“As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”” (Mark 14:22, NLT)
Upon studying this scripture and my meditation for today, you may never look at communion the same way again. You will see Jesus’ words as something way more than just ritual. You will see what Jesus said as a culmination of God’s purpose for every soul. Let me explain.
After Jesus gathered with the disciples for HIS Last Supper, Jesus instituted the first mention in scripture of communion. Jesus “took some bread and blessed it. Then HE broke it in pieces and gave it to disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.” (Mark 14:22). With these words Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion still practiced today the world over by Christians. Jesus also took the cup and shared that with HIS disciples. But for a moment, let’s focus on these first words of communion by Jesus. You see, there is something much deeper in the words that Jesus chose and the actions HE made as HE used the bread for that first communion.
For a long time in my life, I took those words, “Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it, saying “This is my body”” to mean that Jesus’ body was to be broken on a cross. The bread was a symbol of Jesus’ broken body that was beaten and bloodied and hammered upon the cross. His body was broken on the cross as a symbol for God breaking the hold of sin in our lives. Jesus was a perfect sacrifice for our sin. He was a perfect atonement for our sin-guilt. While all this is true, there is more to the story.
Why did Jesus “break the bread”? Why didn’t HE slice the bread? Why didn't HE offer a small loaf to each? Some people simply figured that Jesus broke up a loaf of bread into pieces for the disciples as a matter of sharing ONE loaf. They saw it as a sign of each follower of Christ being part of ONE body of faith. That also is true. However, I believe there is more to the breaking of the bread.
In the gospels, when Jesus fed the 5000, HE broke the bread. When Jesus fed the 7,000, HE broke the bread. Communion ever since has even been called “The Breaking of the Bread”. Added to all this symbology and imagery and meaning, I think the breaking of the bread has one more spiritual meaning to add; one more piece of wisdom to offer you.
Throughout the Bible, people who followed the will of God were often placed in situations where their body or their will was broken to accomplish a great spiritual victory for God. Elijah was threatened with death by Ahab and Jezebel, only to flee to the wilderness and suffer famine. His body was beaten. His stamina was gone. He asked God to die (1 Kings 19). What did God do? God sent an angel to feed Elijah, then God called Elijah to get back to ministry and anoint a successor prophet and successor king to lead and guide Israel. With renewed vigor, Elijah set about the task. Every other prophet, priest or leader who was spiritually powerful and supremely faithful was broken in some way. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was cast into a pit and sold into slavery. Moses fled to the wilderness and was rejected by the Egyptians. The prophet Jeremiah was led off in chains just before the exile. The apostle Paul was thrown into prison and suffered shipwrecks and stoning. Stephen was martyred. Even Jesus, when beginning HIS ministry, had to suffer temptation by Satan in the wilderness as Jesus fasted for 40 days.
Don’t you see? When you suffer, God will use that suffering to break your pride and worldly desires. God will renew you with faith. God will deepen your love for HIM. God will make you into a more worthy soul. In the same way metal must be melted in order to purify it and make it more valuable, your life must go through brokenness in order to purify your soul, strengthen your Spirit, and make you more worthy. When Jesus initiated communion, HE was reminding you that brokenness will be experienced by those who are truly faithful. Where the faithless will fall apart when broken, the faithful will be spiritually supercharged!
A hundred years ago, Lettie Cowman wrote about this in her book, Streams in the Desert. When meditating on God’s word, she also concluded that brokenness makes ordinary faithful people into spiritually powerful children of God. She used these words:
“GOD uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob’s natural strength at Peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses’ rod, that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.
It was when the 300 elect soldiers under Gideon broke their pitchers, a type of breaking themselves, that the hidden lights shone forth to the consternation of their adversaries. It was when the poor widow broke the seal of the little pot of oil, and poured it forth, that God multiplied it to pay her debts and supply means of support.
It was when Esther risked her life and broke through the rigid etiquette of a heathen court, that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. It was when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them, that the bread was multiplied in the very act of breaking, sufficient to feed five thousand. It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinners to drink and live.
It is when a beautiful grain of corn is broken up in the earth by DEATH, that its inner heart sprouts forth and bears hundreds of other grains. And thus, on and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation, and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS.
Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God’s glory. “ (pp. 298-299).
Do you see it now? The breaking of the bread in communion has direct implications in YOUR spiritual life. God will use those moments of brokenness to bring you closer to HIM. Jesus will be your guide. HE was put through it. HE knows what it’s like. When your time of brokenness comes, remember that God will be working more powerfully in that moment. God will be purifying and perfecting your soul, preparing you for eternal life…. If you respond faithfully to God in Christ.
After Jesus gathered with the disciples for HIS Last Supper, Jesus instituted the first mention in scripture of communion. Jesus “took some bread and blessed it. Then HE broke it in pieces and gave it to disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.” (Mark 14:22). With these words Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion still practiced today the world over by Christians. Jesus also took the cup and shared that with HIS disciples. But for a moment, let’s focus on these first words of communion by Jesus. You see, there is something much deeper in the words that Jesus chose and the actions HE made as HE used the bread for that first communion.
For a long time in my life, I took those words, “Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it, saying “This is my body”” to mean that Jesus’ body was to be broken on a cross. The bread was a symbol of Jesus’ broken body that was beaten and bloodied and hammered upon the cross. His body was broken on the cross as a symbol for God breaking the hold of sin in our lives. Jesus was a perfect sacrifice for our sin. He was a perfect atonement for our sin-guilt. While all this is true, there is more to the story.
Why did Jesus “break the bread”? Why didn’t HE slice the bread? Why didn't HE offer a small loaf to each? Some people simply figured that Jesus broke up a loaf of bread into pieces for the disciples as a matter of sharing ONE loaf. They saw it as a sign of each follower of Christ being part of ONE body of faith. That also is true. However, I believe there is more to the breaking of the bread.
In the gospels, when Jesus fed the 5000, HE broke the bread. When Jesus fed the 7,000, HE broke the bread. Communion ever since has even been called “The Breaking of the Bread”. Added to all this symbology and imagery and meaning, I think the breaking of the bread has one more spiritual meaning to add; one more piece of wisdom to offer you.
Throughout the Bible, people who followed the will of God were often placed in situations where their body or their will was broken to accomplish a great spiritual victory for God. Elijah was threatened with death by Ahab and Jezebel, only to flee to the wilderness and suffer famine. His body was beaten. His stamina was gone. He asked God to die (1 Kings 19). What did God do? God sent an angel to feed Elijah, then God called Elijah to get back to ministry and anoint a successor prophet and successor king to lead and guide Israel. With renewed vigor, Elijah set about the task. Every other prophet, priest or leader who was spiritually powerful and supremely faithful was broken in some way. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was cast into a pit and sold into slavery. Moses fled to the wilderness and was rejected by the Egyptians. The prophet Jeremiah was led off in chains just before the exile. The apostle Paul was thrown into prison and suffered shipwrecks and stoning. Stephen was martyred. Even Jesus, when beginning HIS ministry, had to suffer temptation by Satan in the wilderness as Jesus fasted for 40 days.
Don’t you see? When you suffer, God will use that suffering to break your pride and worldly desires. God will renew you with faith. God will deepen your love for HIM. God will make you into a more worthy soul. In the same way metal must be melted in order to purify it and make it more valuable, your life must go through brokenness in order to purify your soul, strengthen your Spirit, and make you more worthy. When Jesus initiated communion, HE was reminding you that brokenness will be experienced by those who are truly faithful. Where the faithless will fall apart when broken, the faithful will be spiritually supercharged!
A hundred years ago, Lettie Cowman wrote about this in her book, Streams in the Desert. When meditating on God’s word, she also concluded that brokenness makes ordinary faithful people into spiritually powerful children of God. She used these words:
“GOD uses most for His glory those people and things which are most perfectly broken. The sacrifices He accepts are broken and contrite hearts. It was the breaking down of Jacob’s natural strength at Peniel that got him where God could clothe him with spiritual power. It was breaking the surface of the rock at Horeb, by the stroke of Moses’ rod, that let out the cool waters to thirsty people.
It was when the 300 elect soldiers under Gideon broke their pitchers, a type of breaking themselves, that the hidden lights shone forth to the consternation of their adversaries. It was when the poor widow broke the seal of the little pot of oil, and poured it forth, that God multiplied it to pay her debts and supply means of support.
It was when Esther risked her life and broke through the rigid etiquette of a heathen court, that she obtained favor to rescue her people from death. It was when Jesus took the five loaves and broke them, that the bread was multiplied in the very act of breaking, sufficient to feed five thousand. It was when Mary broke her beautiful alabaster box, rendering it henceforth useless, that the pent-up perfume filled the house. It was when Jesus allowed His precious body to be broken to pieces by thorns and nails and spear, that His inner life was poured out, like a crystal ocean, for thirsty sinners to drink and live.
It is when a beautiful grain of corn is broken up in the earth by DEATH, that its inner heart sprouts forth and bears hundreds of other grains. And thus, on and on, through all history, and all biography, and all vegetation, and all spiritual life, God must have BROKEN THINGS.
Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God’s glory. “ (pp. 298-299).
Do you see it now? The breaking of the bread in communion has direct implications in YOUR spiritual life. God will use those moments of brokenness to bring you closer to HIM. Jesus will be your guide. HE was put through it. HE knows what it’s like. When your time of brokenness comes, remember that God will be working more powerfully in that moment. God will be purifying and perfecting your soul, preparing you for eternal life…. If you respond faithfully to God in Christ.