While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
- Matthew 26:26-27
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-27
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
…
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 21
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
- Ephesians 3:17
“Q. 80. What is the Lord’s Supper?
“A. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to his appointment, his death is showed forth (1 Cor. 11:23-26), and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. (1 Cor. 10:16).”
- Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Catechism (Scripture proofs in bold above)
“Q. 96. What is the Lord’s Supper?
“A. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.”
- The Shorter Catechism (Westminster Assembly)
“Q. 168. What is the Lord’s Supper?
“A. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate, feed upon his body and blood to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.”
- The Larger Catechism (Westminster Assembly)
The Spurgeon and Shorter catechisms are nearly identical. As in the explanation a couple of weeks ago, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms define the word “sacraments” as being baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both ordinances that are instituted by Jesus Christ. As usual, the Larger Catechism answer is longer, with more detail, however, the Scripture from Ephesians was added in the Shorter Catechism biblical proofs.
The Spurgeon catechism makes the point of the elements not being corporeal, meaning part of the physical body. Thus, the point is against transubstantiation. The Shorter Catechism looks to have a typo as the word is “corporal.” Yet, the Shorter Catechism was completed in 1647. The word “corporal” meant something of the physical body or physical strength as of the 1400s. This may have still been the case in the 1600s. The Larger Catechism avoids the word by saying that the elements are of a spiritual nature. As in the philosophy lesson from yesterday, A Pre-Reform Reformer, John Wyclif raised the argument over one hundred years before the Reformation started regarding transubstantiation being of lesser importance than our frame of heart and mind when taking communion.
At my home church, we hold the bread so that everyone can take it at the same time, signifying our unity in Christ. The wine (grape juice) is the personal symbol that signifies our relationship individually with Jesus Christ. I do not know if that is a trend these days, but I have seen it lately, but never in my youth.
But one new tradition that seems to be pervasive is the line in the liturgy of Christ’s body, “broken” for you. Pastors in my youth would become angry over that line and I heard a pastor get on his soapbox just 15 years ago. The Romans broke the legs of the criminals so that they would quickly die and could be removed before the Sabbath began at sunset. When they came to Jesus, they found Him dead already. No bone was broken. This fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 34:20 and follows the Passover instructions that no bones of the lamb will be broken (Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12). This may be a moot point since Christ’s body was pierced, the flesh was “broken”, but it is odd that none of the Gospel accounts of the Lord’s Supper mentions “broken” and within my lifetime, it seems all pastors interject “broken” into the liturgy. It is sad that one tradition of never saying broken is changed to always saying broken all within a span of two generations. Does this change add anything? Then why change it?
As for me and my allergy to grapes, I never had a problem with wine. While in the Army, I always took the wine, with the Lord’s Supper in the military having both on the serving tray. I usually get dryness and itching on the roof of my mouth. Maybe it is simply not enough to cause vomiting or my face swelling. Either that, or God performs a miracle each time in drink the grape juice during the Lord’s Supper.
And now let us sing.
The following song is sung by Heather Jordan at St. George in the Pines Anglican Church, Banff, Alberta, Canada, I Come with Joy. We sang this song after having communion while I was contemplating the writing of this post. It might just be another God-Made Coincidence (GMC). The last two verses provided below do not match the video exactly.
“I come with joy to meet my Lord,
forgiven, loved, and free;
in awe and wonder to recall
his life laid down for me.
I come with Christians far and near
to find, as all are fed,
the new community of love
in Christ’s communion bread.
As Christ breaks bread and bids us share,
each proud division ends;
the love that made us, makes us one,
and strangers now are friends.
And thus with joy we meet our Lord;
his presence, always near,
is in such friendship better known:
we see and praise him here.
Together met, together bound,
we’ll go our different ways;
and as his people in the world,
we’ll live and speak his praise.”
- Brian A. Wren, I Come with Joy
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
We need You. When we need You the most is when we move further away from Your presence. Having communion is important as a reminder and as a promise from You that where two or more are gathered, there You are in our midst. Help us to never lose that spiritual connection when partaking in the Lord’s Supper. It truly represents the sacrifice You made so that we might be saved. A thousand thank yous is not enough.
In thy Name we pray.
Amen
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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