On the night he was betrayed, Jesus ate one last Passover meal with his disciples and revealed that his death was imminent. According to Matthew 26:26-28, while they were eating Jesus gave thanks for the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Afterward, he gave thanks for the cup and passed it to them telling them to "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”
The story, commonly known as the Last Supper, is also recounted in Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. According to the Zondervan Life Application Study Bible, the use of the bread and the cup in remembering Jesus' sacrifice is referred to today in three different ways:
- The Lord's Supper. It commemorates the Passover meal which Jesus shared with his disciples.
- The Communion. It is an opportunity to commune with God and reflect on what Jesus' death and resurrection means to Christians and his promise to return.
- The Eucharist, By partaking, we thank God for Christ's sacrifice for us.
Unleavened Bread and the Lord's Supper
The bread taken during communion symbolizes the body of Christ which was sacrificed. The meaning for this can be traced back to the original Passover and to Mosaica laws regarding sacrifices.
The Passover is a yearly feast observed by Jews as a reminder of the day God led them out of Egypt following the tenth plague. In that plague, the first-born child in every house died unless blood from a lamb had been spread upon the house's door frame. After being released the Israelites gathered their possessions and quickly left. God instructed Israel to use unleavened bread during their celebration of the Passover to symbolize their haste in leaving Egypt (Exodus 12:14-20; 23:15).
Under the Law of Moses, unblemished goats, bulls and other animals were continually offered as sacrifices to God for the Jews. To establish a new covenant between God and the world, Jesus offered his body as a one-time perfect sacrifice for all of mankind (Hebrews 10:8-10).
As Jesus passed the unleavened bread at the Last Supper, he told his disciples that it would serve as a symbol for the sacrifice of his body. The apostle Paul later affirmed this by writing "And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:16)?
The Cup and the Lord's Supper
The "cup," or fruit of the vine, serves as a symbol of the blood that Christ shed on the cross.
Blood is the source of life for all living creatures and the shedding of animals' blood under the Law of Moses provided atonement for the Jews (Deuteronomy 12:23-24). However, the divine blood which Jesus shed in his one sacrifice on the cross had the power not just to forgive sins but to redeem all who wish to receive his gift (Romans 3:24-25; Hebrews 9:11-14).
Partaking of the cup commemorates the forgiveness and redemption obtained through the Christ's blood. As Paul wrote, "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16).
What exactly is "fruit of the vine"? There are many Christians who interpret it as "wine" but many other Christians consider it to mean unfermented or yeast-free grape juice.
Under the Law of Moses Jews were forbidden to use anything with yeast during Passover holiday (Exodus 12:14-19). Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, author of Wine in the Bible, devotes an entire chapter on "Jesus and Wine" and indicates that Jesus would never have consumed anything alcoholic. He writes that the cup, the memorial of Jesus' blood, was not fermented wine but "unfermented and pure grape juice, a fitting emblem of Christ’s untainted blood shed for the remission of our sins."
When to Celebrate the Lord's Supper
Christians differ on how often to serve the Lord's Supper. Some churches only partake of the communion periodically such as once each month, once each quarter or on special occasions. Still, other churches celebrate the Lord's Supper every Sunday .
Those who offer weekly communion usually point to Acts 20:7 where Luke writes that "on the first day of the week we came together to break bread." Luke was describing the activities of a seven-day visit to Troas and the implication is that the breaking of bread was a weekly occurrence there.
Writing for Christian Courier, Wayne Jackson cites both the Didache (c. 120 AD) and Justin Martyr (c. 152 AD) as indicating that the early church participated in the Lord's Supper each Sunday.
Warning About the Lord's Supper
After explaining the meaning of the emblems in commemorating Jesus' sacrifice, Paul also issues a warning in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. Partaking of the bread and cup without recognizing or remembering Jesus' sacrifice is a sin. Paul encourages communion participants to be mindful of their thoughts and to reflect soberly on the sacrifice of Jesus as they partake.
Paul reminded his readers in 1 Corinthians 11: 26 that "for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
The Lord's Supper is a gift from Christ to his church. It provides a way for his followers to remember his sacrifice for all of mankind and to look forward to his return. Participation in the communion, then, should be taken seriously and with proper reflection.
References:
- Bacchiocchi, Samuele. "Jesus and Wine" BiblicalPerspectives.com. (Retrieved February 1, 2012)
- Jackson, Wayne. "Did the Early Church Observe the Lord's Supper on a Daily Basis?" ChristianCourier.com. (Retreived February 1, 2012).
- NIV Life Application Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985).
Ronald G Falconberry - Ron Falconberry is an IT professional and freelance writer who enjoys researching and writing articles on Bible topics, history, and ...
