Why Do We Take Communion Each Week? Series

Date Preached __________

Where Preached __________

Why Do We Do What We Do?

Why Do We Take Communion Each Week?

1 Corinthians 11:17 -34

A little girl asked her mother one Sunday morning as she was preparing lunch, “Mommy, why do you cut off the ends of the ham before you cook it?” The girl’s mother turned and looked at her and said, “Oh, sweetie, I’m not really sure why, but I suppose you cut the ends off of the meat so that the meat can better absorb the juices and spices and make it more tender. Maybe you’d better ask Grandma since she was the one I learned it from. She always did it that way.” The little girl called her grandmother later that day on the phone and asked her the same question, “Grandma, why do you cut the ends off of the ham before you cook it?” The little girl’s grandmother responded, “Oh, sweetie, I’m not really sure. I think it is so that the juices will be absorbed better. Call your Nana. She is who I learned it from.” The little girl began to get a bit frustrated with the whole idea, but decided to call her great-grandmother anyway. “Nana, mom was preparing lunch the other day and she cut the ends off of the ham before she cooked it. I asked her why and she said that she did it because the juices would absorb better, making it more tender. She told me to ask Grandma to make sure since she learned it from her. Well, I called Grandma and she said the same thing about the juices and all, but that she learned it from you and I should ask you. Nana, why do you cut the ends off of the ham before you cook it?” There was a long pause in the conversation and then the little girl heard what sounded like muffled laughter coming from the other end of the line. “What’s so funny, Nana?” “Oh, sweetie, I cut the ends off of the ham before I cooked it because my pan was too small!”**

Many times, we end up doing things for the wrong reasons because no one ever stopped to ask why. Every Sunday, we take a few minutes to partake of the Lord’s Supper and some don’t even know why. Why do we take the cracker and drink grape juice every Sunday.

Let’s look at our scripture today and see what God says about communion. 1 Corinthians 11:17 -34: 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. 33So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

On the yard of a little church in Germany stands a statue of a lamb that has an interesting story to tell. A group of men were working on the roof of the church one day when one tripped and fell to the ground. Quickly, the other men ran down the latter expecting to see him dead. But he was alive!

As he fell to the ground there was a lamb that was feeding bellow. The man fell on it and crushed the lamb. He was so grateful that he had a statue of a lamb built in the very place where he fell. It reads; “MEMORIAL TO THE CRUSHED LAMB". This is in essence what the Lord’s supper/Communion is all about. It’s about Jesus, God’s lamb that was crushed for us, So that we may live eternally.