A Communion Brain Freeze

Our Communion

Beautiful communion service.  My 5 year old son and I were seated in our customary second or third row from the front.  Husband up front officiating with the Pastor.  In fact, husband was just about to pray over the bread which would be immediately followed by its row-by-row distribution.  Son stands directly in front of me and says with big eyes:  ‘Mommy, I have to go poopy right now’.  What?!  I unfasten his belt and put an end in each hand so his pants don’t exit the scene before he does – and send him forward to the single restroom behind the platform.  ‘I’ll be there in 2 minutes’ I say.  Shortly the prayer is completed, my piece of bread safely on the seat.  I slip away to find him just finishing up.  We make it back to our seat just in time to observe the deacons' dignified return to the front.  However – my brain?  Holy Spirit?  Hello - where are You?  BLANK. 

Dear Jesus - Please circumcise my heart so I can emotionally connect with Your sacrifice.

What am I doing here?  How does this yummy little piece of homemade cracker bring me to a spiritual moment?  Brain freeze.  Body.  I’m eating His body.  Frankly – that is not an easy thought to connect with.  Brain cells burned their way back to the ancient story of the sacrificial system in Leviticus.  Slowly the picture came to me.  See the sinner transfer his sin to the animal.  Watch as the innocent patient and gentle lamb is slain.  The lamb is dead.  The sinner is free!  Blood.  Lots of it.  The officiating priest performs his work then eats a bite of the meat.  Simply and symbolically the priest ingests the sinner's sin.  Flash forward to Jesus in the Upper Room.  Surrounded by His dearest friends, He explains in the simplest of terms.  The sequence of the conversation goes something like this (NASB):

^{John 13:12} So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

^{Luke 22:15} And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁰ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

Pretty clear.  Jesus took my sin upon His sinless body.  His body was broken as He ingested the fullness of my sin. 

Thank You Jesus.  Thank You God for agreeing to Jesus plan to offer Himself for my salvation.