The Re-Membering

1. Jesus told us to take communion.

Luke 22:19 NLT He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 CSB On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Matthew 26:26 CSB As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.”

1 Corinthians 11:26 CSB For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

2. We are told HOW to take communion.

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 CSB So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. 31 If we were properly judging ourselves, we would not be judged, 32 but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Matthew 26:29 CSB But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26:28 NLT For this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.

Hebrews 9:16-18 Berean Literal Bible For where there is a will, it is necessary to establish the death of the one having made it 17 because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive. 18 That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.

John 6:43-51, 53-58 CSB I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, 55 because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your ancestors ate and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

3. We are told WHY we should take communion.

1 Corinthians 11:30 CSB 30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep.

Failure to appreciate and appropriate the significance and sacrifice will prevent the reality from becoming realized in the life of the believer.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 ESV The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.