By Reverend J. Loren Russell, BA, MDiv.
I Corinthians 11:24-25 NKJV
“And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 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.”
The best way to move forward is by remembering your past. The things that we remember from our past can have profound influences in our lives. Some things we would rather not recall at all, and other things we relish. Then there are the things that we choose to remember, such as Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. When we remember this, we see how the sting of death was snatched away and the grave lost its victory. While you cannot and should not live in the past, it’s necessary to remember our past. Jesus gave instructions to His disciples instructing them to reflect on His sacrifice.
In the Christian community, once a month, a quarter or every six months (depending on the church or denominational affiliation), we celebrate Holy Communion, sometimes called the Communion Supper. Although we were not given a specified or number of times that we should engage this ritual, we are instructed to remember the victory He won over death and the grave “as often” as we do it.
This is a prescribed ritual of eating bread and drinking wine (or a non-alcoholic grape juice) as a reminder of Jesus’ love for us that caused Him to sacrifice His body and give up His blood. It was this sacrifice that became the greatest victory in the history of mankind. It freed us from our sins.
Can you remember a time in your life when it seemed like there was no way out? If you can, it means that you made it through. It didn’t beat you and it couldn’t defeat you. As often as we do this, we remember how we were triumphant over our most strenuous of circumstances.
When Jesus says, “as often as you do this,” I would reason that it goes beyond the symbolism of Holy Communion. I believe it is an encouragement to remember the many triumphs as well as the defeats we have experienced in our lives. Our victories are the evidence of how the Lord brings us through our most difficult and challenging situations and circumstances, while those things that appear to be defeats are transformed into stepping stones to greater accomplishment. As often as we do this, we are reminded that what He has done in the past is the evidence of His love for us, His grace towards us, and His mercy to us. As often as we do this, we are developing an expectancy of victory. His love, His mercy, and His grace bought victory then, and it is the same love, grace, and mercy that will make us victorious in the future.
Whenever you take Communion, as often as you do, you should be reminded of the greatest victory ever won, the various successes He achieved for us, and the many conquests He has yet to bring to us. We are to always remember and never forget.
God Bless +++
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial &. Strategic Consulting, and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. Listen by phone” at 626-226-1448. Be sure to Friend “Matters of Faith” on Facebook and email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The Book here.
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