May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? (1 Cor. 10:15-18)

In Christ’s name and to his glory, dear friends: Tonight we set aside time to listen to what the Lord says about Holy Communion. I have as our central thought that Holy Communion is a Most Precious Sacrament. It was my parents, without even intending to, who taught me first that Holy Communion was something important and wonderful. Communion time was the only time I saw my mom and dad kneel. This made me first realize this was a precious thing to them. They knelt at the altar and then by the pew when praying. We did not have nice cushy kneelers back then. My parents knelt down right on the hardwood floor of our church, right between the pews. I remember sliding over and making room for them as I watched them come back toward the pew. I knew they would kneel down. But even more convincing than what others teach us about Communion by their actions is what the Lord himself tells us about the Lord’s Supper. These words along with the other places that Jesus tells us about Communion in the Bible are what convince us that Holy Communion is a Most Precious Sacrament. Let us look at them. The words tell us…

…that Holy Communion is a precious thing in and of itself. First, do you understand the word “sacrament”? A sacrament is a way that God gets his spiritual blessings to us. When we hear “sacrament” think of a flow of grace, forgiveness, love, and faith that grasps that love flowing down from heaven to us. A sacrament is the exact opposite of a “sacrifice”. In a sacrifice, the flow is from us to God; it is something we do for God because we love him who first loved us. A sacrament is something God does for us. There are two sacraments on the pages of Scripture - the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. The Gospel, whether in spoken for or in sacramental form, is the way that Jesus comes to us. This already makes us say Holy Communion is precious - Jesus comes to sinners.

That Communion is a precious thing is clear from the words about the sacrament too. Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? In the Lord’s Supper two things “participate” with each other. Other ways of saying that are two things are “in communion” with each other; two things “share something in common”, are “in association” with each other, are “in union with” each other. What two things are in communion with each other? In this verse, the inspired Apostle is not saying there is communing, a sharing, an association of the people going to communion. That is spoken of in the next verse. And he is not speaking of an association of the Jesus with the believers through faith. That is true also, but that is not what God is talking about in this verse. Look closely at the words. The cup (the wine) is a participation in the blood of Jesus. The bread is a participation in the body of Jesus. Bread shares in Christ’s body and wine shares in, is in association with, is in union with Christ’s blood. In a miraculous way, a sacramental way, bread is in communion with Christ’s body and wine in union with Jesus’ blood. This association, communion, participation, is not seen with the normal senses, but it is seen by faith. “What God’s word doth make it, so I regard and take it.” This truth makes Holy Communion a most precious thing in and of itself, even before we eat and drink it at Jesus’ invitation.

Note well the inspired words. Bread is in communion with, in union with, participates with Christ’s body and wine is in union with, participates in, Christ’s blood. Bread does not merely resemble, remind us of, or represent Jesus body. That wrong idea is called “representation”. Wine does not change into blood. That wrong idea is called “transubstantiation.” Nor do bread and wine, body and blood cease to be what they are and everything become together something completely different, as when iron and carbon mix and are no more iron or carbon but the alloy steel. That wrong idea is called “consubstantiation.” Rather, the words say that bread and wine are in union with, in communion with, participate in each other. Each remains what it is but is in, with, and under each other. What a most precious and wonderful thing the Lord’s Supper is!

The fact that many who are known as Christians will not say “what God’s word doth make it so I regard and take it,” is why we Lutherans practice close communion. The inspired writer tells us, Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? In this section, the Apostle is urging the Christians to stop going to banquets given in honor of the false gods of Rome and Greece. How could that happen? You might ask. Individuals believed the Gospel of forgiveness in Christ and left behind their old false religion. However, many of their friends were still worshipping the false gods. When they went to a banquet at an unbelieving acquaintance, the formal banquet often began with a religious ceremony and the food was dedicated to Jupiter, Saturn, and the like. The apostle says if one eats that meal he associates, he unites, he participates in that worship to a false god. In the very same way if we communion with those who ignore what Jesus says about communion saying that the bread and wine only represent the body and blood or change into the body and blood we would be uniting, participating, sharing in their stubborn refusal to believe the simple words. This is why we also ask that people learn what God says about Holy Communion and everything else that God tells us in scripture before uniting with us at the altar for the Lord’s Supper. We are not saying that they are not Christians, only that they may not have learned how precious Holy Communion is and that is dangerous! Anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself (1 Cor 11:29). We will not participate in trifling with this most precious sacrament.

God’s word tells us that Holy Communion is a most Sacrament all by it self. However, it becomes even more precious to us who believe God’s clear words about what Communion is. The Sacrament is not like a medicine that helps all regardless of who takes it. We just heard that some might eat judgment on themselves because of their unbelief. Holy Communion is not like a pop machine that will give refreshment to anyone who inserts a dollar. The Lord Jesus’ word and promise make bread and wine a union with Christ’s body and blood. He says, Given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. The little word “for” requires hearts that believe. That is why you hunger for this meal. You believe what Jesus says and promises you here.

Faith says: as I eat and drink, I receive more than just what I smell and taste. I receive Jesus himself. Faith says: I know why Jesus comes to me here, not to condemn me but to forgive me. Faith says: I know how weak I am and slow to believe so I know why Jesus comes to me here. He wants to reassure me by saying the very body that hung on the cross and the very blood that flowed from my pierced hands, feet, brow, and side is for you. You have the bread and wine - that is plain enough. Now remember my body and blood is there in communion with it. If you have the one you have the other. Faith says: where Jesus is sin dissolves, vanishes, melts away. So if I have Jesus, then I have forgiveness. Faith says: if I have forgiveness then I am on a journey that will end in heaven at his side. Faith says, if Jesus is with me now, he will protect me and give me strength so I am certain I will get to heaven even though I am weak. This is a most precious thing that Jesus gives me here.    Amen.