We ..... Being Many ..... One Bread
Through the symbol of Communion, we become the body of Christ and perpetuate the sacrificial act of redemption.
G.W. North emphasizes the significance of the breaking of bread as a representation of Christ's body, which He broke for humanity. He highlights that Jesus instructed His disciples to remember Him through this act, and Paul further elaborates that as many individuals partake in this communion, they become one body in Christ. This unity in the act of communion symbolizes the sacrificial nature of their faith, reminding believers that they are called to embody Christ's love and sacrifice in their lives. The sermon underscores the importance of community and shared faith in the practice of communion, reflecting on how believers can perpetuate Christ's sacrifice through their actions.
Text
Any one of the Gospel writers' accounts will serve to instruct us on the point, but of them all, Luke, who wrote his Gospel from material gathered from eyewitnesses, is the most specific. His report concerning the breaking of the bread is as follows: 'and He took the bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying, this is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me'. The Lord gave them bread which He had Himself broken, saying it was His broken body. In other words He broke His own body and gave it to them, instructing them to do this same thing to each other.
Matthew and Mark add that Jesus also said to them, 'take, eat'; so we arrive at the aggregate of the synoptists' records on this point.
Paul adding later to these says, 'we, being many, are one bread: for we are all partakers of that one bread'; so saying he introduces a completely new dimension of thought. Joining all the records together, we arrive at the compound truth that by taking and eating the body of Christ and in turn doing as He did, we not only eat His body and remember Him in and for His unique act, but following His example also become that body to repeat and perpetuate this sacrificial act. We cannot enact redemption, but by the symbol we can and must testify that we can only be in the Communion by sacrifice.
Sermon Outline
- The Breaking of the Bread
- The New Dimension of Thought
- The Compound Truth
- Taking and eating the body of Christ
- Remembering Christ's unique act
- Becoming the body of Christ
Key Quotes
“This is my body which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.” — G.W. North
“We, being many, are one bread: for we are all partakers of that one bread” — G.W. North
“by the symbol we can and must testify that we can only be in the Communion by sacrifice” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We must testify to our unity in Christ through the symbol of Communion.
- By taking and eating the body of Christ, we become the body of Christ and perpetuate the sacrificial act of redemption.
- Communion is a reminder of Christ's unique act of sacrifice and enables us to become the body of Christ.