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1 Corinthians 10:16 - Communion or Eucharist Thoughts.

1 Corinthians 10:16 (NIV) Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 10:16 (NLT) When we bless the cup at the Lord's Table, aren't we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren't we sharing in the body of Christ?

INTRODUCTION

The idea of unity and fellowship with God through eating a sacrifice was strong in Judaism and Christianity as well as in paganism. In Old Testament days, when a Jew offered a sacrifice, he ate a part of that sacrifice as a way of restoring his unity with God, against whom he had sinned (Deuteronomy 12:17, 18). Similarly, Christians participate in Christ's once-for-all sacrifice at the Lord's Table when they eat the bread and drink from the cup, symbolizing his body and blood. Recent converts from paganism could not help being affected if they knowingly ate with pagans in their feasts the meat offered to idols. [Life Application SB]

COMMENTARY PEARL

   When we visited a church while on vacation last month, the pastor handed us a communion set as we entered the door. The wafer and juice came sealed together in a convenient, sterile package. What a brilliant idea.
   I placed my little communion set down on a table to talk to someone and forgot about it. When the pastor's wife stood at the podium to share a few words before communion was served, I turned to my husband, Kevin. What would I do?
   "I'll share with you," he whispered.
   It was a challenge to break that wee wafer in half and sip only a little bit of the juice. But the act made me think about what the word communion means. Derived from the Greek word koinonia and the Latin word communio, it means "fellowship" or "sharing."
   What could reflect a better picture of Jesus sharing His life with His followers than Kevin and me sharing the symbols of Jesus's body and blood?
   My little mistake turned into a big blessing as I PONDERED THE DEPTH TO WHICH JESUS SHARED HIMSELF WITH THE WORLD IN GENERAL AND WITH ME IN PARTICULAR. NOT JUST BY DYING IN MY PLACE 2,000 YEARS AGO. BUT EVERY DAY, EVERY MINUTE, HE SHARES HIS WISDOM, LOVE, AND POWER WITH ME THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLING MY HEART.
   MY LIFE IN JESUS. HIS LIFE IN MINE. THAT'S COMMUNION. Jeanette Levellie
   Faith Step: Next time you take communion, imagine Jesus living in you and you in Him. Thank Him for His constant presence and for sharing His life with you. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

COMMENTARY

Communion Leads to Gratitude
   When we take Communion, we are reminded of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
   It's not an empty ritual that Christians do just because they have to. Instead, God wants us to practice Communion to help us remember. Why do we need to remember? So we can be grateful. You can only be grateful for those things that you remember.
   Communion is also called the Lord's Supper. It is a habit of gratitude because it helps us remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.
   The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, "On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread and said, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.'
   "When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, 'This cup is the new promise made with my blood. Every time you drink from it, do it to remember me'" (GW).
   Jesus gave us the bread and the wine as a memory tool. We use this tool to practice gratitude for what it cost Jesus to pay for our salvation.
   Another word for Communion is the Eucharist. This is a Greek word that means "thanksgiving." Communion is meant to be a model of thanksgiving. It's one of God's favorite ways that we give thanks to him! We can show thanks to God in many ways--through songs of thanksgiving, through thanksgiving offerings, or through the thanksgiving cup.
   "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16 NIV).
   When we drink from a Communion cup and eat the bread, we are saying to God, "Father, thank you for sending your Son to live a perfect life and die for our sins so that we can be forgiven."
   AS WE REMIND OURSELVES OF THE HIGH PRICE JESUS PAID TO SAVE US, THE ONLY REASONABLE RESPONSE IS GRATITUDE. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

1 Corinthians 11:23, 24 - Still Thankful.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201125-0939.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/