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It is amazing how you can go your whole life knowing something and not really connect the dots.  You are taught certain things and until the cold water hits your face – you do not really see it or get it.  What on earth am I talking about – communion.

All my life I have celebrated communion.  As a Christ follower, it is what Jesus told us to do, to remember Him with the act of communion.  However, this Easter as I participated in the festivities, I saw something for the first time.  I am sure you already knew, but I had not made the connection.  Maybe it is denominational and I have just never been around any that recognized it the Jesus way.

Traditionally, when communion is presented there are two elements.  The first element is the bread which is used to represent Jesus’ body that was broken for us. The second is the wine (or juice) which is used to represent his blood that was shed for us. However, celebrating Easter as a Christ follower, we all know that Jesus’ body was not broken.

The Bible tells us in John 19:36, “For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, ‘Not a bone of Him shall be broken.’” 

In the same chapter of John it says His legs were not broken. Psalms says, “…not one of them was broken.”  Scripture supports that Jesus did not have a broken body.  With the practice of crucifixion, normally bones are broken.

This misguided “his body broken for us” all came from translation.  The gospels tell us that Jesus “gave” his body for us, In Matthew 26:26, “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.  Luke 22:19: And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

I knew from studying over the years that Scripture was fulfilled with no broken bones, but I had never connected that when I practiced communion, it was presented His body was broken. I heard the words, ate the bread and drank the wine.  However, I never remembered that His body was not broken. 

It is absolutely true that Jesus laid his life down for all of humanity.  The meaning and sacrifice made should never be minimized.  In fact the “facts” of His death and resurrection should be amplified by the fulfillment of scripture. 

Let us rightly remember Jesus “gave” His body for us.

Yvette Perrin is a columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.