I Was There (And So Were You)

Every now and then, I like to take communion privately. Just me and the Lord. Taking communion at church with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is a beautiful expression of the body of Christ, however, I find the occasional intimacy of being alone before the Lord with my broken cracker and cup of juice a most special time.

This private communion allows me the opportunity to sit and reflect on the depth of what these two things I hold in my hands truly represent: The absolute agony of Another who suffered for my sake (and yours). I have had incredible and beautiful moments with the Lord during these private communions but my most recent one brought with it a heart wrenching realization.

But before I go there, more importantly I want to first point out the gospel for anyone reading this who doesn’t yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Every man, woman, and child born into this world is born of sin. We are spiritually dead on arrival. This born-of-sin nature separates us from our Creator, our Heavenly Father. In a sense we’re born stained, if you will. We cannot remove this stain by doing good deeds, or living a moral lifestyle, or even going to church. There is nothing we can do to remove the stain of sin. Only Jesus, God’s One and only Son, can. And He did. Jesus paid the price to remove our sin and redeem us back to our Heavenly Father with His own body.

In fact, Christians around the world recently celebrated Jesus’ victory over sin and death on Resurrection Sunday or what is more commonly called, Easter.

Jesus left the glory of Heaven and entered this world through virgin birth and lived among us. Matthew chapter one tells us: 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Jesus lived the sinless life that we could not. He willingly went to the cross on our behalf and took on humanity’s sin, exchanging His life for ours.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

When Jesus proclaimed, “It is finished!” [John 19:30], then died on that cross, the penalty for sin, which is eternal separation from God in Hell, was paid once and for all! When Jesus rose from the grave three days later, He conquered Death and Hell…I repeat…once and for all!

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:54-56

Everything Jesus did while on this earth, He did for us. He was purposeful in every miracle, every word spoken, every place visited. Jesus gave His life for us and did so, so that we might believe and have life in His name. [John 20:30-31] Which brings me back to my heart wrenching realization….

When I looked at the broken cracker in my hand, representing His broken body, and the deep color of the juice in my cup, representing His blood shed for me, I was so aware of my own sin taking part in the horrors of the cross.

I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. Isaiah 50:6

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised [crushed] for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

I thought about that brutal day and about those who beat Him, spat upon Him, humiliated Him. How they tortured Him and left Him, publicly, hanging on a cross to die. It wasn’t just those who were there that day. In order for me to receive this representation of Jesus’ broken body and blood, I too had to break it. I brought the broken cracker up to my mouth and with each slowly crushing chew of the cracker, my heart wept at what my sin did to the One who loves me. It may as well have been me holding the whips that tore His back open or the tools to drive the nails through His hands and feet as I chewed. And as I drank that juice, my heart was utterly humbled at His gift of life…

His beyond measure…

His more than we could ever possibly comprehend…

Self-less. Act. Of. Love.

Never again will I look at taking communion the same as before. I now have a deeper understanding of how my own personal sins played a part that day at the cross. And even though I wasn’t physically there, yet because of my sin….

I Was There (And So Were You).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Dina