The Lord’s Supper,
also known as Communion or the Eucharist,
is a sacred ordinance
instituted by Jesus Christ for His church.
It is a time when
believers eat bread and drink from the cup
in remembrance of Jesus’ death,
proclaim His sacrifice,
and anticipate His return.
It is one of the two ordinances
(along with baptism)
that Jesus commanded His followers to observe.
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the night before His crucifixion during the Passover meal with His disciples. The three Synoptic Gospels record the event:
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” (Luke 22:19-20; see also Matthew 26:26-29 and Mark 14:22-25)
The Apostle Paul also received and passed on this instruction:
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)
The Lord’s Supper carries several rich meanings:
Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper during the Passover meal. The Passover commemorated Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt through the blood of a lamb. Jesus presented Himself as the true Passover Lamb whose blood would bring deliverance from sin and death. The Lord’s Supper is the new covenant fulfillment of the Passover.
Paul gives important instructions for observing the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:27-34:
The Lord’s Supper is a profound act of worship and remembrance. While Christians differ on the exact nature of Christ’s presence in the elements, all agree that it is a sacred ordinance given by Jesus Himself. It is meant to be observed regularly by the church as a visible proclamation of the gospel and a means of spiritual nourishment and unity among believers.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.