Introduction
Hello everyone, before I dive into this somewhat in-depth study of the Holy Communion, I would like to introduce one Bible study principle and two theological terms to you.
Let’s start with defining the Bible study principle. The one we will apply to this study of Holy Communion is called the “Law of First Mention”. The “Law of First Mention” states that the first time a subject, word, or concept is mentioned in the Bible, it provides foundational insight into its meaning or significance in later references. The idea is that the initial mention establishes an essential context or pattern for understanding the theme or topic throughout scripture.
The first theological term is Theophany. A theophany is a visible manifestation of God to a human. These appearances are dramatic and usually accompanied by natural phenomena, like fire, thunder, or light, emphasizing God’s power and presence.
Examples of theophanies in the Bible include:
a. Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3): God appears to Moses through a bush that burns without being consumed, instructing him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
b. Mount Sinai (Exodus 19): God appears to the Israelites in the form of thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and an earthquake on Mount Sinai, where He gives the Ten Commandments.
c. Jacob wrestling with an angel (Genesis 32): This encounter is often seen as a theophany, where Jacob wrestles with a divine figure and is blessed.
Theophanies serve to reveal aspects of God’s character, reinforce His covenant with His people, and show His intervention in human history. These encounters are significant because they are direct, tangible experiences of the divine, meant to transform and impact the lives of those who witness them.
The second theological term is Christophany. A Christophany is a manifestation of Christ, often understood as an appearance of the pre-incarnate Jesus, to humans before His birth in the New Testament. Christophanies are like theophanies but specifically refer to instances where Christ is believed to appear, usually in the Old Testament, before His incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth.
Examples of Christophanies in the Bible include:
a. The Angel of the Lord: In passages like Genesis 16, Genesis 22, and Judges 6, the Angel of the Lord appears and speaks as God. Many theologians interpret this “Angel” as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, as He speaks with divine authority.
b. Melchizedek (Genesis 14): Melchizedek, the mysterious priest-king who blesses Abraham, is sometimes viewed as a Christophany, especially because Hebrews 7 discusses Melchizedek as a type of Christ, a priest without lineage or end.
c. The Commander of the Lord’s Army (Joshua 5:13-15): When Joshua meets a man with a drawn sword who identifies as the commander of the Lord’s army, some see this figure as Christ, as Joshua is commanded to remove his sandals—a gesture of reverence like Moses’ encounter with God.
Christophanies are seen as moments where Christ intervenes in human history before the incarnation, revealing His nature and often foreshadowing His future role as Savior.
Melchizedek and Abraham
Now we will apply the “Law of First Mention” to this study of the Holy Communion and locate the first place in the Bible where bread and wine is mentioned. Some of you may have already guessed it. The first mention of bread and wine is in the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Chapter 14. Have a look at the verses below:
Genesis 14:17-24 MEV After his return from the defeat of Kedorlaomer and the kings who had joined with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). [18] Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of God Most High. [19] And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth; [20] and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. [21] The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and take the goods for yourself." [22] But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, [23] that I will take nothing that is yours, not a thread or a sandal strap; lest you say, 'I have made Abram rich.' [24] I will accept only that which my men have eaten and the portion that belongs to the men who went with me, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion."
In the above verses we learn that Melchizedek who was a king and a priest went out to meet Abraham with bread and wine. Notice how specific the writer is. We learn some very important things here about Melchizedek which are like Jesus Christ.
1. Melchizedek is called the King of Salem which means King of Peace. Jesus Christ is known as the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace.
2. Melchizedek is called the Priest of God Most High. Jesus Christ is known as the High Priest, High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek, Priest Forever, Great High Priest, Mediator of the New Covenant.
3. Melchizedek gave bread and wine to Abraham from whom we get the twelve tribes of Israel down the bloodline. Jesus shared bread and wine with his twelve disciples on the night of the last supper.
In a general sense, Melchizedek is an example of Theophany but if we want to be more specific, we can clearly conclude without a shadow of doubt that Melchizedek is an example of Christophany.
Jesus Is Our High Priest
I want to mention something very important at this point in our study. Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. He is called the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah”. Now we know from the Bible that Jesus is known as the son of David and lineage wise, He qualifies to be a King. But when we talk about Him being a High Priest, that is not possible because He does not come from the tribe of Levi or the bloodline of Aaron. Only Levites could become priests according to the Law of Moses so how can Jesus become the High Priest of our Salvation. The Book of Hebrews explains this very well to the Jewish people. He writes in:
Hebrews 7:17 MEV For He testifies: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
This above verse is a fulfillment of a prophecy from the Old Testament:
Psalm 110:4 MEV The LORD has sworn and will not change, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
We learn from the Book of Hebrews that this verse is talking about Jesus Christ being a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. This explains how Jesus can be a priest or high priest without descending from Levi. The Book of Hebrews continues to expound that the priesthood of Jesus is superior to the high priest of the Old Testament who performed temple ceremonies and rituals according to the Law of Moses. The verse below talks about this:
Hebrews 7:26-27 MEV For such a High Priest was fitting for us, for He is holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and is higher than the heavens. [27] Unlike those high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices-first for His own sins and then for the people's, for He did this once for all when He offered up Himself.
The writer continues to address the subject of High Priest by concluding that Jesus as our High Priest has provided the ultimate and final sacrifice. The requirement of God, the Father has been fulfilled once and for all. There is no longer any need to continue the animal sacrifice ceremony. This is why Jesus right before He gave up His spirit said, “It is finished”. This is what He was talking about. And we all know what happened next. There was an earthquake and the veil inside the temple that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies split in half. Mankind no longer needs a human high priest to perform animal sacrifice and intercede for them. We can approach God directly now through Jesus Christ as the mediator of the new covenant and our personal intercessor in heaven seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The verse below confirms this:
Hebrews 8:1 MEV Now this is the main point of the things that we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens …
Sacraments or Ordinances
A sacrament or ordinance is a presentation of the most important truths of the gospel. There are three important ones that is accepted by all denominations of Christianity. Below is a summary of them:
1. Baptism (water)
2. Anointing the sick (with oil or olive oil)
3. Communion (bread and wine)
Names Used for Holy Communion
There are many different names used for the sacrament of the Holy Communion by different denominations. Below I have mentioned four of the most common ones:
1. Eucharist – used by Catholics
2. The Lord’s Supper – used by Baptists, Presbyterians
3. Breaking of Bread – used by some Evangelical & Charismatic groups
4. Communion – used by Protestant denominations
Eat the Flesh and Drink the Blood
It may shock most Christians to find out that Jesus told his followers to eat His flesh and drink His blood to obtain eternal life. This was so horrifying to most of them that they left right after hearing this statement from the lips of Jesus, concluding that this was a very hard message to accept. Have a look at the verse below:
John 6:53-57 MEV Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day. [55] For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. [56] Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on Me also will live because of Me.
Now I can somewhat understand the dilemma here. Eating someone’s flesh and drinking their blood may seem quite unreasonable but what did Jesus exactly mean. The sacrament of the Holy Communion may seem to unlock this confusion. I was often told and reminded at church that the bread represents the body of Christ while the wine represents the blood of Christ. In other words, the bread symbolizes the body of Christ, and the wine symbolizes the blood of Christ. But look very carefully at what Jesus is saying in the verses below:
Matthew 26:26-29 MEV As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take and eat. This is My body." [27] Then He took the cup, and after He gave thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you. [28] For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. [29] I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
Firstly we learn that Jesus has reinstated the Priesthood of Melchizedek. But even more astonishing is the fact that He is telling His disciples that the bread He is sharing with them is His body and the wine He is sharing with them is His blood. Please note that Jesus never said that the bread symbolizes or represents His body, and the wine symbolizes or represents His blood. He told them that the bread is His body, and the wine is His blood. It’s a literal statement. This may sound a little confusing to some folks but there are Christian denominations such as Catholics who have always believed this. When you take the Holy Communion by faith, the bread becomes the body of Christ, and the wine becomes the blood of Christ as it enters your mouth. When Paul was teaching the Corinthian Church about the Holy Communion, He repeats the same words as Jesus. Have a look at the verses below:
1 Corinthians 11:23-32 MEV I have received of the Lord that which I delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread. [24] When He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take and eat. This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." [25] In the same manner He took the cup after He had supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." [26] As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. [27] Therefore whoever eats this bread and drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. [28] Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [29] For he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. [30] For this reason many are weak and unhealthy among you, and many die. [31] If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. [32] But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we would not be condemned with the world.
Notice that Paul confirms this truth about the last supper. Jesus is very clear in saying that the bread is His body, and the wine is His blood. He leaves no room for sidetracking Jesus’ words, but the church may have done this. In all honestly, I don’t know if this was done purposefully or in error, but we must realize that when you take communion, the bread is the body of Christ, and the wine (or grape juice) is the blood of Christ. It is not some mere symbolism or representation. We need to discern and accept it for what Jesus said!
Seven Aspects of the Holy Communion
Going forward, I want to mention seven aspects of the Holy Communion which I learnt from Pastor Derek Prince’ book titled, “The Power of Communion”. Here a summary:
1. Proclamation: proclaiming His death to the seen, and unseen world.
2. Remembrance: remembering His death (He asked us to do so).
3. Anticipation: anticipating His return.
4. Recognition: discerning the true nature of the bread and the cup, His body.
5. Participation: participating in His death and resurrection by eating of His flesh and blood.
6. Sharing: sharing in the communion with all believers here and in eternity.
7. Separation: we are drawing a line of separation between us and everything that is satanic in any shape and form.
Please note that the first three – Proclamation, Remembrance and Anticipation – applies to our relationship with Jesus Christ. The next three – Recognition, Participation and Sharing – applies to our relationship with Christ’s body. The last one – Sharing – applies to our relationship to the world.
I want to talk a little bit about the seventh aspect which is Sharing. Have a look at the verses below:
1 Corinthians 10:20-21 MEV But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. [21] You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.
Deuteronomy 7:26 MEV You shall not bring an abomination into your house, lest you become cursed like it, but you must absolutely detest and abhor it, for it is a cursed thing.
Both the verses above emphasize on the importance on keeping a distance from non-Christian practice. I will be honest that there’s a lot of pressure nowadays from relatives, friends and even work to participate, be inclusive and accepting of what others follow and celebrate. But the Bible clearly draws a line of separation. God does not want His people to have their foot in two boats. We need to make up our minds. Either it’s Christ and Christ alone or it’s the world. The Bible tells us very clearly in James 4:4 that friendship with the world is enmity with God. The stakes are high, and time is crucial. We cannot be taking Holy Communion and then participating in things the Bible forbids. The cost of compromise is too much to bear. Yes, I am talking about eternity. Holy Communion should be taken seriously and not to be confused as a mere church ritual. Remember the seven aspects I mentioned earlier. They are very important. We should be very mindful of these.
Pray Before Taking Holy Communion
To finish off, I would like to share a simple prayer that Pastor Derek Prince wrote that we could say before taking communion:
Heavenly Father, how deeply grateful I am for this beautiful sacrament of Communion—given to us by Jesus the night before His crucifixion. I commit myself now to partake of this sacrament more often—as a powerful way of proclaiming Your death, remembering You, anticipating Your return, recognizing Your body, participating in Your death and resurrection, sharing with all believers, and separating myself from worldly pursuits. Thank you that as I partake, I am receiving life from You and celebrating the eternal life You have brought to me.
I come out of darkness now into the light. I repent of my sins and attitudes. I ask for forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for me. In Jesus’ name, I forgive all those who have hurt me, and I declare my trust in You and Your plans for my life.
I prepare my heart now to meet You at every opportunity I will have to partake of this wonderful sacrament of Holy Communion. Amen.