Cup of Blessing

 

Three weeks ago, I was reading through Hebrews, and I decided to start taking communion on a daily basis.  I didn’t know why, but as I read through chapter 9, I felt like there was a power in communion that I was missing out on.

And as the days went by, I began to see it in a different light. 

We’ve always known that there is power at the cross, power in the blood.  Paul said that Christ crucified is both the “power of God and the Wisdom of God.” (see 1 Corinthians 1:23,24 NIV)

But is there also power in communion?

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:1-16 KJV)

The word “communion” in this verse is translated “partnership, participation…” (Strong 1983)  

This is interesting because Paul tells us that as we participate in His sufferings and become like him in his death, that we somehow attain to life (the “resurrection from the dead”).

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  (Philippians 3:10 NIV)

I always just thought “sufferings” here meant trials and persecutions.  But now I’m wondering; could the act of communion also be a way of “participating in his sufferings and becoming like him in his death?”

Because I believe it is, my communion prayer will be worded a little differently from now on.  It’s evolved over the last three weeks.  I now pray something along these lines:

Dear Father, I come to you in the precious Name of Jesus.

Jesus, Thank you so much for suffering and dying on the cross for me.  Thank you so much for allowing your body to be broken.

Thank you so much for giving your precious blood.

As I take the bread, I participate in Your brokenness on the cross, so that I can also participate in your wholeness.  By faith, I receive wholeness to my body and spirit now.

As I take the grape juice, I participate in Your death and resurrection, and I believe that I am raised up to a position of ruling authority in the Heavenly realms.  By faith, I receive ruling authority, abundant Life, blessing, and health now.

I declare every curse broken and every blessing come to life.

Thank you so much, Amen

For me, communion has come to be an act of participating – not only in His death – but also in His resurrection.  I participate in His resurrection by believing that I am also raised up with Him in the Heavenly realms.  By faith, I participate in His resurrection by receiving His marvelous blessings of ruling authority, health, protection, provision, salvation; wholeness of any kind.

We were all born under the curse, but Jesus became a curse to destroy the curse so that blessing could be resurrected over us instead.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus  (Galatians 3:13-14 NIV)

For every curse, there is an opposite blessing. 

In Isaiah 61, God promises that one day He would make an “everlasting covenant” with us that would provide freedom for captives, release for prisoners, comfort for mourners, beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for despair, double portion for shame, and an inheritance for disgrace. 

Because of His eternal covenant, He exchanges all curses for blessings.  His covenant was fulfilled at the cross and is symbolized in communion.

Because He was the curse TAKER

He became the curse BREAKER and the blessing GIVER

If we died with him, we will also live with him;  (2 Timothy 2:11 NIV)

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  (John 6:53 NIV)

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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.” 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.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.  (1 Corinthians 11:24-26 NIV)

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.  (Ephesians 2:6 NIV)

 

Reference:

Strong, James. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance: Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order, Together with Dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek Words of the Original, with References to the English Words. Baker Book House, 1983.

 

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