The Body on the Table

Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with an adult that attends our church. While he was helping with our worship service a 12 year old kid sitting beside him made an interesting observation. The kid took notice of the communion table and how it was prepared for our church to celebrate communion. The elements (juice and bread) were on the table and covered by a white cloth. The kid candidly mentioned how the communion table looked like it had a body on it with a sheet laid over it. I'm sure this kid has watched plenty of television shows where they've seen something similar and there was a body under the sheet. When this adult shared this comical story with me, I couldn't help but think about how accurate this kid's perception was. Although there is not an actual dead body under the sheet on a communion table, there is still a body on the table. 

When Christians celebrate communion, or the Lord's Supper as it is also known, they are celebrating the most pivotal moment in human history. They are celebrating the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for them when He died on a Roman cross for the sins of the world. They are celebrating and remembering the sacrifice Christ made so we could have forgiveness of our sins, a right relationship with God, and eternal life in heaven when this life is over. We are told in the Gospels and 1 Corinthians 11 about when communion was instituted in the church. Paul puts it best in 1 Corinthians 11:23 when he writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed..." The night before Jesus died on the cross He enjoyed His last meal with His disciples as they celebrated Passover (the Jewish festival commemorating their deliverance from slavery in Egypt). During the meal Jesus took the unleavened bread and told His disciples that the bread represented His body which would be broken for them. He then shared the bread with them. He also took one of the Passover cups of wine and shared with them how the wine represented His blood that would be shed for the forgiveness of humanity's sins. He then shared the cup with them. On that night, Jesus started a tradition of remembering His sacrifice that is still practiced by Christians nearly 2,000 years later.

Communion is a serious time of reflection and self examination. Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 11 not to take communion in an "unworthy manner." He means we should not take communion with unconfessed sin in our hearts and with disunity between us and another member of the body of Christ. To prevent taking communion in an "unworthy manner," Paul tells us to examine ourselves so we don't bring judgment on ourselves by sinning against the body and blood of Christ. The wonderful thing about communion is that it is about more than remembering the sacrifice Christ made for us all those years ago. Communion causes us to look forward to the future as much as we look to the past. Communion is done in anticipation of Christ's return when He will rule and reign in eternity and believers are able to celebrate Christ's eternal kingdom by enjoying communion with Him.Communion with Christ and the entire body of Christ (the church) will be a great celebration of Christ's victory over Satan, sin, death, and the grave.

Today I would encourage you to look differently at the body on the table next time you have an opportunity to celebrate communion with your church. Examine yourself, remember the sacrifice, and look forward to a heavenly celebration with Christ.


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