What is Holy Communion?

Significance and Purpose of Holy Communion as defined in the Bible

2. What is Holy Communion (the Eucharist)
Holy Communion – History
Holy Communion - Today

3. The Eucharist serves
as a reminder that
God nourishes us and
loves us
unconditionally.
It also signifies the
love poured out to us
giving us new life.
The Eucharist got its
origin from a sacred
Jewish meal called
“Passover Seder”
Passover Seder Meal

4. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king
of Sodom went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley). 18
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High
God.) 19 He blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Creator of heaven
and earth. 20 Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your
hand.” Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. 21 (Genesis 14:17-20).

5. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the
inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has
entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of
Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19,20)
1 Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met
Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him. 2 To
him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means
king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 Without
father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days
nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. 4
But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his
plunder. 5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have
authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is,
from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham.
6 But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from
Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise. 7 Now without
dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 8 and in one case tithes are
received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive.
9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe
through Abraham. 10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins when
Melchizedek met him (Hebrews 7:1-10).

6. The first “passover” occurred at the
time of the 10
th
plague in Egypt when
God asked the Israelites to put blood on
their doorposts so that when the “angel
of death” came he would “passover”
them
The Passover Seder was a ritual meal
that Jews celebrated when Moses was
leading them out of Egypt. It is a meal
in which they give thanks to God for
freeing them from slavery.
Jesus used this meal and put new
meaning into, he identified the bread
and wine. He made them symbolic
symbols of his own body and blood.
The bread symbolizes that Jesus’ body
that is given to us for nourishment and
his blood that gives us new life.
The word Eucharist is derived from the
Greek word of “thanksgiving”

7. Early Christians viewed the Last Supper from the viewpoint of the
Passover meal
The apostles would have seen a short-legged table surrounded by
cushions where they would sit
On the table was a bowl of saltwater and dish of bitter herbs
A container of mashed apples, raisins and plums coated with cinnamon
looked like the bricks they made

8. Platters of unleavened bread stood next to the large Cup of
Blessing filled with wine
A roasted lamb symbolized the sacrificial quality of the meal
and recalled the blood of a lamb on their doorposts that saved
them
Psalms and prayers were recited to recall the ancient event
when God saved the people of Israel from Egypt

9. Jesus opened the meal
with a psalm that
praised God for his
mighty deeds of
salvation in the Exodus.
Then he took the bread,
gave thanks for it and,
breaking tradition,
followed this with new
words: “Take and eat.
This is my body that will
be given up for you.”
This bread was now his
body. It would be given
up, that is offered on the
cross.

10. At the end of the meal, Jesus
took the Cup of Blessing filled
with wine and again broke
tradition and said, “Take and
drink...This is my blood. . . It
will be shed for you and for all
for the forgiveness of sins.”
Once more Christ referred to his
forth- coming passion where he
would shed his blood
As they drank of the one cup
and ate of the one bread, they
experienced their unity in Christ

11. Finally, Christ gave them and their successors the
power to celebrate Holy Communion (Eucharist):
“Do this in memory of me.”
They all sang a psalm and Jesus went forth to his
saving death and resurrection
In this event Jesus gave us the sacrament of the
Eucharist

12. In the beginning of the history of the church the Eucharist was
celebrated as a fellowship meal or “love feast” known as agape
The Christians shared the food that each of them brought it was
eventually broken down to just the bread and wine
The feast came to be the same in all different communities it
consisted of an offering , a thanksgiving, breaking of the bread, and
people receiving the bread and wine.

13. Early Church followed command of Jesus and “broke bread” in
His Memory
Over time, the apostles and their successors developed the
Eucharistic celebration into the structure that endures to this day
First named it the “Breaking of the Bread”. Soon the need to
separate the rite from a meal, both because of abuses at meals (1
Cor 11:17-22) and because they wanted a more prayerful setting
for this act of worship

14. 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus,
on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 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.” 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.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and
drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the
Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread
and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning
the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why
many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
(1 Cor 1:23-30)

15. What does it partaking unworthily mean?
Read the context prior to these verses just read.
The “unworthiness” came from using communion as an opportunity to appease
hunger or get drunk!
These risks do not exist today but in today’s age, what are the similar risks of
partaking unworthily?
Casually as a ritual without internalizing the significance
Because everyone is doing it
Any other motive other than that intended.

16. The reason we take communion is to:
Remember Christ’s saving power over sin in our lives
Proclaim His work of salvation through the cross
Celebrate the benefits of the New Covenant, which
include peace, healing, deliverance, abundant life, and the
power to overcome sin in our lives through Christ.[1]
Remind ourselves of our unity with Him and the church

17. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding[a] the
glory of the Lord, are being changed into his
likeness from one degree of glory to another; for
this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2
corinthians 3:18

18. Divide into groups and Enact scenarios (one for
each group) on how can you live transformed
lives in:
Your home
Your school
Among friends and neighbours
In your private life

19. 1.www.greatbiblestudy.com
2.The sacrament of the Eucharist by By:Steve
Flores, Dave Cea, Kyle Merrill, Salvador
Meza, & Michael Han
3.Sacraments: The Eucharist by Steve
Surprenant, MBA, STB/MA, Senior Vice
President & COO, Mercy Community Health,
CT
4.NICC notes

20. Allowing Christ to transform our lives is a choice
available to all. Time is running out!
Have you made the choice to
accept Christ’s free gift of
forgiveness of sins and eternal
life?