Devotion

I Corinthians 10:16

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion[c] of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion[d] of the body of Christ? 

The dictionary has two definitions of the word "communion."  The one we are most familiar with in church is eating and drinking bread and wine in the church service.  But the more important one is also found in that same service.  The communion we are talking about is that in receiving the wine, we are also partaking of the real blood of Jesus shed for our sins.  It is also in eating the bread, we receive the true body of Christ given into death for our sins.  

Let's face it, this communion of  wine and blood, and bread and body, are impossible for people to understand.  It is indeed a miracle.  We can safely believe it because we know trust that Jesus who told us so is able to make it so.  Is it really that much harder to believe than it is to believe that dead people will rise on the last day?  Or even if we are alive on the last day, we will be changed so that we can no longer sin, and will live forever?

The painting above shows Jesus in the cup, as the artists way of depicting the intimate communion we receive in the Lord's Supper.  Jesus tells us to do this in remembrance  of Him.  May we also always remember that we receive JESUS for the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.

I Corinthians 10:14-22

The Table of the Lord and the Table of Demons

14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to you as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I am saying. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion[c] of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a communion[d] of the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

18 Consider the people of Israel.[e] Those who eat the sacrifices are partners of the altar, aren’t they? 19 So what am I saying? That food from idol sacrifices is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I do say this: What the Gentiles sacrifice, “they sacrifice to demons, and not to God,”[f] and I do not want you to become partners of demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he is?

1. 1 Corinthians 10:16 Or joint partaking

2. 1 Corinthians 10:16 Or joint partaking

3. 1 Corinthians 10:18 Or Israel according to the flesh

4. 1 Corinthians 10:20 Deuteronomy 32:17

Questions.

Notes: