“And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15,16).
TEXT —Luke 22:14-30
Message
Several factors characterise and strengthen fellowship. One of such is sharing a meal or feasting together. It is one way of demonstrating that one is welcomed into a community or family. Sharing a meal creates a sense of community and shared experience and fosters a feeling of belonging and oneness. The meaning of the Greek word “koinonia” translated into English as “fellowship” becomes clearer here.
This idea of fellowship and spiritual bonding is brought out with the institution of the Lord’s Supper by the Lord Jesus Christ the night before His crucifixion. It replaced the Old Testament Passover done the night before Israel’s liberation and eventual departure from Egypt. All Israelites were expected to partake, and those who failed would be removed from their tribes. The emblems of the Lord’s Supper significantly typify the body and the blood of Jesus. Partaking symbolises accepting and identifying with the Lord Jesus. It is also a way of looking back with a great sense of appreciation at the death of Jesus on one hand and looking forward with enthusiastic anticipation for the coming of the Lord Jesus at the rapture.
All believers are expected to participate in the Lord’s Supper. It is one practical ordinance that demonstrates that we all belong together in the body of Christ. Those who deliberately avoid services so as not to partake in the Lord’s Supper do themselves harm. It also shows they are not living right and are not preparing for the second coming of Christ. The benefits of partaking in the Lord’s Supper are numerous. It is a continuous way of preparation and readiness for the coming of the Lord. It also fills us with a sense of appreciation for what the Lord has done for us on the cross. As we thus look back, it helps us to rededicate and consecrate our lives afresh to the Lord.
We need to always make ourselves fit to partake in the Lord’s Supper. We must constantly allow the Lord to search and examine our lives and cleanse us from all possible defilement. Also, earnestly consecrate all to Him, pray always, and wait for His return to welcome us to the final supper in heaven.
Thought for the day
Those unworthy of the Lord’s Supper are unprepared for the rapture.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
