What is the "Lord's Supper" or Communion?
Although it can vary in how it is observed from church to church, the Lord’s Supper or Communion is one of the ordinances or perpetual observances of the Church. It originated on the night before the Lord Jesus’ crucifixion in the upper room when Jesus met with his disciples just before his arrest to observe Passover (Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:14-20). Passover was a time of remembrance that every Hebrew observed each year. It was an event that recalled how God delivered Israel out of Egypt, and especially how he protected Israel from the plague of the firstborn because they had placed lamb’s blood over their doorposts (Exodus 12:1-30). It was no coincidence that Jesus would associate his impending death as the Lamb of God with the Passover. It was the Passover that foreshadowed his substitutionary death for the sins of humankind (Hebrews 9:11-10:18).
The Lord’s Supper, like the Passover was for Israel, is a special time for Christians. Paul gave instructions in 1 Corinthians 11:1-34 about the observance of the Lord’s Supper. Included in these instructions are some serious warnings against abusing it. Participating in the Lord’s Supper is a serious matter because it involves each person reflecting upon his or her spiritual condition and honestly coming before God in an act of worship. The Lord’s Supper is, in essence, a time when individuals make another public confession of their faith in the finished redemptive work of Christ. By receiving the bread, which symbolizes the body of Christ, who was crucified in our place, and the cup, which symbolizes Christ’s shed blood for our sins, we identify ourselves as believers. If one were to partake of these elements without having actually placed faith in Christ, he or she would actually be making a mockery of Christ’s death. Likewise, if a person were to partake of these elements at a time when he or she was habitually and continually involved in sin, it would be a similar mockery of the Lord Jesus’ redemptive work.
Therefore, observing the Lord’s Supper is a serious matter. First, observing it is part of the life of every Christian. We are commanded to “do this in remembrance of me.” Since the language is in the imperative mood, it constitutes a command, not an option. Believers are to participate in observing the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis. While some churches observe it every Lord’s Day and others only once a month or once a quarter, it is quite clear that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed on a perpetual basis until Jesus returns.
It is important to note that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial. Christ was only crucified once, so the bread and the cup are symbols of Christ’s body and blood, not his actually body and blood. There is nothing supernatural in the physical elements of bread and wine. When we observe the Lord’s Supper, we are remembering what Christ did on the cross in our place. He is not dying again for our sins. Likewise, it is not through the consumption of the elements that we obtain salvation. Rather, our prior decision of faith to receive Christ as Lord and Savior is how salvation is obtained. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of what our faith is based upon.
