Understanding the bread of Communion

Who Himself bore our sins in His own BODY on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness­­---by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

    The above-mentioned scripture sums up the meaning of the bread of communion. The body of Christ, which is represented by the bread, was delivered up to set the believer free from sin (having died to sins) so that he can live for God (live for righteousness). Let me repeat; firstly, the bread of communion means that the believer was set free from his bondage to sin because Jesus died for him. And secondly, the believer is now free to live for righteousness. He is freed from doing something evil (the bread stands for this) and can now, with God’s help, replace it with doing something right (the bread stands for this also).

    As we will see, the cup of communion means that the believer is forgiven for his sins so that he can experience eternal life and blessing. But, the bread means that he is delivered; i.e., he doesn’t have to do the same things wrong over and over again. He might make a mistake here or there, but making a mistake is far different from being in cruel bondage to a destructive habit that ruins oneself, one’s family and God knows who and what else.

    The bread means that the believer is free from sin because Jesus died for him, while the cup means that the believer is forgiven for his sin because Jesus died for him. What’s more, the bread means that the believer is not only delivered from the power of some sin, but, the bread also means that he is now privileged to replace that sin with something good and honorable, i.e., righteousness. Also, regarding the cup, the believer is not only forgiven for a sin, i.e., delivered from the death and curse that sin brings into his life, but he is privileged to experience life and blessing instead of that curse and death. 

    Now, it takes the bread and cup of Communion together to proclaim the full and basic meaning of Christ’s death. 

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (1Corinthians 11:26)

    As stated above, the bread represents deliverance from sin, while the cup represents forgiveness for sin. As we shall see, scripture is clear that God not only wants to forgive us but also deliver us out of our sins. If you think about it; what kind of “weak tea” salvation would it be to extend forgiveness and not provide any way out of people’s behavioral nightmares. And doesn’t the deliverance represented by the bread, address the biggest rap on Christianity; i.e., they don’t walk the talk? 

    Also, as we have seen, there is also a resurrection message to the bread and to the cup. The resurrection message to the bread of communion is righteousness (love, obedience). We were set free from sin so that we can live for righteousness. Regarding the resurrection message of the cup of Communion, we were forgiven at the cross so that we can have life and blessing. Thus, the two major goals of the gospel are righteousness (love, obedience) represented by the bread, and life (eternal life, blessing) represented by the cup. In other words, “…His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life (cup) and godliness (bread)…” 2Peter 1:3a. These goals will be covered in other sections of this web site. The cross is the gateway into experiencing these two great goals. 

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 

7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us 

8 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1Corinthians 5:6-8) 

    1Corinthians 5:6-8 interprets the meaning of unleavened bread in the context of the Passover. The bread of Communion is this very bread. Jesus had this unleavened bread of the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, in His hands when He said, “…this is My body” Mark 14:22.

    Again, with the very meaning of unleavened bread, we can see the same basic theme we saw with 1Peter 2:24. Purge out the leaven so that you can be a new lump. Leaven stands for sin. Purge out the sin so that you can be righteous or unleavened. In verse 8 Paul exhorts, purge out malice and wickedness so that you can celebrate the feast with sincerity and truth. 1Peter 2:24 states that the body of Christ has to do with dying to sins so that we can live for righteousness.

By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the BODY of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10) 

    Again, with Hebrews 10:10 we see this same theme of deliverance from sin brought about by the offering of the BODY of Christ. Sanctification means being set apart from sin. Also, Hebrews 10:5-7 makes clear that the body of Christ was for doing the will of God. In fact, this whole section of scripture, Hebrews 10:5-10, makes the point that God’s will for Jesus was to give up His body so that we could be sanctified. His body was used to accomplish the will of God which was to get us to live in the will of God.

    Notice that our deliverance is past tense. Hebrews 10:10 is one of many, many scriptures in the Bible that declares the fact that our deliverance from sin was won at the cross in the past. 2Corinthians 5:14b clearly says “…if One died for all, then all died.” Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ….” And Romans 6:6 states “…my old self was crucified with Christ…” In Communion, the bread stands for this great truth. 

    But, how does a person appropriate this truth? How do you make this past tense aspect of our deliverance a real experience in your life? Actually the scripture is quite clear about this truth.

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that gracemay abound?

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2)

    Here, Paul gives the answer to why we don’t keep sinning once we receive forgiveness. According to the apostle Paul, the answer is not in trying really, really hard to obey God and be good (although, this wouldn’t be a bad start). The answer is not some complicated system of do’s and don’ts. The answer is not only for special people like Billy Graham.

    Paul actually appeals to our identity in Christ as the key to our deliverance from sin. “How shall we WHO DIED TO SIN still live in it.” Paul goes on to explain how we were baptized into Christ’s death, united with Him in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). The point being that “dead to sin” is what we are. It’s our very identity as Christians. Just as we are forgiven because Jesus died for us, so we are dead to sin because Jesus died for us. It’s what we are! 

    There is an ocean of good ideas about how to steer clear of sin. And, all of them are good bits of wisdom that we should listen to. But, the most central and important key to our deliverance is our very identity in Christ. Paul exhorts in Romans 6:11, “consider yourself to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Think of yourself as being dead to sin. Remember what you are! When sin rises up in you as it does even daily, remember what you are. Jesus died for you to have this privilege. The bread of Communion is eaten to remind you of your right to walk free from any sin. As sin tempts you, remember the truth about you; declare out loud (if possible) your deliverance, your identity, i.e., “I am dead to that.” Fight the good fight of faith and step out in a different direction. Meditate on the truth of your freedom in Christ; the bread is for this. Let this truth sink deep into your spirit and heart. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you and convince you of this new truth about you now that you believe in Jesus. The more you focus on this vital truth, the more deliverance you will experience. The more you have communion and see your deliverance in the bread, the more victory you will experience (Some should have communion every day to experience deliverance from some habits). This truth doesn’t mean that I will never sin, but it does mean that I have authority to walk out of bondage. Making a mistake here and there is quite different from living in cruel bondage and habitual sin.

    Every other religion has you doing this and that to get free from some sin. True Christianity declares your new identity won at the cross. True Christianity starts with your new identity first, then requires action. The real deal is what is true about me because Jesus died for me. I am forgiven for sin (cup of Communion). I am dead to sin (bread of Communion).

THE MESSAGE: IT’S WHAT YOU ARE

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1,2)

    In Romans 6:1-2 and Romans 6:11, Paul is telling us that we need to try to overcome our sin nature. He is telling us that we need to strive and strain and to eventually reach a higher level of spirituality and personal development where we won’t sin so much. Right? Wrong! No, on the contrary, the apostle Paul is telling us that we ARE dead to sin because of our faith in what Christ did for us on the cross. He is appealing to what is true about us in Christ.

    It’s what we ARE! The key to experiencing deliverance from sin is to realize and get a revelation of what is true about ourselves because of the cross. Trying to be crucified with Christ is works. Realizing the truth about myself in Christ is grace through faith. Certainly I need to want to repent. But, I must also realize that I cannot deliver myself, or crucify myself with Christ. He included me in His death by grace and therefore I AM dead to sin.

    By revelation from the Spirit of God, become convinced of the truth about yourself now that you are in Christ. Accept the grace of God. Stop trying to be what you already are. Grace has changed what you are. Learn to live from the victory, not for the victory. Let’s look at some other points regarding this vital facet of the cross.

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