Have you ever had someone come up to you and say, “Hi!  You resemble someone I know.  Or you look like one of my friends or relatives.”

 

You may agree with me that we may look or resemble someone but we are totally different persons.  We seem to have the same body features but we are different.  We may project similar treats and mannerisms but we are different in various ways.  However, as human beings and more so as Christians we have one thing in common and that is our faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew 1, Verse 23, the angel spoke to Joseph saying: 

 

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

Which means, “God is with us.”

 

This faith in Jesus Christ should bind us together even though physically we are different.  How can this happen?  This can happen by us Living in Union With Christ Jesus.  Firstly:  Living in union with Christ Jesus, we must remember that he is with us (St. Matthew 1, Verse 23).  We may be in different places.  We may be of different class.  We may be of different ethic group.  But we must believe and accept that Christ is amongst us.  St. Matthew 26, Verse 20 says,  “When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve.” (NRSV of the Bible)  Another version of the Bible may say, “He took his place among them,” or further yet, “He sat at the table with the disciples.”

 

Jesus is with us.  We must think of those around the world on this Worldwide Communion Sunday; those who are coming around the Holy Table.  We are at this time in different nations and places.  Let us think of a family member or anyone who is away from us and probably will be partaking in Holy Communion.  We can recall our union with them; we can reflect on our relationship with them.  Our union, our oneness should bring us closer in a relationship each day as we share life in our homes, our work places, our social events, and our church worship and activities. We must always be conscious that Jesus Christ is with us.  He is calling us to be in union with him.   In the Gospel according to St. John 15, Verse 9, and following, Jesus said to his disciples:

 

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.  I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

 

If we are not in union with Christ, if our spiritual life is not in connection with him, well then our earthly union with others may gradually fall apart.  But when we are in one with Christ, our common faith in him will make us strong to face life’s journey with its ups-and-downs with others as well as in our activities.

 

Secondly:  Living in Union with Christ calls for our confession -- both our confession of sin as well as our confession of faith.  In St. Matthew 26, Verse 21, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”  Some of the disciples said, “Surely not I, Lord.”  Judas, who betrayed him said, “Surely, not I Rabbi?”  Jesus replied, “You have said so.”

 

A common meal, especially the Passover, implied a pledge and obligation of love, “companion” togetherness, and union. For the Passover was a reminder of the history of the Hebrews, the Israelites when they were in bondage, and their hard time in Egypt by the Pharaohs.  The story will be told by the head of the home about the incident when God sent the angel of death to Egypt, and the angel of death passed over their homes and they were saved.   No wonder the disciples were sad when they were told that one of them was a traitor.  They began to say, “Is it I Lord?”  Phillip Brooks argued, “That it was a mark of nobility that each man read his own heart instead of accusing his neighbor.”

 

By Jesus saying this it provided the traitor with an opportunity to examine himself whether he must still do what he wanted to do.   We will consider that Jesus even said a terrible in St. Matthew 26, Verse 24: “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

 

Sometimes we are given the chance to change, but we continue in sin.  Living in union in Christ extends that opportunity for change in our lives when we confess our sins. 

 

In the confession of our sin is also tied up in our confession of faith in Christ Jesus as we proclaim him as our Lord and Savior.

 

Verse 26, “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat this is my body.”   

 

Then he took a cup saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

 

The bread and the wine are symbols to remind us that Jesus body and blood was shared for our sin.  If our sins separate us from him, he has made provision for us to be in union with him.  We must rejoice at his giving of himself for us.  We must seek to be in union with him in our confession.  In St. Matthew, Chapter 16, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?   They said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”  He said to his disciple, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah the Son of the living God.”  And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!  For flesh and blood has not revealed that to you, but my Father in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

 

Our confession is very important in building our union with Christ.  He wants us to know who he is and in whom we must believe.  We must believe in the Messiah who is the Christ; he Lord Jesus, the anointed one is God with us.

 

Thirdly:  Living in Union In Christ calls for our commitment to Christ (St. Matthew).  Jesus said to his disciples, “You will all be deserters because of me this night for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.  But after I am raised up I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

 

Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.”  This is a commitment that Peter was making to Jesus.

 

In the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 6, Verse 68, Simon Peter answered him: “Lord, to whom can we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

 

As members of the church we are always reminded of our commitment to the church as well as our commitment to Christ Jesus.  When we make our commitment to Christ, it will be easier for us to be committed to the work and witness of the Christ.  We have our commitment, may we renew them today on this Worldwide Communion Sunday as Christ calls us to remember his body and blood shared for us and for many.  We are called to be committed to the church and community.  Yesterday Minister David Baak and I attended the AIDS Walk.  It was good to see so many people giving their support and especially to see so many youths understanding and supporting the cause.

 

Conclusion:  Living in Union with Christ we must always be aware that he is with us.  We must confess our sin and with conviction boldly declare our faith in him, and we must daily make our commitment to him and his church and we shall be rewarded.

 

Illustration:  A story was once told of a single mother and her son.  Each day the son came home from school he would say to his mom the children were molesting him.  All she would say to him is don’t bother but she powdered about. The boy came to the conclusion that his mother did not like him.  But he did not know about the great union his mom had with him until the day he came home all beaten up.  He said to her that they had beaten him but don’t bother.  He ran to his room.  His mom went to his room.  She found him on his bed.  She lay beside him and listened to his story.  She still did not respond and she left the room.  The boy said to himself she really did not care.  The boy turned on the bed onto the pillow where his mom was and he felt that the pillow was wet. That made him a better boy to his mom for she cried when he cried. Then he realized that they had a strong union. 

 

Our union with Christ can be a great one, even though at times we may feel that Christ is not responding as we would like him to.  He is there with us; we must make our confessions to him and about him.  We must make our commitments to him, his church, and his community.

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

 

Amen.