Scripture | Acts 2:42-47
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Sermon | Spiritual Strength – Holy Communion
Pastor Thanael Certa-Werner
In the scripture for today, we see a description of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. Through these verses we see that the early Christians saw it as essential to devote themselves to the teachings of the apostles, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. This list of devotions reminds me of a book which I think many people have owned in their lives. Have you ever owned or used the Better Homes and Gardens’ New Cookbook? This cookbook is one of the most trusted and used cookbooks in history. Since the 1930’s all the way to present day, they continually publish new versions of this cooking classic.
I have the 1968 version in my kitchen and I use it almost daily. One of the things I love most about it is that it is designed for a time when people didn’t have any other source of help in learning to cook. So, you’ll find all kinds of useful helps and extra instructions throughout its pages to teach you how to cook properly. The book even goes so far as to have a whole tab dedicated to teaching how to plan for meals, get proper nutrition, and more. In the back tabs of the book, there are diagrams for seating at parties, plate setting rules, best practices for buffet style serving, example party menus – the list goes on. In reading through this book, not only would one get a clear sense of how to cook and plan meals properly, but that it is important (at least in 1968) to host parties and to follow the rules of hosting.
This brings us to another party of strict rules which is the starting point for the discipline we are looking at today, Holy Communion. 2,000 years ago, Jews from all over the known world would make their pilgrimage back to Jerusalem for one weekend a year to celebrate the festival of Passover. This festival was a celebration and remembrance of God’s compassion on His people and how the Angel of Death passed over the people of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt. And as a faithful Jew would, Jesus follows this tradition. Days before He would be killed upon a cross, He sat down with His disciples and took part in this ancient tradition.
Things started normally, but soon some of the key elements of this traditional meal were changed. For one, there was always a spot kept open for Elijah for it was said that Elijah would return to declare the coming of the Messiah. But in this supper, Elijah’s spot was taken by Jesus. Throughout this meal, Jesus does things to change the tradition. You see, the original purpose of this meal was to remind the Jews what God had done, but Jesus was transitioning it to take on new meanings: to remind the world of what God is doing.
The liturgy which we use every Sunday we have communion reminds us of this story. “On the night in which He gave Himself up for us, He took bread, gave thanks to You, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: ‘Take, eat; this is My Body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ When the supper was over He took the cup, gave thanks to You, gave it to His disciples, and said: ‘Drink from this, all of you; this is My Blood of the New Covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’”
These words, which Jesus spoke that first Lord’s Supper are a reminder of what God is doing and to clue in on that, we have to look at what a covenant is. A covenant is a promise made between God and a person or people. It is not breakable by God and is established through an ancient rite. One would take an animal and kill it by splitting it in two (sorry for the gore). Then the animal parts would be separated and the person or people would walk around the parts saying, “may what happened to this animal happen to me should I break this covenant.” Then the blood of the animal would be poured onto an altar of God as a offering.
So, to hear that Jesus’ body is being broken in two, and to hear that His blood is shed as an offering to God on our behalf tells us something essential. God, through Jesus, is establishing a whole new Covenant with His people, and HE is paying the price for it. In doing this, Jesus is revealing to His disciples, and to us, what God is doing in the world. Every time we read through the communion liturgy and partake of the communion elements, we are reminded that Jesus was sacrificed to make a new covenant. We are reminded that God is actively working to redeem the world and taking the price of doing so upon Himself.
When the story is told, we join the disciples sitting in the room, hearing Jesus’ words for ourselves. We hear these words and commune with God and our fellow believers who join us across the room and across the world.
This brings us back to our scripture for today and to the Better Homes and Gardens’ New Cookbook. The New Cookbook is designed to teach those who do not know how to cook, to cook. In a time before Tv chefs and YouTube tutorials, this resource was truly invaluable. Littered across its pages is the phrase, “For best results…” This phrase is the precursor to a tried and true method of making whatever you are making.
This recipe book for beginners is essentially what the Bible is for us. The Bible, like the New Cookbook is designed to teach those who do not know how to live good lives (that’s all of us), how to live good lives and within its chapters and pages are many verses which might as well be begun with “For best results…” If we apply that to our scripture for today, it might sound something like this: “For best results, devote yourselves to the teachings of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Results include: being filled with awe, believers being together and having everything in common, selling property and possessions to give to anyone who has need, meeting every day in the temple courts, and praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And, the Lord adding to the number daily those who were being saved.”
So then, Holy Communion becomes an essential part of our lives as Christians because it connects us to the actions of God, the believers of 2,000 years ago, and the believers of today. When we take part in communion, we enter into a space of holiness and are in the very presence of God. As we see in our scripture, when we devote ourselves to these things – to the teachings, fellowship, Holy Communion, and prayer – when these acts become more than rituals, we are filled with awe and wonder. Miracles happen. The world is transformed and disciples are made to follow Christ.
Holy Communion is our invitation to join in God’s work, even when we’ve made mistakes or turned from God, we are stilled welcomed at the table. Even Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was still a part of that First Holy Communion. So, as we come to the table, let us do so with open hearts and minds of stillness and peace that we might experience Holy Communion with the Holy Trinity ad the communion of Saints.
Amen.