Series: Communion Meditations

February 27, 2015

Christian Standard

Proclaiming the Lord”s Death

By C. Robert Wetzel “We believe that Jesus died and rose again” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). In a very real sense, participating in the Lord”s Supper is preaching. Preaching is proclamation. The apostle Paul tells us, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord”s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). And thus we are proclaiming to the world what we first confessed when we came to Christ, “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” There are at least three ways the Lord”s Supper may be proclamation. It may

February 20, 2015

Christian Standard

The Cup of Blessing

By C. Robert Wetzel “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16, King James Version). There are so many rich meanings and experiences in the Lord”s Supper! When the apostle Paul spoke of the “cup of blessing” he used a term that had a special meaning for those who understood Jewish dinner tradition. At the end of a Jewish meal the most honored guest at the table took the cup, lifted it up, and said the benediction. Today when we talk of the benediction we probably think of

February 13, 2015

Christian Standard

The Lamb of God

By C. Robert Wetzel “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12). How strange it must have seemed to pagans when Christians described Jesus as the Lamb of God! This would be especially true when they heard Jesus described as the Word who was with God and who was God and who became flesh in Jesus Christ. God, a lamb? If the pagan were to use an animal metaphor to describe God, he would certainly choose some powerful animal whose image would strike terror

February 6, 2015

Christian Standard

A Time to Reset

By C. Robert Wetzel “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3). As the technologically challenged among us fumble with our computers and related products, we often create problems with the very devices meant to help us. Rather than following prescribed procedures, we simply press buttons, as though the more commands we send, the more likely we will secure

January 30, 2015

Christian Standard

When We Partake

By H. Lynn Gardner Partaking of the Lord”s Supper is not a meaningless routine ritual. We must partake thoughtfully, and with our minds engaged. Communion should be one of the richest and most meaningful experiences of our week. 1. We remember Christ”s sacrifice on our behalf. “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24*). Lest we think we deserve God”s favor, lest we forget what Christ did for us, we are regularly reminded of the price paid for our salvation. The cross of Christ is not an insignificant fact from the storeroom of history. We are remembering and savoring

January 23, 2015

Christian Standard

The Lord’s Supper in the Early Church

By H. Lynn Gardner “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them” (Acts 20:7*). “And they devoted themselves to the apostles” teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Luke says the central purpose for assembling is “to break bread,” which underscores its primary importance (Acts 20:7). The church observed the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week. Early Christian writers say this was because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Comments from early Christian

January 16, 2015

Christian Standard

What Does This Meal Mean?

By H. Lynn Gardner Modern Jews eat the Passover meal much the same as God instructed through Moses thousands of years ago. At one point in the ceremonial meal the youngest in the company asks, “Why is this night different from all other nights? What does this mean?” The leader responds, “We celebrate tonight because we were Pharaoh”s slaves in Egypt, and the Lord our God delivered us with a mighty hand. Had not the Holy One, blessed be he, redeemed our fathers from Egypt, we, our children, and our children”s children would have remained slaves.” Moses wrote, “And when

January 9, 2015

Christian Standard

He Identifies with Us

By H. Lynn Gardner   Jesus shared flesh and blood with us. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:17, 18)*. Timothy Keller explains, in The Reason for God, Christianity alone among the world religions claims that God became uniquely and fully human in Jesus Christ and therefore knows firsthand despair,

January 2, 2015

Christian Standard

Grateful Response

By H. Lynn Gardner Doctors told me I would die of my pulmonary fibrosis if I did not get a lung transplant. On June 15, 2004, I received a double lung transplant and have been blessed with a 10-year extension on life with my wife, family, and friends, as well as continuing some teaching and writing. Do you think I am grateful for this gift? I have been saved from death and received a new lease of life. I have tried to thank God every day for this gift of life. Unsaved persons face the prospect of death without hope and eternal

December 30, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

New Steps and a New Gift

By Mark A. Taylor Every year at Christmastime I look for a way to give something to someone who can”t or won”t give me anything in return. Usually this means an extra offering to a favorite mission, a check written to a local shelter, or gifts purchased for our church”s project to “provide Christmas” for needy children. I do this because it”s always seemed to me that exchanged gifts are trades, not really gifts. They”re fun, and they can be a good part of office or family celebrations. But true generosity doesn”t happen with rules about dollar limits or gift

December 12, 2014

Christian Standard

Make a Christmas Memory

By Diane Stortz Long before digital photos and decorative paper backgrounds, Mary made the first Christmas scrapbook””in her heart. When Bethlehem”s shepherds heard the astounding news that the Messiah had been born, they left their sheep and hurried into the village to see him. They found Mary and Joseph and with them the baby, snuggly wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough””just as the angel had told them. Luke says they “told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds” story were astonished, but Mary

December 5, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

The Cross of Christmas

By Diane Stortz Have you ever noticed how the presence of a baby or a young child changes the dynamics of a sad situation? The crotchety great-uncle you haven”t spoken to in years just might turn up at a reunion if the newest member of the family will be there. At a funeral home, between their tears, mourners manage happy smiles at the unself-conscious laughter of a toddler. And if you”re wondering how a war-torn, despairing world can go on, just ask any grandparent what”s new with the grandchildren! Babies and young children bring us together. They give us hope.

November 28, 2014

Christian Standard

The Best Cleansing Agent

By Trevor Tolley A picture of the Old Testament sacrificial system isn”t pretty. Scripture says blood from the sacrificed animals was to be sprinkled on the altar, on the utensils used for the sacrifice, on the priestly garments, on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant, even on the people. This symbolized the necessity of blood to cleanse them of their sins. Not many of us would use blood as a cleaning agent, and we certainly would not use it as laundry detergent. In fact, when we get blood on our clothes, we struggle to find something that

November 21, 2014

Christian Standard

Approaching the Lord Rightly

By Trevor Tolley How should we approach the Lord”s table every week? This seems like a very important question. We do not want to approach the Lord wrongly. Fortunately Scripture offers insight. Consider, for example, when Isaiah was brought into the throne room of God. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two wings they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

November 14, 2014

Christian Standard

The Perfect Emblem

By Trevor Tolley The emblems of the Lord”s Supper, the fruit of the vine and the bread, uniquely communicate the message of Christ”s death and resurrection. The emblems so perfectly illustrate the redemptive story that it smells of conspiracy. In other words, it seems Jesus did not choose, but instead created, the perfect emblems. Have you ever considered the thought that the juice in a grape, if it remains in the grape, rots over time? But when, at just the right time, a grape is pressed or crushed, the juice can be put in a sealed container and preserved? This

November 7, 2014

Christian Standard

The Best Object Lesson

By Trevor Tolley A good teacher likes to use an object to help his or her students remember the lesson. A good teacher knows that a good object lesson engages a student”s senses. The more a student”s senses are engaged, the greater the likelihood the student will remember the lesson. Jesus understands this about us. And through the Lord”s Supper, Jesus demonstrates his mastery as a teacher. He cares enough to provide a physical reminder, an object lesson, of what he has done for us and what we believe. And what a reminder! Have you ever stopped to ponder the

October 31, 2014

Christian Standard

A Universal Language

By C. Robert Wetzel Have you ever found yourself worshipping in a congregation in a country where you did not know the language? Perhaps occasionally you recognized a melody of a hymn and tried to sing the words that you associated with that tune. Or saw Scripture was being read, but could only guess what it might be by looking to see how the Bible was opened. Was it about halfway? Then maybe it was a Psalm. Was it near the back? Probably a New Testament reading. But what? It becomes even worse during the sermon. Why is the preacher

October 24, 2014

Christian Standard

Why Satan Hates Communion

By Mark Atteberry   Toward the end of a lengthy prayer, shortly before his arrest, Jesus said, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one””as you are in me, Father, and I am in you” (John 17:20, 21, New Living Translation). Jesus prayed for unity among his people because he understood that bickering Christians preaching love would be about as effective in spreading the gospel as a 300-pound man recommending a new

October 17, 2014

Christian Standard

I Brake for the Lord”s Supper

By Mark Atteberry   You probably don”t recognize the name Jacob German, but he should be famous. In 1899 he was the first to experience something that has become a common occurrence “” so common I suspect most of the adults reading this have experienced it, probably more than once. On May 20, 1899, German was stopped for speeding. A taxi driver for the Electric Vehicle Company, German was tooling around New York City at the wildly inappropriate speed of 12 mph. People were aghast he would be so reckless. If they”d had driver”s licenses in those days, his almost

October 10, 2014

Christian Standard

When Bad Memories Are Good

By Mark Atteberry Every team and every player has a bad day now and then. No matter how good you are, sooner or later you’re going to get schooled by an opponent. When it happens, conventional wisdom says you should just forget about it and move on. But not everyone agrees. Enter Pat Summitt. From 1974 to 2012, Summitt coached the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team to 1,098 wins, 16 SEC titles, and 8 NCAA Championships. If anybody knows what it takes to win, she does. (Summitt, who has Alzheimer’s disease, now serves as head coach emeritus.) In

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