A DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT by Don Woods
A Communion Devotional
Before reading this devotional I encourage you to read I Corinthians 11:23-32
Communion is a holy time where we are to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and celebrate our full redemption in Jesus Christ through the bread and cup. The crucifixion of Jesus is the greatest expression of God’s love for us – our soul, our spirit and our physical body. My hope is that this devotional will increase your understanding on how to partake of communion.
Communion has become more meaningful to me since I read I Corinthians 11:27-32 more closely. The Apostle Paul warned about partaking of the elements of communion in an unworthy manner by not “discerning the Lord’s Body.” He writes, “Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner not discerning the body will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” Paul goes on to say that failing to discern the body, when taking communion would lead to the negative consequences of weakness, sickness, and premature death.
Because of this warning, I wanted a well-developed understanding of what discerning the Lord’s body means from God’s Word so that I would not be taking communion in an unworthy manner.
I discovered some truths about the Lord’s Body in Isaiah 53. This chapter is an Old Testament witness about the Atonement of Jesus. From the text in Isaiah 53: 4-5 (NRSV), we can draw understanding of the discernment of the Body of Our Lord:
He bore our sickness and infirmities (in His Body) v. 4
He carried our pain (in His Body) ( NIV; NET) Pain from any source.
He was pierced for our iniquities (in His Body)
He bore (in His body) our sins v.12
And by His stripes we are healed, v. 5. We are healed from our sicknesses, infirmities, pain, sins and iniquities.
Note: The Bible translations using “sicknesses” and “pain” are the most authentic and reliable because they are using the original Hebrew words of the Bible. Here is the breakdown of the original Hebrew words used: mak’ob and choli
- mak’ob: affliction or pain - physical, mental, spiritual
- choli: sickness, disease
In Matthew 8: 16-17, the Holy Spirit guided the Apostle Matthew to understand Isaiah 53 by the healings occurring at Peter’s house.
...”they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”
The revelation bears the truth that not only did Jesus carry our sins, but He carried our sicknesses, afflictions, and pain in His body.
Sickness is directly confirmed, but pain is implied in sickness and demon-possession. There are Scriptures that describe people being tormented by evil spirits causing pain. Saul was tormented by an evil spirit (I Samuel 16:14); a daughter is cruelly demon-possessed (Matthew 15:22); troubled with unclean spirits (Luke 6:18), etc.
In Communion the Holy Spirit and the Word make Communion come alive when we focus on the Body and the Blood. We discern the Lord’s Body by a realization that he carried and bore in His body our sicknesses, infirmities, pain and our sin. We focus on the blood by realizing that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 6:22), no payment for the penalty of our sins and no redemption.
With this understanding about the Lord’s Body, when I take the bread and lift it up to the Lord, I say, “Lord you carried my sicknesses, infirmities, pain, and sin in your body and by your stripes I am healed.” Afterwards, I raise my hands in praise toward heaven and I begin thanking and praising Him that he did this for me.
When I take the cup, I lift it up to the Lord, and say, “Lord, you shed your blood for me that I might be cleansed of my sins and have eternal life with you. Afterwards, I raise my hands in praise to God who in His great love forgives and cleanses me from my sins. Why raise Hands? See Psalms 134:2.
May this devotional bring you understanding of the importance of discerning the Lord’s Body in order to partake of communion in a worthy manner. May your communion experience be enriched.
