1 Corinthians 10:16, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?”

1 Corinthians 11:25, “In 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.”

I have always been a visual person, and I try to incorporate that into my preaching and teaching. I’ve had many people tell me through the years that they could see what I was preaching. Some have asked who influenced my preaching style. While there are many whose ministry I admire, I always say that my inspiration comes from Jesus. He painted pictures in His sermons that people could see and remember.

To me, the Lord’s Supper, or holy communion, is a “visible sermon.” The bread that is broken reminds us of the body of Christ, which was broken for us. The wine (or juice) reminds us of the blood of Christ, shed for the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our bodies. Holding the broken bread, holding the cup, and hearing Jesus say, “This is my body… This is my blood…” has the power to evoke deep, godly sorrow and awaken a love and sense of gratitude that go beyond words. Jesus gave His body and shed His blood for me.

While the sacraments do not save us, they do bring us into deeper communion with God and with the body of Christ. We celebrate the sacraments as a community destined for eternal life in God’s glorious kingdom. We remember!