The Lord’s Supper (also known as Holy Communion, the Eucharist, and the Last Supper) is a Christian rite that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus, and is described in the synoptic gospels, the First Epistle to the Corinthians, and the Book of Acts. This holy practice of partaking of bread and wine (or grape juice) as emblems of Christ’s broken body and shed blood serves as a covenant between God and man.
In this article, the theological, scriptural and practical aspects of the Lord’s Supper in Christian worship are considered. It lays out the basic elements of the sacrament, discusses what they mean, examines interpretations across denominational lines, and answers touchstone questions about that most central ritual. The study touches upon the background of the Last Supper story, theological responses from both transubstantiation and symbolic presentation, and offers a practical approach to current church observance.
What Is Symbolized By the Lord’s Supper in Christian Doctrine?
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming. The practice Jesus inaugurated at Passover, as the events are recounted in Matthew 26:26-28, when he told his followers that the bread was his body “broken for you” and the wine was his blood “shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” This imagery provides a direct link to Christ’s death and atonement.
The Bread
The bread represents Christ’s physical body, that was broken for us on the cross. And when they eat the bread, they remember they could not be saved unless Christ suffered and died. Eating the bread replicates the breaking of Christ’s body, underlining the violence, the pain. Churches of all denominations retain this symbol, but they vary in their understanding of how literally the bread transforms into Christ’s body.
The Wine
The wine (or grape juice) symbolizes the blood of Christ, shed for “the remission of sins.” In biblical terms, blood represents life, as it’s written in Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of a creature is in the blood.” The shed blood of Christ replaced the Old Testament animal sacrifices and made permanent atonement for sin. This red wine that comes from the vine serves as a visual aid to help people remember this blood which was shed and gives believers a concrete symbol in order to grasp what atonement is all about.
How the Lord’s Supper Ratifies the New Covenant
The Lord’s Supper inaugurates the new covenant by replacing the Old Testament sacrificial system with Christ’s once-for-all-time sacrifice. Jesus unambiguously said as recorded in Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Yet this new covenant is unlike the old, with three significant distinctions — there is no continual offering of sacrifices, people can come directly to God without the need for a go-between, and salvation is offered to all mankind rather than to a single nation, the Jews.
This new covenant that is promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 includes new knowledge and forgiveness, direct knowledge of God, and the law on hearts instead of stone tablets. The Lord’s Supper is the ratification of this covenant, the way of saying “yes” at the conclusion of the meal upon which agreement was made in many ancient cultures. When believers do this, they are renewing their covenant relationship with God.
Is The Lord’s Supper A Remembrance Of Christ?
Remembering is the main command that Jesus gave about the Lord’s Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, Paul records the words of Jesus, “Do this in remembrance of me.” This recollection is not just a mental memory, but involves actual participation in the redemptive work of Christ. The Greek term for this, as used here, is “anamnesis,” and specific to this moment, is the idea of making the past event “present” and “real” for those participating in the present.
This remembrance contains 4 very specific elements:
- Christ’s incarnation as God in the flesh
- His sinless life that would make him the perfect sacrifice
- His death on the cross satisfying the penalty of sin
- His resurrection overcoming death
The communion provides for the contemporization of this historical event, permitting believers of today to participate in the saving work of Christ.
The way of remembering is also instructive to the church. Involve families and congregations in taking part, the younger members hearing from the older how the story of the gospel is being extended to them. This oral tradition along with the visual and tactile components of bread and wine gives just about all your senses a hands-on opportunity to learn and think about these basic Christian truths.
How Does the Lord’s Supper Unite Christians?
The Lord’s Supper produces Christian unity through the common experience that surpasses personal distinctions. Paul describes this unity in 1 Corinthians 10:17: “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” This common meal overcomes social, economic and cultural divisions which would have separated believers.
The shared experience of communion is rooted in the scriptural reference of the early church eating together (Acts 2: 46-47). These meetings were occasioned by believers of diverse ethnic groups who came together in their common bond of faith. This unity continues to be preserved in the observance of the modern church, which allows no grades among the participants, who are all brothers, no matter what their social status or their personal condition.
Unity in the Lord’s supper also includes the worldwide church. Christians all over the world share the same elements with the exact same meaning, and in so doing, experience a commonality and unity transcending location and denomination. All of this universal practice shows that the church is really one body, even though there are so many expressions of it.
How Do the Different Denominations Interpret the Lord’s Supper?
Among the differing Christian denominations are 3 main views regarding the Lord’s Supper – transubstantiation, consubstantiation & symbolism. Each reading influences the order worship services and is experienced by the people who participate.
Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation, which is the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, is based on the theory that during consecration the elements of bread and wine are actually transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Such a transformation is at the molecular scale but physical appearance does not change. Catholics hold that Christ is really present in the elements, so the Mass is a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice, not merely a memorial.
Consubstantiation
Consubstantiation (a Lutheran theology) believes that the earthly bread and wine hold within them the same body and blood of Christ while retaining their own substance. This understanding, known as “sacramental union,” holds that Christ is present “in, with, and under” the elements. According to Lutherans, the real body and blood of Jesus Christ are really present “in, with, and under” the forms of the bread and wine (cf. I Corinthians 10:16), and so “receive” them (though they receive them in a sacramental, not a cannibalistic way).
Symbolic Representation
Symbolic representation, held by most Protestant branches (such as Baptists, Methodists or Presbyterians), considers the bread and the wine to be symbolic of the body and blood of Christ while still remaining bread and wine. This is a spiritual interpretation, not a physical transformation. Strictly speaking, believers partake to remember the sacrifice of Christ and to reaffirm their faith though the elements are still simply bread and wine throughout the service.
What is the Historical Background of the Lord’s Supper?
The Lord’s Supper was inaugurated at the Jewish Passover, and it established a direct link between Christ’s sacrifice and Israel’s release from Egyptian enslavement. This timing was a calculated one as Jesus was the very Passover lamb whose blood covers us from spiritual death. The Passover meal contained things Jesus then redefined; unleavened bread, which was to symbolize the speed of Israel’s departure, becomes the broken body of Christ; the cup of blessing becomes his blood sealing the covenant.
Jesus and his 12 disciples shared this last meal in an upper room, probably not too far from Jerusalem, during Passover week. The archeological finds point to this being a room large enough to lie down in, in keeping with the Roman dining habits of the wealthy Jews. The environment was such as to enable Jesus to explain in detail about his impending betrayal, death, and the future administration of the sacrament.
First, it was Thursday evening, prior to Christ’s Friday crucifixion, which means that the Lord’s Supper was Christ’s last teaching activity before he was arrested. Numbering the sacrament in this order as reported by Jesus emphasizes the sacrament’s prophetic importance, since Jesus was speaking of his own death while yet alive. The apostles’ own bafflement at the meal, as described for us in the Gospels, shows that they barely understood its meaning until after the resurrection.
What Else Do Christians Ask About the Sacraments?
How Often Should Churches Celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
Churches partake of the Lord’s Supper weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. Catholic and Orthodox churches observe this practice daily, and most Protestant churches do it monthly or quarterly. The New Testament does not specify a specific time period for members to partake, other than “whenever” they partake of divine symbols (Matthew 16:28, 19:28; Mark 3:28).
Who Can Partake of the Lord’s Supper?
Criteria for participation differs among denominations and has three primary forms:
- Open communion invites all the forgiven church regardless of denominational affiliations.
- Closed communion limits participation to only those who are members of that church.
- Close communion is open to those who are believers of the same denomination.
Churches justify such policies through their understanding of 1 Corinthians 11:27-29.
Difference between the “Lord’s Supper” and “Communion?”
“The Lord’s Supper” and “Communion” are two names for the same Christian sacrament, using different emphases. ‘Lord’s Supper’ emphasizes its relation to Jesus Christ, while ‘Communion’ emphasizes the fellowship, both with one another, and with God. Both words are biblical and are fairly interchangeable in most Christian circles.
How Do Churches Consecrate Elements for Communion?
Churches prepare the elements in a variety of ways depending upon the theological beliefs held by that particular church. Roman Catholic churches use unleavened wafers and wine that is said to be changed by clergy during the rite of communion, and Protestant churches may use any kind of bread and grape juice or wine prepared by the pastor or lay members. For some churches, emphasis on homemade bread is a way to relate to the domestic context of the Last Supper.
How should a person prepare himself before partaking in the Lord’s table?
All who believe should reflect on their hearts to see if self-examination, confession of known sins, and forgiveness of others are called for before taking the elements. 1 Corinthians 11:28 tells them to “examine themselves” so that they don’t partake of eating and drinking “unworthily.” Part of the reflection is on one’s relationship with God, on one’s attitude towards fellow believers, and on the meaning of the sacrament.
