Presence of the Lord in the Communion

OT Lesson: Genesis 14:17-20 (NIV)

After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying,

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.’

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

NT Lesson: Matthew 26:26-28 (NRSV)

While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it He broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. Last weekend was extended due to Memorial Day. Do we call it the May Long Weekend? In Canada, they have their May Long Weekend a week earlier than us with Victoria Day on the penultimate Monday of May. They also have another long weekend in September with Labour Day on the first Monday of the month. Many Canadians consider the period between these two long weekends as their summer season. 

For those unfamiliar, Victoria Day is a Canadian federal holiday that honours Queen Victoria, who transformed Canada from a colony to a dominion allowing autonomy. It also marks the official birthday of the current monarch, regardless of the actual birth date of the king or queen. 

So, how was your May Long Weekend or the entire week? It was Samuel’s first week off from school. We went to Louisville last Monday and stayed one night at a hotel because he loves bridges. We visited the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge, which was originally a train bridge. Then, Samuel and Hannah went to Chicago last Wednesday and came back yesterday. They went to a beach on Lake Michigan, the Science Museum, Navy Pier, and more. I believe Samuel had a lot of fun. I hope you all had an enjoyable week, just like Samuel did.

Immanuel

Two Sundays ago, we celebrated Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon all the believers. Last Sunday was Trinity Sunday, a day dedicated to celebrating the Triune God: one God in three Persons. Today, let us discuss why these two Sundays are significant for us.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied to King Ahaz, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” When describing the birth of Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew refers to this prophecy, saying, “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.” I’m using the NRSV, which uses both Emmanuel and Immanuel, but they are the same word with different spellings. Most English Bibles use Immanuel for the Old Testament and Emmanuel for the New Testament, but I think it would be more consistent to stick to one spelling throughout.

The Gospel of Matthew emphasises Emmanuel in the context of Jesus’ birth, and this word has become a cornerstone of Christian theology. As you know, Emmanuel means “God with us.” In traditional Judaism, God is seen as residing in heaven, looking down upon us. However, in Christianity, God was, is, and will be with us at all times. Jesus, being a member of the Trinity, was physically present with us on earth. After He ascended, the Holy Spirit came to be with us and has remained with us spiritually because God is Spirit. Just as Father God is in Jesus, God is in us and with us.

The concept of God being with us here and now, rather than distant and far away, is a blessed assurance and a great comfort. It is a truth worth remembering repeatedly. This is why Jesus transformed the Passover meal into Communion, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Abraham’s Communion

In John 8, Jesus claimed that He met Abraham, a statement that angered the Jewish people. Since the book of Genesis does not explicitly mention Jesus, we can only speculate about what Jesus was referring to. One possible moment is the Old Testament passage from last Sunday, where the Triune God appeared to Abraham before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Another possibility is today’s Old Testament scripture.

After Abraham won the battle and rescued his nephew Lot, he met Melchizedek, who is the king of Salem and the priest of the Most High God. Salem is a city in southern Indiana, but its name is the same as Shalom, meaning peace. Therefore, the king of Salem means the king of peace or the prince of peace. Melchizedek’s name means “king of righteousness” in Hebrew. Additionally, he is described as the priest of the Most High God. For these reasons, the book of Hebrews depicts Melchizedek as a figure representing Jesus Christ. To add one more, Abraham gave one tenth of everything he had to Melchizedek. One tenth is tithe, and to whom do we give our tithes?

Melchizedek met Abraham with bread and wine, the same elements used in Communion. This suggests that Abraham experienced a form of Communion even before the Passover meal was instituted. Through this Communion, Melchizedek was with Abraham, and Abraham partook in the symbolic flesh and blood of Christ. Thus, the Lord’s presence was with Abraham through this sacred act of partaking the Communion.

Eucharist

The Communion, also known as the Lord’s Table or the Eucharist, comes from the Greek word “εὐχαριστία” which means thanksgiving. It was named as the Thanksgiving because Jesus gave thanks at the beginning of the Communion. This sacrament is one of the two sacraments in the Reformed Church and one of the seven in the Catholic Church. During the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Therefore, we need to remember Jesus Christ and the truth of Immanuel, that God is always with us.

However, it is not just about remembering. In John 6, Jesus preached, “Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood have eternal life… Those who eat My flesh and drink My blood abide in Me and I in them.” Through the Trinity, we understand that God the Father is in Jesus the Son, and Jesus the Son is in God the Father. Similarly, we are in Jesus and Jesus is in us through Communion, because what we eat is the flesh of Jesus and what we drink is the blood of Christ. Jesus Christ is present in the Communion just as He was with His disciples at the Last Supper.

For two millennia, theologians and priests have agreed on the presence of the Lord in Communion, but there has been much debate on how this presence manifests. During the early Reformation, there were fierce arguments on this topic, and there still is no universal agreement or conclusion.

Catholics believe in transubstantiation, meaning that during Communion, the bread physically becomes the flesh of Jesus and the wine turns into the blood of Christ. In other words, the bread and wine transform into the actual body and blood of Christ. In plain English, carbohydrate into protein. Martin Luther argued against this, noting that the bread does not taste like flesh and the wine does not taste like blood. Instead, he proposed consubstantiation, where the body and blood of Christ are present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine, meaning the physical presence is there but not detectable by taste.

Zwingli from Switzerland found both transubstantiation and consubstantiation scientifically implausible. He argued that the Communion elements do not change and that the presence of the Lord is purely symbolic, much like saying your heart is with your family before a long trip.

John Calvin dismissed these arguments, stating that the physical transformation is unscientific and that reducing the presence of the Lord to mere symbolism nullifies His words. Calvin taught that Christ is truly and actually present at the Lord’s Table, but His presence is spiritual rather than physical. He believed that the Holy Spirit unites believers with the risen Christ in a real and meaningful way during Communion, allowing them to partake of Christ spiritually.

These are the major theological views on the presence of the Lord in Communion. I personally follow John Calvin’s teaching not because I am a Presbyterian pastor, but because that makes most sense to me. Though I take John Calvin’s teaching, I do not ridicule other views. You may choose to believe in transubstantiation and still be a Presbyterian. That is not a problem. The purpose of today’s sermon is not to delve into these theological debates, which we already did, but to understand the significance of Communion in our faith.

Lord’s Presence Not Bound Nor Limited

We take Communion here in this sanctuary, and then we often become locked in our own thoughts and habits. We tend to think that God is here in this sanctuary, and that is true. However, we also tend to think that God is only here in this sanctuary and that God is confined within these sanctuary walls. But the truth is, the resurrected Jesus walked through walls. No walls in the world can confine our God. And also God is not locked up in heaven.

The disciples of Jesus had the last Passover meal, or the very first Lord’s Table, in the upper room. It was in this same room that they received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. But the presence of the Lord was not limited to the upper room. That was merely the starting point where Isaiah’s prophecy of Immanuel came true. Through the disciples and with the disciples, the Lord’s presence spread from the upper room to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, to Rome, to Spain, to India, to Indiana, to Africa, and to the ends of the earth. Wherever they went, the God of Immanuel was with them.

We come to church, and by taking Communion, we feel the presence of the Lord in this very sanctuary. But some people, when they leave the church building, leave the presence of the Lord behind, like saying, “Hey, Jesus. See you next Sunday. Wait for me right here.” But the truth is, God is with us no matter where we go. For those who work, God is with you at your workplace while you are working. After work, when you come home, relax on your couch, and watch a sports game on TV, God is still with you at home. For those who are retired, God is with you wherever you go and whatever you do. That is the God of Immanuel. That is the true meaning of the birth of Jesus. And that is the essence of Pentecost—God is with us whenever and wherever.

Untraditional Elements

From the Midweek and the monthly newsletter, you may already know that we have some untraditional Communion elements today. If you prefer the traditional elements, don’t worry—we have those available as well, so you can choose whichever you like. 

While we refer to American style baked bread and grape juice as traditional, it is important to remember that during the time of Jesus and His disciples, they never ate these specific items. Grape juice, for instance, did not exist until Welch invented it a few decades ago, and the bread we use is not ancient Jewish bread. So, to those ancient people, what we now call traditional elements would actually seem quite untraditional.

Today, I have prepared coffee and Tim Bits in Canadian English, or doughnut holes in American English. I got them yesterday from Titus Bakery, where I met Barbara Belt. It was such a pleasant surprise meeting wonderful people unexpectedly. The reason I chose doughnut holes and coffee is that most Americans frequently eat doughnuts and drink coffee at work, not just police officers but everybody. Communion is meant to remind us of the truth that God is with us. So, with these untraditional elements of doughnut holes and coffee, I’d like to remind you and myself of the same truth—that God is with us when we are working at our workplaces.

Let me expand the meaning of these Communion elements. Not only is God with us when we are working, but also when we are relaxing at home or enjoying a vacation far away. We can extend this even further because God’s presence is not limited only to the physical locations. When we are in bliss and happiness, God is with us. When we are in fear and anger, or in sadness and anxiety, God is still with us. When we are in despair or shame, God is with us. Sometimes He is next to us, hand in hand as a companion. Sometimes He is behind us, backing us. Sometimes He is before us, leading and guiding us. Sometimes He is above us, protecting us. Sometimes He is underneath us, supporting and sustaining us. 

Sometimes we can sense the presence of the Lord, and other times we may not. Nonetheless, God is always with us because He is the God of Immanuel, who is in us and in whom we are, through this Holy Communion.

Conclusion

Friends, when you take the Communion elements today, please remember that our God is the God of Immanuel, and that God is with us whenever and wherever. We have two different types of Communion elements, and it does not matter which ones you choose. Bread and grape juice? God is with you all the time because He is the God of Immanuel. Doughnut holes and coffee? God is with you regardless of space and time because our God transcends these barriers of space and time.

Remind yourself of this truth repeatedly. And when you go home today after the worship service, take Jesus with you because He promised us, saying, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Amen.