By Janice Brandli

When it comes to the Lord’s Table, you need to know two things:

1 - You need to know why you have come to His table

2 - You need to know who you are going to be there with

The very word Communion implies being with someone; having in common; a partnership; fellowship recognized and enjoyed;

Merriam Webster dictionary’s definition: a Christian sacrament in which consecrated bread and wine are consumed as memorials of Christ's death or as symbols for the realization of a spiritual union between Christ and communicant or as the body and blood of Christ.

We must see that having communion is more than eating a little wafer or bread and drinking a little cup of juice.

We should maintain a continual awareness of God’s presence in our life, but we should come to this table periodically as a continuation of our ongoing fellowship, to remind ourselves of, and to celebrate the very foundation of our relationship and fellowship with Him: the broken body and shed blood of the Lord Jesus.

Luke 22:19-20
“And he took bread, and when he had 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.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Communion is a time to remember what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. The bread and wine are tangible, physical reminders of Christ’s love for us. Every time we eat and drink, it is a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ. Just as we depend on food and drink to survive physically, we can only live spiritually through Jesus Christ because of His sacrifice on the cross. Amen!

At the same time, communion is also a time to examine ourselves and our walk with God, as instructed 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 . It is a time to do a heart check. Are we walking out our faith and living in an active relationship with Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to move in our lives and to sanctify us. Or are we living life according to our choices and only partaking in communion ritualistically?

It’s all about communion and fellowship with God. The dictionary describes communion as: “a close relationship with someone in which feelings and thoughts are exchanged:”

John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Communion needs to be an essential part of our spiritual life. Communion is a relationship that is close and special. A relationship where you enjoy the presence of one another and give importance to spending time with them. This could be your spouse, or your best friend, or someone you confide in very deeply and closely. Our fellowship with God must be greater than these. Do you love God in such a manner? Do you magnify Him? Do you long to be in His presence? Do you thirst to hear from Him, and value the time you give to God?

Examine yourself and determine how much time you spend with God. Time is a precious commodity that we give to things that mean something to us. We give our time for work because it pays our bills. We give time to our families because they are special to us, we take time to go on holidays or have “me-time”, etc. How much time do you give to fellowship with God? The answer to this question reveals how much your treasure Christ and love God? Is Christ your delight and the love of your life? We seek to find satisfaction in the things that we want to achieve, but the truth is that you will only truly be satisfied when you are satisfied in Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:23-24 , 27-30

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

1 Corinthians 11:25-26
In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

The Lord’s table is the very place for the person struggling with sin, wrestling with temptation, or caught up in carnality, for it is there that he can say, “Lord, I desperately need You in my life. I eat of Your body and I drink of Your blood, knowing I am forgiven. Thank you, Lord. I celebrate what You did for me.

We should not neglect or forget the power of Jesus’ broken body or the cleansing of His shed blood for us.

Have “communion” with God and use this time of partaking in communion to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus – God’s love for you and to examine your “love for God”.

“This is what I want you to do in remembering Me,” Jesus said, “This is how you honor Me. You need vitality - and it is at My table that I make it available to you most readily.”

At the Passover meal, as in Shabbat, there is prayer and worship and scripture reading between courses. Consider how powerful and precious to have Jesus singing to you during your meal with Him!

Remember that worship is the only thing that we get to practice here on earth that we get to do in heaven.