Matthew 26:26
26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
This past Christmas I had the privilege of giving the Christmas message. In it I explained why Jesus was born in a manger. Sometimes we think the manger was the barn in the back of the inn to house the animals. The word translated into the English “manger” (Found in Luke 2:7) comes from the Greek phatne which is a feeding trough for animals. Later, Jesus would come to say to His disciples in John 6:
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
Our struggle these days may not necessarily be knowing about the bible or what it says, but remembering it when our eyes aren’t focused on the pages. This is why Jesus said in Luke 22:
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Our observance or celebration of communion isn’t a religious act (unless you make it one) or a ritual necessary for sanctification. It is a reminder not only for what Jesus did for us, but that we are to consume as much of Him as we can. We do this through bible reading, prayer, time in silence, celebrating His presence in our lives, worship, corporate gatherings, and more. The Jewish Passover tradition is in remembrance of the day that God saved His people from death. The shedding of the blood of an unblemished lamb and the eating of the body and covering of the blood is symbolic to God’s grace for us. It was very appropriate that this all happened during that time of year. Jesus’ sacrifice was a transference from the old Passover tradition to the new communion observance.
Our taking of communion should be a reminder that our goal is to constantly take Jesus in. “We are what we eat,” and if we work hard to continually consume Jesus, then we will become more like Him!
