From the earliest days of the Christian church, believers have observed the sacrament of communion. Following the example initiated by the Lord Jesus in the upper room with the disciples, we break bread and drink the cup to remember the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. That sacrifice served as an atonement for each of us who believes on Him and accepts this sacrificial gift. Why wouldn’t we look back on that event with awe and reverence?
But there is an often-missed aspect to the service of communion. To recognize it, we need to read I Corinthians 11:26: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (NIV) The phrase I want you to see is, “…until he comes.”
You see, communion is not something that Christ started that goes on forever. Communion will cease with His Second Coming. That means that there is a fixed number of times when the church will celebrate communion. Each service it is “one more time” of proclaiming the Lord’s death and “one less time” until he comes. Communion points not only back in history, but forward as well.
The next time you celebrate the Lord’s table, remind yourself, “Once more, once less.” Amen!
