Merry Christmas

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I plan to do a communion tomorrow at Christmas, could you guys give me some good supporting scripture? Thanks as always.

[Miss Bobbie]

I attended an early Christmas Eve candlelight and communion service at our church today, and don't recall any specific scripture for it. Luke 2:11 was read, and the children's minister explained the story behind the candy cane. Maybe if you hit an 11:00 service tonight, you'll find the help you need?? Hope so!!

[Price is paid]

Found this interesting:


Summaries





Regarding the cross, the meaning of the bread and the cup of Communion can be summarized as follows:

BREAD OF COMMUNION

1Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:10; 1Corinthians 5:6-8


CUP OF COMMUNION

Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:9



The bread means Deliverance from sin
The cup means Forgiveness for sin

The bread means Deliverance from the power of sin
The cup means Deliverance from the penalty of sin

The bread means Sanctification
The cup means Justification

The bread means that the believer is Crucified with Christ
The cup means that the believer is Forgiven in Christ

The bread means Deliverance from sin
The cup means Deliverance from death

The bread means Deliverance from sin and self
The cup means Deliverance from death

The bread means Authority over sin and self
The cup means Authority over curses (death)

The bread means Authority over the devil and his ability to keep us in bondage to some sin
The cup means Authority over the devil’s ministry of death and curses in some area of our life

The bread means that He bore our grief and sorrow, our infirmities and sicknesses in His body. Our bodies are now free to function right. (Isaiah 53:4, Matt. 8:17)
The cup means that He broke the curse of sickness. (Isaiah 53:5, Mark 2:5-12, James 5:14-15) Sickness seen here as a penalty for sin. The blood paid the price

Bread of Affliction (Duet. 16:3) (the pain of making an abrupt change and coming out of Egypt and sin)
Cup of Blessing (1 Corinthians 10:16) (the blessing that follows obedience)

The bread relates to Deliverance out of Egypt (sin)
The cup relates to Deliverance from the judgment of the Egyptians (penalty for sin)

The bread relates to the Feast of Unleavened Bread
The cup relates to the Feast of Passover

The bread relates to the Parting of the Red Sea (picture of the cross)
The cup relates to the Angel of Death passing over the blood on the door posts (picture of the cross)

The bread relates to the Scapegoat (Day of Atonement) He bore our iniquities away. Lev.16:21-22
The cup relates to the Goat of the sin offering (Day of Atonement)




Regarding the resurrected, Spirit-filled life, the meaning of the bread and cup of Communion can be summarized as follows. At the cross, we were delivered from sin and death into the following.

BREAD OF COMMUNION

1Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:5-7; 1Corinthians 5:6-8
CUP OF COMMUNION Deuteronomy 12:23; Leviticus 17:14; John 3:16; John 10:10

The bread means Righteousness
The cup means Life

The bread means Obedience
The cup means Blessing (Cup of Blessing)

The bread means Walking in Love
The cup means God meeting our needs

The bread means Character development
The cup means God meeting our needs

The bread stands for the Commands (in the Word)
The cup stands for the Promises (in the Word)

The bread means a particular command in the Word
The cup means the corresponding promise for that command

The bread means Sowing good seed
The cup means Reaping a wonderful harvest

The bread relates to Right Action
The cup relates to Wonderful Consequence

The bread means Being good
The cup means God’s goodness to us

The bread relates to the Leading of the Spirit
The cup relates to the Spirit of life

The bread relates to the Fruit of the Spirit (the fruit displays God’s character)
The cup relates to the Gifts of the Spirit (The gifts meet desperate needs; they impart life)

The bread means that obedience is a gift from the Holy Spirit
The cup means that life is a gift from the Holy Spirit

The Body is for doing
The Blood is for life (Life as in nourishment, support, sustenance)

The bread means Eating the doings of Jesus
The cup means Drinking the abundant life of Jesus

The bread means Doing what Jesus would do
The cup means Seeing Jesus as my source for all of my needs (source of life)

The bread relates to Taking a step of faith for your healing (action lead by the Spirit)
The cup relates to the Spirit who will give life to your mortal body (the Spirit of Life will minister power for healing in response to action and faith)

The Feast of First Fruits relates to the resurrection message of the bread (celebrated on Sunday after Passover)
The Feast of First Fruits relates to the resurrection message of the cup (celebrated on Sunday after Passover)

The bread relates to The Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil (obedience issues)
The cup relates to the Tree of life

The bread relates to Righteousness in Heaven
The cup relates to Eternal Life in Heaven


The bread means that the believer was delivered from sin at the cross, so that he can now live for righteousness (1Peter 2:24). The cup means that the believer was delivered from death at the cross (forgiven), so that he can now experience life (John 3:16, John 10:10). The above charts show how these two great themes harmonize and relate to each other. Together, they summarize and symbolize the entire Christian walk and faith.

Now, imagine if you separated someone’s blood from his or her body. A body without blood would wither and die. A bucket of blood without a body to flow through would be useless. Similarly, the basic theme of the body of Christ and the basic theme of the blood of Christ, would each be useless without the other. These two great themes “need” each other to give us the whole gospel that Paul preached; and to give us the whole counsel of scripture. Today, we tend to have the cup without the bread.

Also, the message of the cross that the unleavened bread represents (top chart) is usually completely omitted from our preaching. That is, we preach the forgiveness for sin found at the cross but not the deliverance from sin found at the cross. It will take great wisdom to preach both messages of the cross to this generation; being that deliverance from sin involves the pain of dying to sin and self. But, on the positive side, the cup of blessing speaks of God’s limitless provision and life to meet every need (spirit, soul, emotions and body) completely and forever. What more could one ask for? The cup of blessing gives us the incentive to endure the sometimes difficult demands represented by the unleavened bread.

Another important observation to be made relates to the order of the elements; i.e., the bread is eaten first, then the cup is taken. An entire article is devoted to this fact in this web site. One could conceivably write volumes and volumes of books elaborating on the importance of this one fact. The point here is that action leads to consequences. Right action (the bread) leads to positive consequences (the cup). The cup stands for the blood of Christ which is all of the provision, blessing and life, any one would ever need or want. Obedience to the Lord or righteousness (bread) is required first in order to experience God’s abundant provision (cup); just as the bread is eaten before the cup is drunk. Also, it should be noted, obedience (bread) is a gift from the Lord just as His provision (cup) is.

One might object that the above paragraph sounds like works. The answer to this objection is that God saved us out of our sin and dead works into good works (bread), as well as having saved us out of death into life (cup). Our good works are a gift from the Lord just as our blessings are, which is why we eat the bread. Also, the gospel has two basic goals: righteousness (bread) and life (cup), not just life (Romans 5:12-21; etc.). We have the privilege to walk in God’s ways (bread) as well as see His miraculous blessings (cup). And finally, action leads to consequences for all people, Christian and non-Christian; this is God’s plan (Galatians 6:7, Romans 2:5-11).

Regarding the order of the bread first and then the cup, we have a picture of true, book of Acts, Christianity. With the bread we see the members of the body of Christ doing (the body is for doing; Hebrews 10:5-7) God’s word and seeing God miraculously provide (cup). We each eat the bread to proclaim that we will step out and act like Jesus and do our part to be His body in this world, and then we drink the cup with the full expectation that He will be there with us to back us even with miraculous help