In scripture, Christ commands two ordinances for the church to observe while awaiting His return. The first ordinance is baptism; the second is communion. Dr. Evans’ message, “The Remembrance of the Cross,” focuses on this second ordinance. Communion means sharing in the sacrifice and life of Jesus Christ. In his message, he answers the questions, “Why is communion necessary in the life of every Christian? Why must we remember the work of Christ on the cross?”
Communion reminds us of our participation in the new covenant. 1 Corinthians 11:25 states, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." The cup of communion represents the new covenant that Christ ratified by the blood He shed on the cross. The new covenant is the new relationship Christians have with God based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Similar to the previous covenant (Deuteronomy 29:9), the new covenant is also for our benefit. Our participation in communion serves to remind us of Christ’s commitment as our Savior and the benefits the new covenant provides us. One of these benefits is the precious promises of God given to partakers of the new covenant.
Communion allows us to proclaim the gospel message until Christ returns. 1 Corinthians 11:26 informs us of another vital role communion plays in our lives as believers. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.” Communion offers a visual and audible testimony of the gospel. However, this beckons the question, “To whom are we proclaiming this testimony? In answer to that question, we learned that the audience is twofold: human and demonic. On the one hand, the message reminds us as believers that we are still awaiting our future with Christ. On the other hand, it reminds the demonic world that they were defeated at the cross by Christ and thereby no longer have any authority over us.
Communion, when taken properly, allows us to receive spiritual blessing. God designed communion to bring blessing into the lives of believers. In fact, Paul refers to the communion cup as the cup of blessing (1 Corinthians 10:16). This physical action represents a spiritual reality that imparts life and strength. While communion offers us an opportunity to gain blessing, we must also remember that communion is a sacred act and we must treat it as sacred. (v. 27). The scripture defines the improper treatment of communion as one who “eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner.” Since communion draws its’ significance from its’ special connection to the work of Christ on the cross, then it demands that we examine ourselves in the process of taking it. We must ask ourselves the question, “Are we acting in a loving and unselfish manner toward other believers?” or “Is there any sin in our lives from which I need to repent?” While communion serves as a vehicle of blessing, we need to be mindful of how we take it because we face the risk of undergoing God’s discipline if we take it in an unworthy manner. According to this passage of scripture, the discipline may appear as weakness, illness, or even a premature death.
As believers, we are called on to participate in communion as an act of obedience to Christ. In addition, our participation renders us as renewed participants in the new covenant. In other words, we reaffirm our status as recipients of the benefits of the new covenant. Furthermore, our participation in communion proclaims a message to the demonic world about the authority of the gospel. We have a future with Christ and they have lost their authority over us because of Christ’s victory on the cross. Finally, communion carries a spiritual blessing for those Christians who partake in it rightly.
