Communion and the Lord’s Supper: Remembering Christ’s Sacrifice
Ben Merold reflects on the memorial at Kill Devil Hill and connects its reminder of the Wright brothers’ first flight with the purpose of Communion. The Lord’s Supper calls Christians to remember Christ’s death for our sins, the atonement on the cross, and the proof given by the resurrection.
- Communion serves as a constant reminder of Christ’s death for our sins.
- The idea of Communion includes sharing and partnership with Christ.
- The bread and fruit of the vine point believers to the atonement and resurrection.
By Ben Merold
Remembering What Happened
I walked up Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to get a view of the path of the first flights made by the Wright brothers. They gave proof to the world that a heavier-than-air flying machine could lift off under its own power, fly, and make a safe landing. This was the place of first flight, and a large monument marks the site.
I found myself thinking that the entire area is, in one sense, a memorial. However, everything seems to focus on four large stones that mark the distance of their first flights.
On the Lord’s Day, everything about the church service seems to be a memorial, because the church is the body of Christ and all of the scriptural elements of worship seem to have great meaning. We pray, expound on the Word of God, give to his work, and praise the Lord in various ways. But the main focus is the Communion service. Brief as it may be, the Communion service causes us to remember that our salvation is in Christ and that, through his death on the cross, Christ paid the price for our sins.
Communion and the Cross
Some Bible scholars point out that the word Communion carries with it the idea of a sharing, even a partnership. I like that thought because the Bible teaches that we are heirs with Christ and that we are to labor with him.
This area around Kill Devil Hill is a memorial; it is made significant by what happened there—the first powered flight. In the same way, our church services cause us to remember Jesus Christ. And the Lord’s Supper, the Communion service, is a constant reminder of the event that brought it all into existence—the death of Jesus for our sins.
As we take the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, let us remember the great event of the atonement on the cross and the proof given by the resurrection.
Ben Merold is minister-at-large with Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri, where he served 17 years as senior minister.
