Communion: The Power, Benefit, Purpose, Testimonies & Meaning Of The Holy Eucharist To A Christian & Why You Should Partake In It
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The communion is an important aspect of our Christian faith. The holy communion or Eucharist was instituted by Christ himself and he instructs us to do it perpetually in remembrance of Him.
The bread represents the body of Christ which was broken for us. On His body, He took our sins, shame, guilt, infirmities, diseases and sicknesses. All these were nailed together with Him on the cross at Calvary.
The wine signifies the blood of Jesus which was shed for our redemption. The blood of Christ serves to reconcile us to God and for the remission of sins, for an atonement and a reparation for our sins, guilts and shame. We were in enmity with God as a result of our sins. From the moment man failed through disobedience in the garden of Eden, we became enemies of God. This sin is not imputed to you because you sinned personally, but as scripture puts it, by one man’s sin we were all guilty.
If by one man’s sin we were all guilty of sin, then it is expedient that by one man’s obedience, we should all be made righteous.
While the first Adam failed through disobedience in the garden, the second Adam, Christ, came that by obedience to the will of God, He might reconcile us to God through obedience by which He shed His precious blood for our redemption on the cross.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned–
13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19).
On that cross, Christ nailed everything that stood between us and God, enabling us to gain unrivaled access to God’s throne room of grace. Oh it’s amazing what God did in reconciling the world to Himself.
And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Lk. 22:19)
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (Lk. 22:17-20).
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 4“Take, eat; this is My body which is 5broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25)
We see in the above passages, the institution of the eucharist of the body and blood of Christ, and apostle Paul reminding the Corinthian church of this great and important sacrament in the Christian faith.
The apostles of Christ and the early church constantly partook in the sharing of the holy communion. If the early church did partake in the sharing of bread and wine, the communion of the body and blood of Christ, then I don’t see why the present church shouldn’t, and if Christ Himself did institute the sacrament of the holy communion why would anyone say anything to the contrary. That would be tantamount to the same opposition and unbelief that the Pharisees and some of the Lord’s disciples exhibited.
35 And Jesus said unto them,I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said,I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith,I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them,Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am that bread of life.
49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. (John 6:35-50).
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:66-69).
Let us see some of the benefits of partaking in the sacrament of the holy communion (eucharist) from the bible passage below, taken from the gospel of John 6:53-58.
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53-58 NKJV).
- Over here, we see that partaking in holy communion is a nourishment to us. The body of Christ gives life, nourishment and refreshing to the eater.
- The body and blood of Christ gives eternal life to the eater.
- Whoever eats the body of Christ and drinks His blood, abides in Him and the Lord abides in them.
- He who eats the body of Christ and drinks His blood, will live because of the Lord. He draws life and strength from Christ the vine.
- Whoever eats the bread of the holy communion, the body of Christ will live forever. Christ gives them eternal life.
Participating in the holy communion has great benefits to the believer, the church and the body of Christ as a whole.
The above benefits are some of the personal benefits/edification a believer who eats and drinks the body of Christ derives. Apart from these personal benefits, there is the benefit of the holy communion helping the church to stay in love as they partake of one and the same cup. You wouldn’t drink from the same cup or share from the same plate with someone you hate would you? I guess that’s why it’s called communion as we eat together to live in union with one another. After all, what is the message of the gospel if not love for God and for man. Each time we take communion, we, like the apostles yesterday feast at the Lord’s table. His whole personality is present at the communion table.
Similarly, Our partaking in the eating of the body and blood of Christ, helps us to constantly remember Christ’s atonement on the cross. The death and resurrection of Christ institutes the new covenant. If the Israelites under the Mosaic law were instructed by God through His servant Moses to constantly perform the rites of Passover in remembrance of how God saved them from their oppressors, it is equally important that we constantly perform the rites of the new covenant which is Christ our Passover Lamb slain for our redemption and eternal salvation from bondage to sin and from the grip of Satan.
Evidences also abound of the miracles and healing power of the body and blood of Christ.
The following testimony was shared by Benny Hinn in his book titled ‘The Blood – Its Power from Genesis to Jesus to You’.
Toufik Benedictus “Benny” Hinn is an Israeli Christian televangelist, best known for his regular “Miracle Crusades”—revival meeting or faith healing summits that are usually held in stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your Day.
Here is his testimony:
A COUPLE OF years ago I held a crusade where more than twelve thousand people jammed a coliseum at a fairgrounds to hear the Word of God preached. As I ministered on the platform, my eyes were drawn to a group of Roman Catholic nuns dressed in distinctive floor-length black habits sitting down front in the massive crowd.
Because I was taught by Catholic nuns when I was a boy, I have a special place in my heart for them. So I called them—forty-nine in all—up onto the platform. We talked, and I discovered they were Catholic charismatics who had driven six hours to attend the service.
I invited them to join me in leading the people in a rousing version of “How Great Thou Art.” At the end of the song, the nuns pulled their crosses out from under their habits and lifted them toward the Lord. It was a very powerful moment, one I’ll never forget.
After the service I had a little more time to talk with them. I learned they belonged to an order which was founded by their mother general, a tall woman with piercing blue eyes. (I found out later that a mother general is even higher than a mother superior.) “Why don’t you come and visit our convent?” the mother general asked me.
“I would love to come,” I told her.
A few months later I did. The convent is located on rolling hills in a river valley. The sisters built all of the buildings including a retreat center and a farm where they raise their own animals.
The sisters served me and a few friends who had accompanied me a beautiful turkey dinner, complete with vegetables they had grown themselves.
After dinner they asked, “Would you mind if we served you communion?”
“Not at all. I would love it,” I said.
(Apparently, they felt it would be permissible to serve me because I had been baptized in the Greek Orthodox church as a child.) I didn’t realize the Lord had something in store for me that night that would impact my life greatly.
All forty-nine nuns, along with my friends and me, went to the newly built prayer chapel. The nuns began worshiping the Lord, “singing in the Spirit” and blessing the Lord for about half an hour. The sisters gave several words of prophecy that encouraged me.
By then I was on my knees crying because I sensed such a tremendous presence of the Lord there.
It was an anointing that I had never before experienced in a communion service, not even in my own church. It was a divine, powerful presence of God that I can’t describe except to say, “Jesus walked into that little room.”
Just as they were finishing that time of worship, I began to feel a numbness in my arms and chest. I didn’t know that the mother general had just gone to the table and picked up the communion wafer. Now she began to speak the words of the apostle Paul from 1 Corinthians 11:23:
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread….
As I was kneeling and praising the Lord with my hands extended directly in front of me, the mother general put the wafer in my mouth.
At that moment I felt a fire literally go through me, and as that took place something else amazing happened. I sensed on the tips of my fingers something like a robe—a soft, silky fabric.
I thought maybe I was touching one of the sister’s robes or that my mind was playing tricks on me. I wasn’t sure what it was. So I opened my eyes to see whether someone had stepped in front of me. There was no one.
I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just my mind, so I closed my eyes again. By this time, of course, I was weeping and trembling. Again I felt the robe. I thought, This can’t be. I opened my eyes. Nothing was there. I closed my eyes again, and there it was. I could still feel it. So I moved my hands closer toward each other. Then I was stopped. I could not move them any closer. I felt a physical body there.
I believe I was literally kneeling at the feet of Jesus. After that communion service, I couldn’t quit singing. That whole night I felt as if I were floating. I went back to my hotel room and asked the Lord, “What happened to me?” The Lord began to open my understanding about the subject of communion.
Whenever we have communion, we are having communion with the Lord. When we celebrate the Lord’s supper, He Himself comes.
I want to share with you what the Lord showed me through that experience and as I studied the Word. In 1 Corinthians 10:16, the Bible says:
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
This verse says, “There is communion in the communion.” Often when we take communion, we don’t realize that we are to have communion with the Lord Himself. It’s not just a practice because of tradition or what we were told by our fathers or our mothers. Yes, it’s a remembrance of what He did for us two thousand years ago at Calvary. But at the same time, it is a communion with Him in the present! He comes today to fellowship with you as a son or as a daughter.
Even though I’d been a Christian and a preacher for many years, it was not until that night at the convent that I began to see something new in the communion. The fact is, when we have communion, Jesus wants to come and have fellowship with us as we partake of “the Lord’s supper.”
We call it the Lord’s supper because it’s His supper, not ours.
I would love to sense the Lord’s robe on my fingertips every time I take communion. But that doesn’t happen. I believe the Lord revealed Himself to me in that special way in order to teach me. Yet since that time, I sense a special presence of the Lord in my spirit each time I take communion.
1) Miracle of Lanciano – 8th century.
2) The Corporal of Bolsena – 13th century.
3) The Hosts of Siena, Italy – 18th century.
4) The Miracle of Chirattakonam, India – 21st century.
5) The Eucharistic Miracle of Santarém – 13th century.
There is no gainsaying that great potency abounds in the holy eucharist – the communion of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.