Till He Comes

Every communion service tells a story.

The bread and grape juice quietly point backward to Calvary. Our participation speaks to our present relationship with Christ and with one another. And the words of Jesus direct our eyes toward the future—to the day when He will return.

In this communion message from Fannin County Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Valentin Rusu focuses on the words of 1 Corinthians 11:26:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

Communion is an unspoken sermon about the past, present, and future.

Looking Back to Calvary

Jesus told His disciples:

“Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Biblical remembrance is more than recalling historical information.

Communion calls us to bring the reality of Christ’s sacrifice into our present experience.

We remember:

• His body given for us
• His blood shed for us
• His suffering
• His love
• His forgiveness
• His victory over sin and death

The more clearly we contemplate Jesus and His sacrifice, the more meaningful the communion service becomes.

Remembering Jesus Personally

Pastor Rusu illustrated how powerful memories can bring past experiences vividly into the present.

A joyful memory can cause us to experience the happiness again.

A painful memory can awaken emotions years later.

Jesus intentionally connected communion with remembrance.

The question therefore becomes:

What does the communion table awaken in our hearts?

Does it lead us back to the cross?

Does it remind us what our salvation cost?

Does it deepen our gratitude for Jesus?

Spend Time Contemplating Christ

Communion becomes more meaningful when Christ occupies more of our thoughts throughout the week.

When we study His life, meditate upon His sacrifice, and spend time at the foot of the cross, the symbols of communion cease to feel routine.

They become personal.

The bread reminds us:

He gave Himself for me.

The cup reminds us:

His blood was shed for me.

Our assurance is not based upon our own righteousness.

It rests upon Jesus Christ.

Communion and the Present

Paul does not say merely that communion remembers something that happened long ago.

He says:

“You proclaim the Lord’s death.”

That is present tense.

Every time believers participate in the Lord’s Supper, they proclaim something.

We proclaim that:

• Jesus truly died
• His sacrifice matters
• His death provides atonement for sin
• Salvation comes through Christ
• We are not ashamed of the cross
• Jesus remains our Savior

Communion is therefore a form of Christian witness.

An Unspoken Sermon

No sermon necessarily has to be preached for the communion table to speak.

The bread and cup themselves proclaim the gospel.

They declare:

Jesus died.

Jesus gave Himself for sinners.

Jesus offers forgiveness.

Jesus is our hope.

The ordinances become a visible testimony of faith.

Communion Calls Us to Reconciliation

Communion is also a time of:

• Self-examination
• Confession
• Forgiveness
• Reconciliation
• Renewal

This is one reason Seventh-day Adventists practice the ordinance of humility—the washing of one another’s feet—before the Lord’s Supper.

It gives believers an opportunity to humble themselves before God and one another.

We come to the Lord’s table not clinging to pride and resentment, but seeking reconciliation.

One Bread and One Body

First Corinthians 10:17 says that although we are many, we are one bread and one body.

Communion therefore has a powerful unifying meaning.

At the table:

• Social distinctions lose their importance.
• Personal pride must be surrendered.
• Past offenses should be forgiven.
• Believers recognize one another as family in Christ.

Our unity is not created by identical personalities.

It is created by Jesus.

His body and blood unite us.

We Are Family in Christ

The communion service reminds us that Christianity is not merely an individual experience.

We belong to a body.

We belong to one another.

We share one Savior.

We share one hope.

We share one destination.

Christians may come from different countries, cultures, ages, and backgrounds, but at the Lord’s table we meet as redeemed sinners dependent upon the same grace.

Looking Toward the Future

The communion service does not end at the cross.

Paul says:

“Till He comes.”

Those three words direct our attention toward the Second Coming.

We remember Christ’s death because Jesus died.

We participate today because He lives.

And we continue participating because He is coming again.

Jesus Made a Remarkable Promise

Jesus told His disciples that He would not again drink of the fruit of the vine until He drank it with them in His Father’s kingdom.

That promise gives communion an extraordinary future dimension.

The table is incomplete.

Someone is missing.

Jesus has promised that one day He will share that fellowship with His redeemed people again.

Waiting for the Great Reunion

Pastor Rusu illustrated this with families whose loved ones were away serving in the military.

At important meals, some families left an empty chair and place setting.

The chair communicated:

We have not forgotten you.

We are waiting for you to come home.

The communion table carries a similar hope.

Jesus is absent physically now.

But He has promised to return.

The empty place points forward to reunion.

Every Communion Is a Rehearsal

Revelation 19:9 describes the marriage supper of the Lamb.

One day, the symbolic meal will give way to the reality.

The redeemed will be gathered with Christ.

The long separation will be over.

Sin will be finished.

Death will be defeated.

The family of God will finally be together.

In that sense, every communion service is a rehearsal dinner for the kingdom.

From Symbol to Reality

Today we receive symbols.

Bread.

Grape juice.

A simple table.

But these symbols point to something far greater.

One day faith will become sight.

The Savior whom we remember will stand before us.

The One whose death we proclaim will return in glory.

The hope expressed in the words “till He comes” will be fulfilled.

Why This Message Matters

Communion can become familiar.

Because we repeat it, we may be tempted to approach it casually.

But the Lord’s Supper contains the whole gospel story.

It tells us:

• Jesus died for us.
• Jesus forgives us.
• Jesus unites us.
• Jesus lives.
• Jesus is coming again.

That is why communion should never become merely another church ritual.

It is a declaration of faith.

Practical Application

Before your next communion service:

• Spend time contemplating the closing scenes of Christ’s life.
• Ask God to reveal any sin that needs confession.
• Seek reconciliation with someone if necessary.
• Forgive those who have offended you.
• Remember personally what Christ has done for you.
• Participate in the ordinance of humility with a surrendered heart.
• Receive the bread and cup with gratitude.
• Renew your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus.
• Remember that Christ is coming again.
• Ask God to prepare you for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Past, Present, and Future

The communion table points in three directions.

Past:
Christ died for us.

Present:
We proclaim His death and live as one body in Him.

Future:
We continue until He comes.

The Christian life exists between Calvary and the Second Coming.

We look backward with gratitude.

We live today by faith.

And we look forward with hope.

Closing Appeal

The next time you come to the communion table, do not see merely bread and grape juice.

See Calvary.

Remember Jesus.

Recognize your brothers and sisters as one family in Christ.

And then look toward the empty chair.

Jesus has promised that the separation will not last forever.

One day He will return.

One day the symbols will give way to reality.

One day we will sit together in His kingdom.

Until then, we proclaim His death—

Till He comes.

Short Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your body and shedding Your blood for our salvation. Help us never to approach communion casually. Bring the cross vividly before our minds, reconcile us with one another, and strengthen our faith in Your promise to return. Prepare us for the day when we will sit with You at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Until You come, help us faithfully proclaim Your death and live in the blessed hope of Your return. Amen.

Discussion Questions

• What does Jesus mean when He says, “Do this in remembrance of Me”?
• How does communion proclaim the gospel without words?
• Why are forgiveness and reconciliation important before communion?
• How does the Lord’s Supper strengthen unity in the church?
• What is the significance of the phrase “till He comes”?
• How does Jesus’ promise concerning the fruit of the vine point toward His kingdom?
• In what sense is communion a rehearsal for the marriage supper of the Lamb?
• How can you make your next communion experience more meaningful?