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)
¶ Meaning and Purpose
The Lord’s Supper carries several rich meanings:
- Remembrance: It is a memorial of Christ’s death on the cross. Believers remember His body broken and His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
- Proclamation: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). It declares the gospel.
- Spiritual Nourishment: Just as bread and wine nourish the body, the Lord’s Supper spiritually nourishes believers as they feed on Christ by faith.
- Covenant Renewal: It represents participation in the new covenant established by Jesus’ blood.
- Anticipation: It looks forward to the future marriage supper of the Lamb when Christ returns.
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:
- It must be taken in a worthy manner (with reverence and self-examination).
- Participants should examine themselves and repent of known sin.
- It is meant to promote unity in the body of Christ, not division.
- It should be done with sober reflection on the meaning of Christ’s death.
- Matthew 26:26-28 – “Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup… this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
- Mark 14:22-24 – “He took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, Take; this is my body. And he took a cup… This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
- Luke 22:19-20 – “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.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 – “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread… This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup… This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:26 – “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 – “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 – “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:33-34 – “When you come together to eat, wait for one another… lest you come together to be condemned.”
- John 6:53-56 – “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you… Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”
- Acts 2:42 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
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.