This Do in Remembrance of Me

With the approaching of Passover, the current church we are attending is preparing for their once a year Communion.  The church only does Communion once a year, as it has been their tradition to replace the Passover feast with Communion. We had a sermon last week in regards to why this is.  The church believes that based on our Lord ordaining the Communion ceremony in remembrance of him, at the Passover feast, that the Lord was telling us to replace the Passover feast once a year with Communion.  The sermon detailed that having Communion outside of the Passover was not biblical.

The pastor used Matthew 26, to show Jesus during the Passover feast charged the Apostles to take Communion in place of the Passover feast. He then went into Exodus 11 and 12 and discussed the story behind the Passover.  I remember my wife and I having several conversations about this topic last year, as this was not how I was taught from the Bible to observe Communion growing up and neither was my wife.

Last year, though, it was more of a secretive ceremony. This year I learned more about why they only observe this ordinance once a year. I found it very interesting that a sermon on the ordinance of observing the Lord’s Supper (Communion) (I Cor. 11:20), there was no mention or reference to I Corinthians 11.  I had much of that chapter memorized as a kid because I heard it preached every time we observed the Lord’s Supper, which was about every couple months.

The focus was on chapters 17-34, where we are taught first of all, what our spiritual condition should be toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, and our relationship to God.  Second we are taught how to observe the Lord’s Supper (Communion), which is also in Matt. 26, Mk. 14, and Lk 22.  Then last we are taught to observe the Lord’s Supper often in remembrance of our Lord and Saviour and what he did for us.

I am not doing this blog to say anyone is right, wrong or any of that garbage that Christians seem to be so good at these days. I wanted to do this blog, as I created it to learn things from God’s word, as I believe the Word is meant to be easily read and understood if you are a believer, as God will use it to provide you guidance and understanding.

I read all of the verses in reference to this topic and it seems to me that our Lord wanted us not to replace a ceremony still continued in that day and today by the Jewish faith, with one remembering him, but that he provided us a new ordinance to follow in remembrance of him and to bring his children in the proper relationship with him and each other.

I fully see and have heard great sermons on the symbolic depiction of the blood of the spotless lambs saving the Jewish nation from the angel of death in Exodus, and our Lord and Saviour dying on the cross, shedding his spotless blood for our sins to save us.  I think it is no coincidence that he ordained the Lord’s Supper at the Passover feast.

However, after reading I Corinthians 11, I think there is a clear picture that the Lord’s Supper is a new ordinance to be observed not with another ceremony, but specific to our Lord, and we are to do it often, to keep the brothers and sisters in Christ in the right spirit toward each other and God.  “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”  (1 Cor 11:23-26).

Paul further details that the Lord’s Supper should not be an actual feast, it is to be a respectful ceremony, one that honors God.  All the communions I have attended have been conducted in a very ceremonial way, and usually focus on each believer being in the right spirit with God and his fellow brothers and sisters.

We see in I Cor. 11, what happens when someone observes of the Lord’s Supper unworthily.  I feel I need to participate in the Lord’s Supper often, as it is a reminder of who we really are in Christ.  Again, one of those things we may not understand completely, but there is something refreshing and sobering about the Lord’s Supper.  I think any chance we have to remember what our Saviour did for us, we need to take.

I think this is more critical in recent years, having an ordinance that forces the brothers and sisters in Christ to be right with each other and in one accord, or face the consequences of I Cor. 11, is needed in our churches.

I think the Bible details this ordinance and how it is to be conducted very well.  Again, our current church is a very good church and I think the pastor is inspired of God to serve him, this is not about our current church or pastor, but more about the interpretations of the Bible.  The two main ordinances our Lord gave us are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and I think both have pretty detailed guidance on how they are to be observed.  I am always open for comments on how God has spoken to you concerning these scriptures and topic, we all want to serve God in the right way, and we know from scripture, there are consequences for not following his guidance properly.

I think the Passover is a time when we as Christians should reflect on what our Lord and Saviour did for us on the cross, in addition to continual communion with each other.  In Christ.