Announcing
April 3rd, 2022 – Communion Meditation
I want to start today’s communion meditation by reading from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, in which the apostle Paul is giving instructions about order in the Lord’s Supper:
“On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.’ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.”
Let’s focus on just one word of the instruction today – in the translation I just read, it is the word “announcing.” Every time you or I eat this bread and drink this cup, we are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again. The Greek word translated “announcing” is katangellete – this means to declare openly, proclaim in a definite way, preach, laud, celebrate.
What exactly are we announcing, proclaiming, celebrating? The Lord’s death – which here refers to not only the punishment that we deserved that He took upon Himself, but also focuses on the amazing grace that He now freely lavishes on us. So, let’s do it – in a few moments, let us eat the bread and drink the cup in an act of announcing, openly declaring, and celebrating what Jesus has done – He has saved us, He is saving us, and He will save us.
We can join with the saints and angels who worship God constantly – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come . . . You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power!” (Revelation 4:8, 11)
Together, let us now eat the bread, the body of Christ. We celebrate and we thank You for Your amazing grace, Lord Jesus!
Together, let us now drink the cup, the blood of Christ. We celebrate and we thank You for Your amazing grace, Lord Jesus!
