Fall Communion 2025

 Communion Meditation 

October 5th, 2025

Welcome:

Good morning Eastern Shore Baptist Church. What an honor it is to share this moment with you. Today we gather to remember the sacrifice of our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We gather to remember His body broken. We gather to remember His blood shed. The temptation for us this morning is to let this moment be mundane, routine. You’ve probably heard pastors and preachers say the following, “today we are taking communion”. That could not be further from the truth. 

We don’t take communion. Communion takes us. It takes us back in time. We are there, sitting there with Jesus. We see the bread. We drink from the cup. My prayer is that you will be transported in time to that very moment. What we are doing together this morning is not by accident. It was modeled for us by the Master. Let’s go to God’s Word, Luke 22:15-20. 

Luke 22:15-23 ESV 

And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. [16] For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." [17] And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. [18] For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." [19] And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." [20] And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

When Jesus provided the example of His Last Supper to His Disciples, He paved a path for the existence of the church. Eastern Shore Baptist Church would not exist if it were not for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. That, among many other reasons is why communion is important. 

Think about that word communion for a second. You know, communion is the root word of “community”. You cannot have community without communion. This church, this body, communes regularly. We are a community because we have in common one central truth. Jesus Christ is Lord. We have all sorts of differences. We differ politically. We differ on sports teams. We have differences economically, socially. Still, what draws us together as a community is Jesus. 

Another word where communion is the root word is “communication”. During the solemn remembrance of communion, we communicate with God and God communicates with us. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we have no communication with God. It was that sacrifice that opened the door, that ripped the veil, so that we could step boldly into the presence of our Father. 

Friends, I want you to remember this morning that communion offers community. It also opens the line for us to communicate with God and for Him to speak to us. 

Communication, you might say, is sacred. Do you know what “sacred” means? It means holy, set apart. It means that something is dedicated to God. Communion is definitely sacred. 

Do me a favor this morning. Fill in the blanks under today’s thought. Communion is sacred, telling the story of our salvation and sanctification. 

Communion is like a Time Machine, taking us back to the upper room as Jesus passed the elements of the supper: bread and wine. As He breaks the bread, we see His body broken by the soldiers on the cross. As He pours out the red wine, we see His blood pooling at the bottom of the cross. 

Can you see it friends?

Years ago, I wrote a few words about what communion means to me. This is what I said…

“Communion reminds us that our debts have been cancelled. The Lord’s Supper points us towards the blessing of the blood and the benefit of Jesus’ broken body. Communion calls the believer to repent and the follower to return to faith. Communion is a time to inspect one’s soul, a time to respect the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and a time to detect the Holy Spirit’s conviction. Communion is solemn and celebratory. It is a time of happiness and hopefulness. Communion is a calling for all Christians to come and…do THIS in remembrance of me!”

Open Communion:

I want to remind all of you that we possess two ordinances here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. Naturally, the first ordinance is baptism. Specifically believer’s baptism by immersion. Next we celebrate the ordinance of communion. 

Eastern Shore Baptist Church, we practice what we call open communion. This means that anyone who is obedient to Christ’s commands, anyone who seeks salvation through Jesus Christ alone, can participate in the Lord’s supper. Even if you are joining us this morning from a different denomination, you are welcome here.   

Opening Prayer:

The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11:27-29 tells us that we should pray before we partaken in the Lord’s Supper. We should pray asking the Lord’s grace for our sins. We should pray thanking Christ for His love and sacrifice. We should pray praising God for our salvation. Listen to Paul’s words…

“[27] Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. [28] Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [29] For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”

No one wants to come to the table of the Lord in judgment or condemnation. Let’s go before the Lord in prayer this morning confessing our sin, praising His name, and thanking Him for our salvation. 

Heavenly Father,

As we come to Your table, we pause with humble hearts, fully aware of our need for Your mercy and grace. We confess that we have fallen short of Your glory. Forgive us, Lord, for the ways we have strayed. Cleanse us, renew us, and prepare us now to receive these sacred symbols of the body and blood of Christ.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your immeasurable love…love that led You to the cross. By Your death and resurrection, we are set free from sin and raised to new life. Today, we remember the suffering You endured and the victory You secured, and we give thanks for the grace that restores and makes us whole.

Father, we praise You for the gift of salvation and the living hope we have in Christ. May this communion stir up gratitude within us and remind us of the great cost of our redemption. Let our hearts never grow cold to the wonder of the cross.

Be near to us in this holy moment. Strengthen our faith, deepen our love for You, and unite us together as one body, redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

In His holy name we pray,

Amen.

Scripture Reading:

This morning we are reading from I Corinthians 11:23-26. As we reflect on this moment, I want to remind you of something important: when Paul shared the instructions for the Lord’s Supper, he wasn’t there in the upper room with Jesus and the disciples. 

At that time, Paul was not a follower of Christ. 

In fact, he was far from it, he was actively persecuting Christians. But here’s the beautiful truth: through the power of Christ’s blood, Paul, once a violent enemy of the faith, became one of the most passionate followers of Jesus.

Paul didn’t witness that sacred night firsthand. Instead, he likely sat down with someone like Peter or another disciple who was there, hearing the story of what happened when Jesus took the bread and the cup. That testimony was shared with Paul, and now, through Paul, with us. It shows us the incredible power of God’s grace, how it transforms even the hardest heart. As we prepare to partake in the Lord’s Supper, let us remember that the same grace that transformed Paul is available to us, reminding us of Christ’s sacrifice and the hope we have in Him.

Let’s read together from I Corinthians 11:23-26. 

I Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 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.” 25 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.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The Bread:

On June 5th, I drove to Birmingham to visit a dear brother, a church member, a deacon. His name is Donnie Moss. It just also happens that Donnie’s wife Erin is also our church accountant, she is on our church staff. Donnie had been admitted to the hospital for a life changing…well…a life saving procedure. 

You see, Donnie was a very sick man. His body was beginning to fail him. For months he had been extremely ill. Donnie had been suffering from a very aggressive kidney disease. His kidneys were barely functional. Every day was a grind. Every day was a matter of mind over body. Donnie suffered from debilitating fatigue. His doctors told him that his only change at life was a kidney transplant. 

What happens to your body when your kidneys begin to shut down? 

Well, it’s not good. 

Your kidneys act like a filter, they take the impurities and toxins out of your blood so your body can function. When those kidneys stop working, all those toxins stay in your system. You begin to swell. You feel exhausted. Your blood pressure shoots up. Without healthy kidneys, your body simply cannot keep itself clean and balanced. That’s why Donnie needed a transplant.

To receive a new kidney, the doctors first have to find a match, someone willing to give a kidney, whether through organ donation after death or, in some cases, a living donor. Then there’s a whole series of tests to make sure the body won’t reject it. Finally, the surgery itself the old kidney may remain in place, but the new one is connected, and if all goes well, it begins to work almost immediately. It’s like life comes rushing back into the body.

Donnie immediately went on the transplant list. The wait was on. Days would go by. Months would pass. Potential matches would surface only to not be viable. 

Then finally, Donnie got the call. A match had come from a living donor. 

Now, I know the donor and no…it’s not me. Here is the other side of the story.

I received a call from a church member here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. This member called asking me to pray. Pray for them, pray their family, and obviously pray for Donnie. This person told me that when they heard Donnie’s story, they immediately heard the voice of God in their spirit telling them that they were a match. 

You heard me right church. This person, the second they heard Donnie’s story, immediately knew that they were a match for Donnie. This person spoke to their spouse. They told their spouse that they had heard from the Lord, revealing to them that they would be the one to give Donnie a kidney from their very body. 

Within a few days, this person had been to the doctor. They had talked to the nurses. The doctor told them that they would have to do all sorts of tests to see if they were a match. This church member responded to the doctors and nurses that they already knew the results. Before any blood had been drawn, before and pokes or prodding, this person told the medical team that they were certain they were a match.

The process began. The results came in.

Do you know what the results were?

Nearly a 100% match. This person, a random church member who heard the story of another church member, was willing to sacrifice their body so that Donnie Moss could be saved. This church member was willing to undergo invasive surgery so that Donnie could live abundantly.  

The donor went through pain, suffering, fever, sickness, fatigue, weeks of recovery…quite literally putting their body on the line so that Donnie could live. 

After the surgery took place, Donnie’s new kidney functioned as if it was his very own. His life had been restored. Salvation had finally come for him. 

What a beautiful picture of sacrifice. The Bible talks a lot about sacrifice, especially Jesus’ sacrifice. 

Jesus said that He is the bread of life. And just like Donnie’s donor gave up part of their body so that Donnie might live, Jesus gave up His entire body so that we might have eternal life. The donor’s sacrifice brought Donnie physical life, but Christ’s sacrifice brings us everlasting life. One person’s pain became another person’s healing. One person’s sacrifice became another person’s salvation. That is the gospel.

The Bible reminds us in Romans 5:8, “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The donor’s decision to give a kidney was a picture of that kind of selfless love. And in John 15:13, Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” That’s exactly what Jesus did. He laid down His life, His body, His everything..for me and you.

And just like Donnie’s body received new life, Hebrews 10:10 tells us, “By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” 

His body was offered up so that we might be made whole.

In a moment, bread is going to be passed. I want you to remember that Jesus willingly endured suffering, shame, and the cross so that we might be restored. 

This bread is a reminder of His body, broken and given for you and me.

A body given so that we could have life and life abundant. 

Friends, the bread, the body of Christ, gives life to the dead man and nourishes the soul that is weak. Do you believe that this morning? Are you thankful for the bread of Christ?

His bread will satisfy every need of your life.  

Matthew 5:6 ESV 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

The Bread Passed

Luke 22:19 (NIV)

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.  

The Bread is taken. 

The Blood:

This morning I would like to read a short piece of Scripture for you.  

Psalm 22:1-8 ESV

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? [2] O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. [3] Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. [4] In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. [5] To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. [6] But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. [7] All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; [8] "He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

David is the author of this passage. Scholars call this Scripture a Messianic psalm, meaning that it points prophetically forward to Jesus Christ. 

David calls himself a worm. Ever felt that way before? Any of you? There have been times where I have felt like a worm. 

Humiliated. 

Weak. 

Despised.

David was at a particularly low point in his life. He was feeling low and lonely. We don’t know exactly what was happening in David’s life but it was clearly a season of anguish where he felt abandoned, mocked, and under attack. Still, David’s troubles became a prophetic vision for Jesus. 

Go back to that statement, “but I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.”

The Hebrew word being used here for worm is “tola-ath”. David here was possibly referring to a specific worm, a special worm. He was speaking in relation to the crimson worm or the scarlet worm. This is a very common little worm in the Middle East even today. 

This crimson worm, when it was ready to give birth, would climb up a tree or a wooden post. She would attach herself so firmly that she could never be removed without tearing her own body apart. There, she would lay her eggs beneath her body, giving her life to protect them. As the young worms grew, they would feed on her body. When the mother died, her body would release a crimson red dye that stained the wood. For several days, that scarlet stain remained visible, a permanent reminder of her sacrifice. Then, after three days, her body would turn white, flake off, and fall like snow to the ground.

What a picture of Jesus Christ! Just as the crimson worm gave her life on the wood for her children, so Jesus gave His life on the cross for us. His blood stained the cross so that we could be covered, cleansed, and given eternal life. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Do you see it? The crimson stain of sin is washed away by the blood of Christ.

David may not have realized the fullness of what he was saying in Psalm 22, but God knew. The Holy Spirit used David’s cry of humiliation to point us to the humiliation of Christ on the cross. He was scorned. He was mocked. He was despised. And yet His blood was shed so that we could be redeemed.

This cup represents that blood, the precious, sinless, sacrificial blood of Jesus. As we drink it, we remember His body broken and His blood poured out.

Billy Graham put it best, “Be assured that there is no sin you have ever committed that the blood of Jesus Christ cannot cleanse.”

The blood of Christ is powerful enough to forgive you today for every sin that you have ever committed. Hebrews 9:22 states, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

The blood of Christ is powerful enough to cleanse you from your past. 1 John 1:7 tells us that “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

The blood of Christ is powerful enough to heal you from every wrong, every deed, and every person who has ever hurt you. I Peter 2:24 reveals that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

Are you thankful for the cup, the blood of Christ?

John 6:53 ESV 

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

And they passed the cup.

Matthew 26:28 ESV 

For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

And they took the cup. 

Heavenly Father,

We bow before You today with thankful hearts, remembering the sacrifice of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank You for His body, broken for us, and His blood, poured out so that we could be forgiven, redeemed, and given new life in Him. We are humbled by such love and overwhelmed by such grace.

Father, if there is anyone here who has never trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, may this be the day they surrender to Him and receive the gift of salvation. If there are those who feel led to unite with this church family or follow You in baptism, give them the courage to take that step of faith.

As we go from this place, fill us with joy, renew our hope, and remind us daily of the cross and the empty tomb. Help us to live as people marked by grace, eager to serve, and quick to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

In His powerful and precious name we pray,

Amen.