a. Today is World Wide Communion Sunday and we celebrate communion with millions of brothers and sisters around the world

b. I want us to look at the origins and what communion means today

c. I guess the question is, "Just what was Jesus doing on the night of the last supper?"

I. THE PASSOVER

a. The Passover has its beginning in Egypt and Israel's slavery

1. 400 years of slavery and looking for a Deliverer

2. Moses comes back and confronts Pharaoh

3. Pharaoh resists and God through Moses sends plagues

4. The final plague was the killing of the firstborn

5. Israelites were told to spread the blood of a sacrifice on the doorposts and the Angel of Death would "passover" their house

b. With such destruction Pharaoh told Moses to gather the people and leave immediately - In such a hurry there was no time to allow bread dough to rise so it was baked without "leaven" or "yeast" today - It was also the bread they baked daily on the way

c. The Passover Meal was then given by God to Moses as a means of helping the people remember what God had done for them

d. In its early conception three ideas were combined - The haste with which they left Egypt (unleavened bread), The Blood Sacrifice ( Spread on the doorposts) and the dedication of the firstborn.

e. This was a "family" celebration and a way of teaching faith from parent to children

f. By Jesus' day any group with a common tie could celebrate together

g. This was the meal the disciples were sharing with Jesus

1. He took what was familiar to them and gave it new and deeper meaning

2. He was the sacrifice - His body the bread - His blood the cup

II. THE BREAD

a. The bread of the Passover was also called the bread of affliction

b. Unleavened bread was used to remind the people of the days in Egypt and of the afflictions of wandering for 40 years

c. Sweetbread (leavened) was not part of Passover but prescribed for the "Thank offering"

SHARE THE BREAD

d. The bread we share today is a "sweetbread" that

1. reminds us to give thanks

2. An Earthy bread to remind us that of relationship with God reaches to the real places we live - Made with wheat and corn and honey and water and yeast and milk - the staples of life

e. It also reminds us that being God's child is not bitter affliction but sweet fellowship

HAVE THE DEACON PRAY

REMEMBER THE SACRIFICE, GIVE THANKS, TAKE AND EAT

III. THE CUP

a. Man's forgiveness for sin had been on the basis of the sacrifice

1. That sacrifice was yearly and done by the priests for the people

SHARE THE CUP

b. Jesus in this meal declares that He is the sacrifice and the final one

1. Forgiveness is now by faith in Him not other sacrifice

2. Our relationship with God is now through Christ

3. His sacrifice and our faith guarantees our home in heaven and empowers us for life here

HAVE THE DEACON PRAY

FORGIVENESS OF SIN, HOME IN HEAVEN, POWER FOR LIVING - TAKE AND DRINK

IV. THE INVITATION

a. Today we have celebrated with people around the world

b. You may not have joined with us - you can know what we know

1. Jesus' sacrifice was for you and forgiveness is for you, too

2. It comes when by faith we ask Jesus to save us from sin

c. It is in communion that we are all reminded of what it means to be a Christian

BOW WITH ME IN PRAYER

HYMN # 96 "THE OLD RUGGED CROSS"

FIRST VERSE # 359 "BLEST BE THE TIE"