Communion Sunday is a reminder that Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of this table. He is to be our eternal focus and we find our lives as we put Him central to all.
Saying grace at the table – “grace” is the Greek word “charis” and our attention here is that it conveys not just what we say, but what Jesus did and how grateful we are.
Today is Super Bowl Sunday, where the players will take their place on the field, with the play starting on the 50 yard line-in the middle of the playing field. Jesus won our eternity and played His hand(s) at the middle place, as well. Jesus is called the Mediator -the one in the middle. Not only was He on the middle cross – and He is our deciding factor in heaven or hell, but He also got in the middle of the punishment aimed at us. It is alluded to here as a wall of partition – a barrier to God’s presence. It begins that “in” Christ- our position, for we formerly were out-way out. The Greek word “in” is “en”, meaning, “in, on, among, inside”. We were brought nearby blood, for those far and near. The term for “far off”, in verse 13, is “makran”, meaning, “long way off, remote, alien”. Like a remote control, God was way off-fuzzy, and we couldn’t get the picture right. This meant the Gentiles, those who couldn’t even get close with the law and offerings. Those “near”, which is the Greek word “eggus”, meaning “near by”, were the Jews. They were closer in relational terms, but even they weren’t close enough because of the law and its barrier to grace. Then, verse 14 reminds us that Jesus is our peace (He doesn’t bring it; He’s it), and the Greek word for “peace” is “eirene” (I-ray-nay) – “peace of mind, health and welfare”, from “eiro”, meaning, “to join, tie together as a whole – wholeness; God’s gift of wholeness”. In pronunciation of main word, notice “ray” is in there. The peace of Jesus is a ray of light. He broke down the barrier and became the wall/door/surety. “Having broken down the wall” is in past tense, and phrase “broke down” is Greek word “lusas”, from “luo”, meaning “to loose, release, unbind hands, untie, release what’s been held back”. He shattered the Ten Commandments/law, in that it could no longer get in the way. The “wall” here is Greek word “mesotoichon”, from “mesos” means “middle, in midst” and “toichos” means “wall”. Jesus has broken down the “fence”, “fragmos” – where we get fragment, meaning, “a fencing in, hedge, enclosed barrier”. Jesus united both far and near in being the centerpiece of the supper -the meal of grace, and we can partake with confidence, provided we are a Christian. Reconciler, arbitrator and peace maker is the fulfillment of verse 17, which is a reference to Isaiah 57:19. Jesus is the Evangelizer of His own message. He lived it, died for it, ascended to validate it before the court of heaven, and will return to pick up His bounty.