Good September 11th morning to you my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
I’m sure I don’t need to draw your attention to the significance of today’s date. Just the words “9/11” very likely recall horrific images in your memories and stir up deep emotions in your heart… at least if you are older than age 20 or so. Saying that causes my heart to skip a beat. Do you realize how many people are alive in our world today, for whom 9/11 is nothing more than a historical event they’ve read or heard about, or maybe seen pictures of? Yet that day changed our world in so many ways, didn’t it? Not unlike December 7, 1941, do you agree? For that reason may I call 9/11 a ‘pivotal’ moment in history?
Now, hold that thought, while you join me again with the apostle Paul as he is writing a very significant document, which has affected hundreds of millions of people since 55ad when Paul wrote the letter we know as 1 Corinthians, found in your Bible. Today let’s continue in 1 Corinthians 10, with these words Paul wrote, found in vs. 16: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving, for which we give thanks, a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?“ (1 Corinthians 10:16)
If 9/11 was a pivotal event for our world in our generation, the pivotal event Paul is referring to here is, without question, THE most pivotal event in ALL human history! Do you know what that event is and WHY I declare it to be THE most significant event in ALL human history?
Now remember that Paul is writing in and to a world dominated by the power of the Roman Empire. And he’s writing to both Jewish and Gentile Christians, living in one of the most significant cities in the world at that time, Corinth, Greece. Paul is challenging those Corinthian Christians to embrace, celebrate and cherish an EVENT which none of them had personally witnessed, but many of them had probably heard at least something about; even though it had happened 30 years before and about 900 miles away in Israel.
What event? Paul was referring to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on a hill outside Jerusalem. And WHY do I call that THE most significant event in human history? Because of what that event has made possible for EVERY human being, AND the radical changes that event has brought to our world and human history. Now think about that for a few seconds. Has that event changed your life and how has that event affected your city?
But it’s so much more than a pivotal event, isn’t it? Paul is declaring in these two sentences that any human being in the world, in any generation, can have a direct, personal link to that event and to God the Son, Jesus Christ! Wow! There are among us some living people who have the physical scars on their bodies, as well as the powerful, gut-wrenching memories of what they EXPERIENCED that day 25 years ago as 9/11 shook New York City and Washington DC. That’s close to what Paul is talking about, but still small, almost insignificant when compared to Paul’s statement, do you know why?
While Paul’s 1 Corinthians 10:16,17 statement may have had powerful significance for Messianic Jews in Corinth, as they contemplated the direct relationship between the four cups of their Passover Seder with what we call the Lord’s Supper/ Communion; let’s focus our thoughts on how these two sentences should affect every person, Jew or Gentile, anywhere in the world, as they pause to respectfully participate with the cup and bread of the Christian Lord’s Supper / Communion.
May I point out these three powerful aspects of Paul’s statement:
First… Do you see Paul calls it a “cup of thanksgiving”?
The cup of wine or juice received at the Christian Lord’s Supper SYMBOLIZES the blood of God the Son, Jesus Christ, shed as the nails, crown of thorns, and flogging all shredded His body, spilling His blood.
Many Scriptures proclaim that it was this precious blood of sinless Jesus Christ which purchased our redemption from our sin condemnation and made it possible for Almighty, Holy God to extend pardon, forgiveness to those who have fully trusted in Jesus. (1 Peter 1:18,19; Heb.9:12,14; 1 John 1:7 etc.)
When you hold that cup, is your heart overflowing with THANKSGIVING to God the Father for sending His Son Jesus; and to God the Son Jesus Christ for submitting to obedient death on that cross; and to God the Holy Spirit for His application of that shed blood to our lives for our cleansing from sin? Oh friends, express your thanks to God right now, and reflect on what I just said.
Second.. Do you notice Paul says that BOTH the cup and the bread, which we consume as we participate in the Lord’s Supper/Communion remembrance, are physical acts which the Holy Spirit then uses to unite us with Jesus Christ?
Paul wrote it this way: “Is not the cup…a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?“
Now we must be very careful to notice Paul does NOT say either the bread or cup actually BECOME the flesh and blood of Jesus. Neither do Jesus’ words in John 6:48-48 teach us that. Both the cup and bread are tangible symbols but we eat and drink them as a practical, tangible expression of our full faith in Jesus Christ who has accomplished our Salvation, our Redemption from our sin. As we do that, the Holy Spirit draws us into a spiritual union with resurrected, alive, reigning Jesus who sits on His throne in heaven! (Hebrews 1:3; Romans 6:1-14) Now, pause and reflect on that my friends.
Third… In the 17th verse, Paul wrote: “Because there is one loaf, we who are many, are one body, for we all share in the one loaf.”
Paul is explaining another miracle here, do you see it? What miracle? That all the people, everywhere around the world, who have been Redeemed by the atonement death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, are UNITED together as the people of God, the spiritual Body of Christ, brothers and sisters in Christ. We are what Jesus referred to as His Church, purchased by His blood and united in HIM under His Lordship! (Matt. 16:18; Ephes. 4:15; 1 Cor. 12:12-27)
When we participate in the Lord’s Supper/Communion, no matter the type of bread we use to symbolize how the physical body of Jesus was torn as the wrath of God was poured out upon Him on the cross, our participation in eating that bread is used by the Holy Spirit to unite us together with all other followers of Jesus, all around the world, and with Jesus Himself. (Is. 53:4-7,10-12; Hebrews 9:14,15)
Oh my, so many wonderful truths for us to think about and thank Jesus for today, do you agree? The “lessons learned” study notes at the link just below will be VERY helpful to you, and then a wonderful song celebrating God’s truth about the Lord’s Supper, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Cor. 10:16,17
Choose below to read or listen.
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Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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