“And when He had taken some bread and 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.’ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood’ (Luke 22:19-20).

We read in the Gospels about how the Lord took the bread and blessed it and gave thanks. The root word behind “given thanks” comes from the Greek eucharista. This is why we often call The Lord’s Supper the sacrement of the Eucharist. Our churches commonly refer to this as “Communion;” however many in the Body of Christ call it the Eucharist. This refers to the root idea in the Greek word for “giving thanks”.

We know that there is great power in the communion. It is our connection with the Lord, our memorial of His suffering and death, and the provision of salvation from our sins. But at the heart of it all is that the Lord first sat down and gave thanks to God His father. From the very outset, Jesus makes thanksgiving the priority.

Let’s follow in our Lord’s example. Come before the Father and thank Him for the provision of Jesus Christ the Son, for our adoption into God’s family. Next time we partake of Communion, begin by saying, “Thank you Father for your love and grace expressed in Jesus Christ.”

11/26/2017 Sunday AM, Shiloh in Kalona, IA