Think on these things: positive thoughts for a negative world…
When Christians partake of Holy Communion, they do so to remember the body and blood of Jesus that was broken and poured out at the cross. When most of us think of Communion, we think of a church setting where we eat a small piece of bread representing Jesus’ body and drink a little cup of wine representing His shed blood. Jesus’ sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins.
Although there is something very special about sharing this service with a congregation, we can also have Communion in our homes with an intimate group or even by ourselves. The very first Communion was with an intimate group—just Jesus and His disciples. If we take Communion alone, we aren’t really by ourselves. We are with Christ. The word communion can mean sharing or exchanging intimate thoughts and feelings on a spiritual level. A one-on-one Communion can be a time for greater intimacy with Christ.
The Bible does not say how often Communion should be taken. It just says that it should be taken and it should be done in remembrance of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:25-26). We need to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We need to remember He provides all our physical and spiritual needs. We need to remember His unconditional love for us. We need to remember His desire to have a relationship with us and be intimately involved in our lives. There are so many things we need to remember. Communion is a reminder of everything Jesus is in our lives.
Jesus is our best friend. Communion with Him does not mean we look back at our past with a critical eye, but to our future with a hopeful one. So we should not let our feelings of failure or inadequacy keep us from communing with Jesus. He bids us come.
From the beginning God desired to dwell among us and have a relationship with us. God wanted His sanctuary in the midst of the Israelites so He could dwell among them (Exodus 25:8). It was foretold that Jesus would be called Emmanuel which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). The Holy Spirit was sent to be with us and dwell in us (John 14:17). When the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, God will be dwelling with His people (Revelation 21:3).
Jesus wants to be with us. He wants to be recognized as an integral part of our very being. Communion is one way we show Him not only our appreciation for all He has done, is doing, and will do in the future, but also our desire to have Him intimately involved in our lives.
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“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” ~Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
