Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely, therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Sermon Text

Every month we gather together and celebrate a sacred meal called “Holy Communion.” It has its roots in two separate celebrations of the church. The first was the “Love Feast,” or “Agape.” Once a day, or at least once a week, the Church would gather and share a meal together. They would collect money for the poor and needy, feed one another from what each was able to provide, and praise God with hymns and scripture. The second service was offered only when the Bishop was present, the Eucharist. This was the consecration of bread and wine, transforming it into the Spiritual Food Christ promised us when he first took up bread and cup and said, “This is my body… This is my blood…”

Overtime the Church grew, and the role of Bishop became to oversee more and more churches. It was then given to Elders, consecrated leaders within the congregation, that they should oversee the eucharist and the love feast. Over time, love feasts became less common, and the communal meal collapsed into the celebration of the Eucharist, and together they became “Holy Communion.” You will still often hear this meal called “the Eucharist,” or “the Great Thanksgiving,” because of the love feast and the eucharist, only one was commanded by Christ, so the features of the Eucharist are the primary features retained in our celebrations today.

This meal is a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice for us. When we celebrate it, we are reminded that Christ died for us, because we are somehow brought into Christ’s physical presence through this meal. The bread is no longer bread, it is Jesus’s body. The cup is no longer filled with juice or wine, it is filled with Jesus’s blood. The change is not in the matter of the elements; they still taste and look and feel like what they once were. Yet, somehow, spiritually, Christ is now present with us within them. This will be the blood of Christ, spilt on the cross. This will be the body of Christ, as it dies, as it lays dead, and as it exists in glory forever,

Through this sacrament we receive the strength necessary to make it through life. We do so because it allows us to meet the reality of Christ’s sacrifice once again. While my favorite Communion Service is setting IV in our hymnal, I appreciate how the standard United Methodist one walks us through the importance of Christ’s sacrifice for us.

In our invitation we are reminded, “Jesus Christ invites to this table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sins, and seek to live in peace with one another.” Through our confession we remember that Christ did not die without reason, but because of our very real and continual sin. Most importantly, we are given the assurance that “Christ died for us while we were yet sinners…”

Hear those words again, hear them well and tattoo them on your hearts. Christ did not die for a theoretically perfect version of you. Christ did not die for everyone but you. Christ died for you, for me, for all the world, “while we were yet sinners.” Why does that matter? Because, “That proves God’s love for us.” God loved you enough to die, God loved you enough to die before you even existed, and God loved you enough to give you the means to fully escape sin through the benefits of his suffering, death and resurrection.

I could go through some horribly gory description of crucifixion, but I do not think that is necessary. We all know Christ suffered. We all know Christ died for us. We know this because the proof is about to be laid out in front of us. Christ, on this altar today, is crucified. Christ, on this altar today, is risen and in glory. Christ, on this altar today, will come again to be among us. Today, as you take up the cup and you eat of this bread, do so with the full knowledge that the cost of the grace you receive was paid with blood and pain and great difficulty. All so that you may fully enjoy a chance at life, and life abundant. – Amen.