discipline, and His single-minded focus on God and on His purpose. He is the ultimate example of what it is to live a purpose-driven life. Neither the scare tactics, nor the law, nor the certainty of death and the suffering along the way could move our Savior. His broken body reminds me of why He endured it all – His love for me. It reminds me of how I need to live life – in love and in total surrender and obedience to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Wine

“…This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” – 1 Corinthians 11:25

With the blood came the new covenant. Hallelujah! The blood bought covenant tells me He will never leave me nor forsake me; He has granted me the Holy Spirit as my helper with whom I am sealed. His blood reminds me of his Deity and His Lordship. The power that conquered death and brought forth the covenant lies in the blood of Christ. Because of the blood, that same power resides in me through the power of the Holy Spirit. It enables and strengthens me to do all things – to love, live a better life, produce spiritual fruits (see Galatians 5:22), and manifest all manner of spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Bread and Wine

Hallelujah! The broken body and blood remind me that I must daily crucify my flesh and surrender daily to the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ. They remind me of God’s love for me and that He can and wants to do the impossible for me. His blood and body give me confidence and hope for the future. They remind me that full victory is mine when I discipline my body, mind, and heart, and surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit in full obedience; that I do not have to faint and lose heart.

His body (bread) and blood (wine) cleanses me, reconciles me, seals me, changes me, and empowers me to have total victory over anything and everything that may ever come my way. It emboldens me for it cloaks me with invincibility. It makes me superman! Therefore I ought to make it a point to get fattened with His bread (Word) and to get drunk on His wine (Holy Spirit) on a daily basis. This is why I love bread and wine. You tell me what is there not to love about it?

Light-bulb moment: The only kind of gluttony and drunkenness the bible advocates is gluttony on the Word (bread) and drunkenness on the Holy Spirit (wine). Therefore, if loving bread and wine is wrong, I don’t want to be right!

“‘Man shall not eat by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” – Matthew 4:4

“…All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” – 2 Timothy 3:16

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” – Ephesians 5:18

Food for Thought: In Christ, we are free to indulge in all the bread and wine we want