(This is a meditation used at my local church to prepare our hearts for communion. I hope it encourages you with the good news of grace in Jesus.)
This morning, I want to remind us Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper so we might feed on and be refreshed by him.
Too often we have a view of the Lord’s Supper that’s overly self-reflective and guilt-driven. A lot of times we think this time is primarily about what I need to do to fix things. I need to remember and confess every sin I’ve committed this past week. I need to feel guilty for how far short I fall. We make the Lord’s Supper about us and our sin instead of Jesus and his grace. Don’t get me wrong. The Bible says Communion is a privilege only for his children walking with him. If you’re not a follower of Christ then let the elements pass. And if you are a believer but you know you’re in a place of willful disobedience you need to deal with that before taking the meal.
But for most of us following Christ this morning, the reality is we come in here on Sunday probably aware of how sinful and undeserving we are. We bring our burdens and pains in here and we need God to refresh us with his grace. We bring our doubt and fears into this room and we need God to grant us assurance. We come aware of our sins and how messy we are and so we need the gospel of free grace applied to our hearts. And that is exactly why God gave us the Lord’s Supper.
This isn’t what we do once we’ve gotten things right on our end. We do it believing God makes us right through the body and blood of Jesus. Yes, this is a time to confess your sins, but instead of trying to clean yourself up or staying in a place of guilt there in your seats, come to Jesus in the Lord’s Supper as an act of faith where you say he is the answer and he alone is what I need. The Lord’s Supper is not about our worthiness or fitness but about the worthiness of Jesus and how he in amazing grace makes us fit to sit at God’s table.
As you eat and drink this morning do so with an awareness that Jesus is still today, in this moment, a sufficient savior for all of our sins and he offers to us grace to help in any situation we’re up against. As we take in these physical objects of bread and wine, may God give us a powerful taste of the forgiveness and fullness of Jesus for us. The Supper is an invitation not for those who’ve got things under control or are good people. It’s the invitation for sinful and weak Christian’s in need of Christ’s grace.
Jesus invites us to come to him in the Lord’s Supper. All who are thirsty, come! All who are weak and wounded, come! All who are aware of their sin and need of grace, come now!
As you chew up the bread remember and find hope in the fact that Christ’s body was crushed under wrath so that you might get nothing by grace.
As you drink the juice remember and rejoice that Jesus’ blood paid for our unrighteousness and purchased our redemption.
indycrowe 