Do This in Remembrance of Me: The Lord's Supper
Do This in Remembrance of Me
The Lord's Supper
7 minute read
The Statement of Faith
We believe that the Lord's Supper (Communion, the Eucharist, the Thanksgiving) is a sacred meal instituted by Christ for His church. In it, we remember His death, proclaim His return, commune with Him and with one another, and receive spiritual nourishment by faith. The bread and cup are not mere symbols but means of grace—occasions where Christ is truly present with His people by the Spirit. We partake with reverence, self-examination, and thanksgiving.
How Did We Get Here?
No Christian practice has generated more controversy than the Lord's Supper.
Rome teaches transubstantiation: the bread and wine become Christ's actual body and blood. Luther taught a real presence: Christ is truly present "in, with, and under" the elements. Zwingli taught a memorial view: the elements are symbols that help us remember. Calvin occupied a middle ground: Christ is truly present spiritually, and we genuinely receive Him by faith.
Rather than resolving all debates, let's focus on what Scripture clearly teaches: Jesus instituted this meal. He commanded us to continue it. It involves remembrance, proclamation, communion, and nourishment. And the early church treated it with profound seriousness—Paul warned that abusing it brought judgment (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).
Something significant happens at the Table. Whether we call it sacrament or ordinance, the Lord's Supper isn't casual. It's a holy meal where the risen Christ meets His people.
What the Bible Says
Jesus Instituted It
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'"
— Matthew 26:26-28
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus transformed the Passover meal into something new. The bread represents His body, broken for us. The wine represents His blood, poured out for forgiveness. He connected His death to the covenant—the new covenant promised through Jeremiah, now sealed in His blood.
"Do this in remembrance of me."
— Luke 22:19
This is a command, not a suggestion. "Do this"—continue this meal. "In remembrance of me"—the focus is Christ, His death, His sacrifice. Every time we eat and drink, we remember.
The Early Church Continued It
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
— Acts 2:42
"The breaking of bread" was a central practice from the beginning. The early church gathered around the Table regularly, not occasionally. It was part of what made them the church.
"On the first day of the week we came together to break bread."
— Acts 20:7
The church's regular gathering included breaking bread. Sunday worship and the Lord's Supper were linked. This wasn't an annual remembrance but a regular rhythm.
Paul's Teaching
"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
— 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Paul received this tradition from the Lord Himself and passed it on. Key elements: remembrance, the new covenant, and proclamation. "You proclaim the Lord's death until he comes"—the Supper looks backward to the cross and forward to the return.
"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?"
— 1 Corinthians 10:16
The word "participation" (koinonia) means sharing, communion, fellowship. We share in Christ's body and blood—not symbolically only but really. There's genuine communion with Christ at His Table.
Serious Warning
"So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."
— 1 Corinthians 11:27-30
This is sobering. Treating the Supper casually—without reverence, without self-examination, without discerning the body (both Christ's body and the church body)—brings judgment. Some Corinthians were weak, sick, even dead because of their abuse of the Table. This isn't magic, but it is serious.
How It Fits the Full Narrative
Passover backdrop. Jesus instituted the Supper at Passover—the meal commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egypt. The Passover lamb's blood saved Israel; Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Supper fulfills and transforms Passover.
Covenant meal. "This is my blood of the covenant." Covenants were often ratified with meals (Genesis 31:54; Exodus 24:9-11). The Lord's Supper is the covenant meal of the new covenant, sealing our relationship with God through Christ's blood.
Anticipation of the feast. Jesus said He wouldn't drink of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it new in the kingdom (Matthew 26:29). The Supper points forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). Every Communion is a foretaste of that final celebration.
Unity of the church. "Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf" (1 Corinthians 10:17). The Supper isn't individualistic; it's corporate. We partake together, expressing and strengthening our unity.
Why This Matters
It keeps Christ central. The Supper forces us to remember the cross—to not let the gospel become theoretical or assumed. Every time we eat and drink, we're reminded: He died for me.
It proclaims the gospel. "You proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." The Supper is a wordless sermon, a visible gospel. Unbelievers present see the central truths acted out: Christ's body broken, His blood poured out, His people receiving.
It nourishes faith. Jesus said, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (John 6:54). While John 6 isn't directly about the Supper, the principle applies: feeding on Christ—which the Supper facilitates—gives life. It's a means of grace, a way Christ nourishes His people.
It strengthens community. We share one loaf. We drink from one cup (or its equivalent). We do this together. In a fragmented world, the Table declares: we are one body.
It anticipates the return. "Until he comes." The Supper is not only backward-looking but forward-leaning. It keeps us watching, waiting, expecting. The meal will be completed when we feast with Christ in glory.
How to Communicate This
Take it seriously without making it magical. The Supper isn't a charm that works automatically. It requires faith, self-examination, and reverence. But neither is it merely symbolic. Something genuinely happens when we partake in faith—Christ meets us.
Practice self-examination. Before partaking, examine yourself. Is there unconfessed sin? Unreconciled relationships? Disregard for the church body? The Supper isn't for the perfect but for the penitent. Come honestly, come humbly—but don't come carelessly.
Emphasize the Thanksgiving. The Greek word for the meal is eucharistia—thanksgiving. The tone should be gratitude. We're remembering not just a death but a gift. "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Celebrate it regularly. The early church met weekly to break bread. While frequency isn't prescribed, infrequent celebration impoverishes the church. The Table should be a regular part of gathered worship.
Open it to all believers. The Supper is for Christ's people. Those who have repented and believed, who are walking in fellowship with God and His people, should be welcomed. Unbaptized unbelievers should not partake—this is a family meal.
Defending Against Critics
Objection: "It's just crackers and juice—why make such a big deal?"
Response: Jesus made a big deal of it. He instituted it solemnly on the night of His betrayal and commanded continuation. Paul warned that abusing it brought sickness and death. Whatever our view of the elements, the meal itself is serious. Dismissing it as "just crackers and juice" doesn't take Scripture seriously.
Objection: "If it's not transubstantiation, how can it be more than a symbol?"
Response: There's a false dichotomy between "literal body and blood" and "mere symbol." Calvin's view offers a third option: Christ is truly present by His Spirit, and we genuinely feed on Him by faith. The elements don't physically become flesh, but they're not empty signs either. They're means by which Christ meets us.
Objection: "Why should children or new believers be excluded?"
Response: The Supper is for those who can examine themselves (1 Corinthians 11:28) and discern the body (11:29). Young children may not be capable of this. New believers who have trusted Christ and been baptized should certainly partake. The question isn't length of faith but reality of faith and ability to examine oneself.
Objection: "Isn't closed communion divisive?"
Response: Churches differ on who may partake. Some welcome all professing Christians (open communion). Others restrict it to members (close communion) or even narrower (closed communion). The concern behind restriction is maintaining the integrity of the Table and the unity of the body. The concern behind openness is welcoming all of Christ's people. Both values are legitimate; churches apply them differently.
Going Deeper
Key passages to study:
Exodus 12 – The Passover
Matthew 26:26-30 – Institution of the Supper
Luke 22:14-23 – The new covenant in His blood
John 6:22-59 – Bread of life discourse
Acts 2:42, 46 – The breaking of bread
1 Corinthians 10:14-22 – Participation in Christ
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 – Instructions on the Supper
Revelation 19:6-9 – The marriage supper of the Lamb
Questions for reflection:
Do I approach the Lord's Supper with appropriate reverence and self-examination?
Is the Supper a time of genuine communion with Christ for me, or merely routine?
How does the Supper strengthen my connection to the church body?