When we partake of the bread and wine together as we are about to do, we are doing much more than partaking of just the bread and wine—even though physical eating and drinking is mysterious enough. In addition to the bread and wine, there are also other glorious things displayed.
There is a true and ultimate fellowship here, and it is a fellowship that operates on a number of different levels.
First and foremost, we are partaking of Christ. The Holy Spirit has gathered all of us up, and has brought us into the heavenly places where Christ is enthroned, and in that place He enables us to commune in Him, and also with Him.
Second, we together are all the body of Christ and this means that we are partaking of one another. This is the assigned way for us to say to one another, “My life for yours.” We partake of the one loaf, and in this way we demonstrate that we are the one loaf. You cannot partake of Christ without also partaking of his people. To be friends with the bridegroom is to be friends with the bride.
And third, even though we partake of a risen Christ, a living Christ, in some mysterious way we also partake in the proclamation of a dead Christ. As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, Paul says, we proclaim Christ’s death until he comes. We know that Christ is alive because He is coming, but we also know that He died for sin, once for all, and that death is constantly displayed to the word through this meal.