Having just celebrated Easter, it is fresh in our minds how our Lord sacrificed Himself to have a relationship with us. Our God is so loving that He did what no one would do by giving His only son to suffer and die at the hands of His own creation. He could have just wiped us out in an instant and started over. Instead, He proved His love over the ages by sparing a remnant of His people from destruction again and again. He always searched for someone who was righteous, someone who had a heart for Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him...”
As it turns out, the Father is always looking for us. He found Noah and those with him before the flood. He found Abraham and made a covenant of promise with him. He found Moses on the back side of the desert and spoke to him out of a burning bush. Joshua led His people into the promised land and Rahab, a prostitute, was spared because she feared the Lord and helped the spies. Jesus found Peter, James and John fishing, Matthew collecting taxes and Paul persecuting the Church. All of these enroute to fulfilling His love-blood-covenant with Abraham.
Genesis 9:9 (NKJV)
9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you,…”
I believe the words “as for Me” are some of the most significant words ever spoken. God actually committed Himself to this covenant before Abraham responded. He anointed David as King when he was just a shepherd, chose Matthew as a despised tax collector, and Paul while he was murdering His Church. Then He chose each one of us out of our sin and brokenness by shedding His own blood to fulfill this love-blood-covenant in our lives.
Luke 1:72-75 (NKJV)
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
74 To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
Zacharias prophesied over the new-born John that God had brought the fulfillment of the promise through Christ. Jesus prophesied His own sacrifice as He dined with His disciples.
Luke 22:19-20 (NKJV)
19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
Jesus gave us the Communion Sacrament as a reminder of His sacrifice and what it took to bring us back into relationship with the Father. It is a renewal of our commitment to Him and the Love-Blood-Covenant that He made with us to bring us forgiveness and all the blessings of our relationship. In that covenant we are redeemed from the curse of the Law and set free from slavery to sin and death.
Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Hebrews 10:16-18 (NKJV)
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
It’s not a sacrament to save only for special occasions, nor is it one to be done as a religious habit. It is a recognition that in the broken Body on the cross is found healing for our body, soul and spirit. He purchased our Peace on the cross, Shalom in the Hebrew, which is wholeness in every way, nothing missing, nothing broken.
Isaiah 53:4-5 (AMPC)
4 Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
The Blood was shed to seal the covenant between us. Jesus cut a covenant with the Father for our forgiveness, wiping out forever our past and future shortcomings opening the pathway to intimate relationship with God that we could never hope to achieve. We take part in this covenant by accepting the terms. Our sin for His forgiveness. Our slavery for His freedom. Our pain for His healing. When we take communion, we renew that acceptance and receive all the blessing that comes with our relationship with the Father who loves us and affectionately cares for us.
Psalms 103:2-4 (AMPC)
2 Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits—
3 Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
Communion is our opportunity to recognize, and honor Jesus for the sacrifice He made on our behalf. To reverently acknowledge the Blessing of Abraham He has bestowed on us and receive its benefits. It is something we should do often as a demonstration of thankfulness to our Great God, YAHWEH-SHALOM.
Be Blessed!
