The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Elements of the Sacrament
Since the Lord commands us to partake of the Holy Communion according to His example, it is important to use the same element that the Lord used — bread, and drink made from the fruit of the vine (grape juice); The bread used should not contain any yeast. That is why the bread in the Passover meal was called the “unleavened bread”.
Nor should the drink undergo any fermentation, because the Lord used grape juice, not wine, during the last supper. Yeast represents sin (1 Corinthians 5:8), false teachings (Matthew 16:6, 12), and hypocrisy (Luke 12:1); therefore it must not be found in the Communion. There is to be only one bread and one cup regardless of the size of the congregation. “for we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Administration and Participation
The Bible does not specify how often we need to partake of the Communion, but it does stress its effect and meaning. Thus, each congregation may decide to hold the Communion as often as it deems fit, so long as the participants take it with solemnity. In the same manner as our Lord, we give thanks to God for Christ’s sacrifice and salvation. We can then break the bread and give it to the congregation. The same goes with receiving the cup.
During the Communion, the participants should be together in one place. None of the elements should remain until the next day. These instructions are from God’s commands to the Israelites concerning the Passover, a festival in remembrance of God’s salvation of the Israelite households through the blood of lambs.
Only those who are baptised may receive the Communion, for it is a spiritual fellowship between the Lord and His church. If someone has not been baptised, or has not done so in a way that is according to what the Bible teaches, he should not participate in the Communion because his sins have not been washed away, and he does not yet belong to Christ. It is important that we take the Communion seriously and solemnly, knowing that we are partaking of Christ’s body and blood.
“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. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).
Before the Communion, we need to examine ourselves, remove our grudges against anyone, ask the Lord to forgive our sins, and determine to live by Christ’s perfect example.
Holy Communion and Christian Living
Participation in the Covenant
The Lord Jesus referred to the blood in the Communion as the “blood of the new covenant.” The covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, and this is God’s covenant with us; by the blood of Christ, give to us on the cross, we are now God’s children. With such a promise from God, we ought to live like God’s children, trusting Him and obeying His commands throughout our lives.
Apostle Paul prayed that the believers would “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). Living a holy life as Christ did is the way to participate in the divine covenant.
Getting Rid of Sin
Our Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sinless sacrifice. His whole life was pure, and so is the Holy Communion. As we partake of the Lord’s body and blood, we should also resolve to remove all sin from our thoughts, words, and actions. “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
Thus, true participation in the Communion means participation in God’s holiness in daily life.
Daily Communion with the Lord
The Lord Jesus said “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56).
In addition to receiving the sacrament, we ought to live in Christ every day and let Him live in us. We need to partake of Christ himself, who is the “bread of life” (John 6:35) by feeding with the Spirit. We must also abide by and live according to His word, just as branches on a good vine constantly bear good fruit. Through daily Bible reading and prayer, we learn to listen to God and talk with God. As we study and practice the Word, God also strengthens us with His Spirit.
Thus we become more like Him each day, full of His holiness, compassion, and humility. We become more and more united with our Lord, just as a wife is united with her husband. “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Corinthians 6:17). The communion that pleases God is our growing relationship with Him. We must love the Lord with all our hearts, making Him the centre of our lives. Ultimately, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. Then we will never hunger or thirst spiritually, but will have strength and joy in our lives.
Oneness of Christ’s Body
The Holy Communion also brings the participants together as one body. “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17). Division or cliques among God’s people are contrary to the spirit of the Communion. So as we come together to remember the Lord’s death, we must each learn to consider the good of others. The Lord gave us His body and blood through self-sacrifice and love; let us also deny our own interests and learn to love our fellow members in Christ.