"At The Table: Holy Communion” | Rev. Vicki Harrison
The Meaning of Communion
What actually happens when we come to the Table?
For New Hope, Communion Sunday is not a pause in worship — it is the center of it. Rev. Vicki Harrison turns to Matthew 26, to the night before the cross, where Jesus gathers His disciples for the Passover and takes the oldest meal of God's people and gives it a new meaning that the church has carried ever since.
Communion is a sacrament, and a sacrament — in the old and useful definition — is an outward and visible sign of an inward grace. Bread and cup we can see, hold, and taste; the grace they carry is real. Along with baptism, Communion is one of the two sacraments the church holds, and on this Sunday we come to the Table with open hands. The meal is rooted in Passover, the night God delivered His people out of slavery. At this table Jesus reveals Himself as the true Passover Lamb — "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) — whose death brings a greater deliverance still, out of sin and into life with God.
The scene unfolds in order. The disciples ask where to prepare the Passover (Matthew 26:17). Jesus sends them to a house made ready, and at the table He speaks the hardest words of the night — that one of them will betray Him (26:18–25). And then, in the middle of that room, knowing everything that is coming, He takes the bread and the cup: "Take and eat; this is my body… Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (26:26–28). This is the moment John the Baptist had pointed to years earlier: "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The message draws out four truths about what that Table means for us.
We Experience the Grace of Jesus at This Table
Communion is grace made touchable. The body given, the blood "poured out… for the forgiveness of sins" — this is the gospel placed into our hands. This is the New Covenant Jesus speaks of over the cup: God's promise to forgive our sin and restore our relationship with Him. We do not come to the Table because we have earned a seat; we come because Jesus, the Lamb of God, has already taken away the sin of the world. The bread and the cup are not a reward for the worthy. They are grace for the hungry.
We Come to the Table as One Body, United
"Drink from it, all of you." One loaf, one cup, one people. At the Table our differences do not disappear, but they are put in their place — we come as one body, united in Christ. Whatever we carry in the door, we receive the same grace side by side. Communion is the most level ground in the church.
All People Are Welcome at the Table
This is the Lord's Table, not ours to fence. Look again at that first table: Jesus knew a betrayer was in the room, and He still extended the bread. Grace goes ahead of worthiness every time. So the invitation is wide open — to the lifelong believer and the person walking in with more questions than answers. If you come to Jesus, there is a place for you here.
We Can and Should Come to the Table as Often as Possible
Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me" — not once, not rarely, but as a rhythm of the life of faith. Communion is a means of grace we return to on purpose. We do not outgrow our need for it. The more often we come, the more deeply the gospel is written on us.
We come to this Table to remember, to receive, and to be re-formed as one people by the grace of Jesus. All are welcome. Come with open hands.
Questions to Sit With
How are the Passover and Holy Communion connected?
Why do you think Jesus allowed Judas to remain at the table?
What has your own experience of Holy Communion been?
Listen to and subscribe to the audio-only podcast with your favorite podcasting app below.
Your giving is an act of worship. Your giving supports the mission and ministry of New Hope. We are changing lives, renewing the church, and transforming communities, here and abroad.
More Sermons in this Series
Other Sermons from Pastor Vicki
On Communion Sunday, Rev. Vicki Harrison opens Matthew 26 — the night before the cross, where Jesus takes the oldest meal of God's people and fills it with new meaning. "This is my body… this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." The message walks through what actually happens when we come to the Lord's Table: we experience the grace of Jesus, we come together as one body, all people are welcome, and we return to it again and again. It is not a ritual to observe from a distance — it is grace we receive with open hands.