The Lord's Supper - The greatest expression of God's love
Published:Thursday | November 22, 2018 | 12:00 AMShanna-Kaye Monteith/ Gleaner Writer
Often, we hear of The Holy Communion and the seriousness with which it should be taken.
Churches, locally and overseas, partake in bread and wine, which, according to them, signifies the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.
In a blog post by Pastor Joseph Prince, founding member of the New Creation Church in Singapore, Asia, he gives a clear description of the Christian practice and its meaning.
"The Holy Communion, known also as the Lord's Supper, represents the greatest expression of God's love for His people.
"Two items are used in the Holy Communion - the bread which represents Jesus' body that was scourged and broken before and during His crucifixion, and the cup, which represents His shed blood," Prince said.
The pastor then went on to tell the story of how vibrant, healthy, and full of life Jesus was when He was on Earth, prior to His crucifixion.
"He was never sick. But before Jesus went to the cross, He was badly scourged by the Roman soldiers, and His body was torn as He hung on the cross.
"At the cross, God also took all our sicknesses and diseases and put them on Jesus' originally perfect and healthy body, so that we can walk in divine health. That is why the Bible says, 'By His stripes, we are healed' (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24).
"In Luke 22:20, Jesus tells us that the cup is the 'new covenant in My blood', and the apostle Paul tells us that the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14, Ephesians 1:7)," Prince outlined.
WHY PARTAKE?
With more than two decades of experience in ministry and biblical references to support him, the preacher gave his understanding of why believers partake of The Lord's Supper.
He said: "Besides being born again in Christ, a healthy body and mind are the greatest blessings anyone can have. And the Holy Communion is God's ordained channel of healing and wholeness.
"On the night that He was betrayed, Jesus ate His last supper with His disciples. And knowing what He would accomplish through His sacrifice, He instituted the Holy Communion (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
"His loving instruction is that we are to remember Him as we partake of the Holy Communion. Jesus wanted us conscious of how His body was broken for our wholeness, and His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. And whenever we partake in this consciousness, we 'proclaim the Lord's death till He comes' (1 Corinthians 11:26)."
Today, when believers partake of the bread, according to Prince, they are declaring that Jesus' health and divine life flows in their mortal bodies. And when they partake of the cup, they are declaring that they are forgiven and have been made righteous.
Referencing a popular verse in Hebrews 4, the minister said that Jesus' blood gives right standing before God, and allows believers to go boldly into His presence so when they pray, they can be sure that God hears.
Prince took time to explain that the partaking of The Lord's Supper is not a ritual to be observed but a blessing to be received.
He continued: "Because it is not a ritual, there is no prescribed bread or special drink required. In the Last Supper, Jesus used whatever He had at the table - bread commonly eaten at supper, and whatever they were drinking."