I received what I passed on to you from the Lord, that is, on the night when the Lord Jesus was betrayed, I took the bread, gave thanks, and then broke it, saying, This is my body, which was broken for you. Do it in memory of me. After dinner, I also picked up the cup and said, this cup is the New Testament in my blood. Do this whenever you drink, in order to remember me. Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore, everyone who eats the bread of the Lord and drinks the cup of the Lord commits the blood of the Lord. One should look at oneself, then eat this bread and drink this cup. For if a man eats and drinks, and does not distinguish the body of the Lord, he eats and drinks his own sin. (1 Corinthians 1 1: 23-29)
Every time we take the Eucharist, we will read the scripture of 1 Corinthians 1 1, from which we can see that the disciples at that time obeyed Jesus' command about taking the Eucharist. If we accept Jesus Christ today, then we should inherit the teachings of Jesus Christ handed down from the church. This is the teaching of Jesus and the tradition of the church. It is natural that we should keep the Eucharist. Jesus told us "we should do this", which also has richer and deeper spiritual significance.
First of all, it shows the death of the Lord Jesus. An instruction is also a statement. We declare that Jesus really died and really rose. We take this opportunity to announce that when we share the Eucharist, we will see the shepherd break a whole piece of bread, as if Jesus' body was really broken. Jesus' death is real. Whenever we receive the Eucharist, we can boldly declare that Jesus has died for our sins, so that we can be released from the punishment of suffering. No one can blame us anymore, and no one can condemn us, because Jesus Christ has died for us. The Eucharist proclaimed forgiveness of sins.
Second, remember the Lord. This is a sign and action of gratitude. To commemorate the suffering of the Lord on the cross, the salvation of our death and the new life of our resurrection. Most notably, we are extremely vulnerable to weakness, doubt and distrust. We often forget the grace of God because of the temptation of the world and our greed. Once we live a comfortable life, it is easy to forget God's grace and even fall into sin unconsciously. Therefore, whenever we receive the Eucharist, we should review the grace that Jesus has given us, reminding us to be grateful and serve the people around us because of gratitude. Therefore, the Eucharist is also called the Thanksgiving Sacrifice or Thanksgiving Ceremony. Some Christians easily misunderstand that every time they take communion, their sins will be forgiven during this time; If you don't receive the Eucharist once, your sins during this time will not be forgiven. Accepting the Eucharist is not the forgiveness of sin. Eucharist is an external symbol, which is established for human weakness. Let us see through this external ceremony that our sins have been forgiven. Eucharist is an external symbol of inner forgiveness.
Third, the symbol of the Covenant. The Lord called his blood shed on the cross a sign of Covenant. The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament, so the Covenant is the main line. There are many covenants in the Bible, such as Adam's Covenant, Noah's Covenant and Moses' Covenant. In Moses' contract, blood is the sign of the contract. Whenever we receive the Eucharist, this bread and cup are evidence of our Covenant with God. Although the real signs are inside, the outside signs-cakes and cups-are also important. We also made a contract to get a new life. The Lord Jesus made a new Covenant for us with his own blood, and also made a new Covenant with those who trusted in him, so that we can not only be forgiven our sins, but also share the new life of Jesus Christ's resurrection and become children of God.
Fourth, spiritual nourishment. Eucharist is necessary for the growth of spiritual life. Jesus once said, "He who eats his flesh and drinks his blood will live in him forever". Material life needs food, and spiritual life also needs nourishment. "Bread" is the bread of life, and "cup" means blessing. But there is also the cup of God's wrath, just like the "cup" that Jesus drank (Matthew. 2: 2).
Fifth, the witness of believers' communication and unity. That bread is one, not many, so that we can have fellowship and help each other in Christ. We are different people, and we can call each other brothers and sisters, because Jesus Christ appears in this bread. Whenever we receive bread and cups, it means that we have a father and brothers and sisters, and we should have a relationship of communication and acceptance. The early church not only broke bread, but also intersected and accepted each other. No matter how many people we have, that cake should be one; No matter how many of us there are, we are all in Christ. We declare through the Eucharist that God's children should be one in Christ. Not just one church, but all the churches in the world. Therefore, if there is hatred in our hearts, we should make up with others before accepting it.
Sixth, the performance of hope. Whenever we receive the Eucharist, we also announce to the world that we look forward to sharing the feast with the Lord in heaven in the future. Christians are not afraid of death, because we are a group of hopeful people, and we will meet Jesus in heaven and share the feast of heaven together. What kind of person can receive the Eucharist? First, only those who believe in Christ and are determined to imitate Christ can receive the Eucharist. Eucharist is a sign of becoming a Christian and continuing to live a Christian life. But we can't fully know whether others meet the above conditions, so we usually ask the baptized person to accept it. If we don't believe and don't know what this bread is, don't accept it. Secondly, only by distinguishing the body of the Lord and examining one's own people can we receive the Eucharist, which is mainly aimed at those who belong to God. Eating and drinking is not just a matter of time. We should examine all the relationships in Christ, the relationship with God and the relationship with people. Do our actions show love for each other, or are there still jealousy disputes? If so, we not only have the body of the Lord, but also have sinned against God.