1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

In this passage from 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is reminding the church in Corinth about the importance of properly observing communion or the Lord's Supper. He shares how on the night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and gave thanks, broke it and said 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' Jesus then took the cup after supper and said 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' Whenever believers partake of communion, they are proclaiming the Lord's death until he returns. Communion is a sacred act that calls us to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice for our sins.

When we observe communion, it is so easy to go through the motions without truly reflecting on what this sacred act represents - the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins once and for all. As Paul reminds us, each time we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we are proclaiming the Lord's death. We are remembering all that Jesus endured - the beatings, the crown of thorns, and his crucifixion - so that through faith in him we could be forgiven and reconciled to God. This should be a deeply humbling and sobering thought. It calls us to examine our own hearts and lives, to repent of any known sin, and to rededicate ourselves to faithfully following Christ. While communion is a beautiful tradition, it is meaningless unless we allow it to draw us nearer to Jesus and transform our lives more and more into his likeness. May it spur us on to lives of greater love, obedience, gratitude and service in response to all he has done for us.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for your ultimate sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins. As we partake of communion, help us to truly remember all that you endured for our sake. Convict us of any sin in our lives and give us repentant hearts. May this sacred act draw us nearer to you and motivate us to lives of radical obedience, love, gratitude and service. Use it to continue transforming us more and more into your likeness. We love you and pray these things in your precious name. Amen.