The Holy Spirit and Jesus' Presence

Bible Insights with Wayne Conrad

On the day of his resurrection from the dead Jesus twice revealed himself to his disciples at a meal. He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:31f and Luke 24:43). Perhaps this is the reason the Lord's Supper or Communion is referred to in Acts as "the breaking of the bread" (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7).
Jesus connected his spiritual presence to the partaking of bread in his teaching on himself as the bread of God come down from heaven in John 6.
A question: How do we know Jesus today? I have never seen Jesus in the flesh, or heard his voice, yet I can say that I know him. I am not just speaking about him in the New Testament narratives but really knowing him personally and having fellowship with him. True, God's Word is necessary, but the Holy Spirit is the One who makes Jesus known. Jesus spoke of him as another Paraclete, or Helper - the Counselor who would come in his name and make Jesus known to us. Jesus spoke of what we now call the Lord's Supper as a meal in which we take and eat bread and share a poured cup of the fruit of the vine . He used these words of instruction and interpretation, "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-29)
Paul brings all of this together in 1 Corinthians 10:16 where he writes, "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" The required answer from the context is "Yes." "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread." He contrasts this with pagan worshippers partaking communion with demons in their feasts. He is speaking of the real spiritual presence of either demons, on the one hand, or the Lord Jesus himself, on the other hand. Paul writes, "I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons."
The Holy Spirit is the One who makes Christ Jesus' presence real to us. Through the Holy Spirit we have communion, fellowship, participation with the living Ascended Jesus Christ who is in his body with the Father, yet spiritually present with us by the Holy Spirit. Some words in the communion service express this truth, "Take and eat, and feed upon Christ in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving."

Bible Insights with Wayne Conrad
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Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.