by Richard Shin

Since the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the upper room (Luke 22), many competing ideas have surfaced regarding its significance and implications. Christ instructed us to commemorate our Messiah’s laying down His life and shedding His blood, an integral part of the gospel which is foundational to our faith. But somehow the significance and implications have been reduced to mean nothing more than a monthly ordeal. The fact that our Lord and Savior had to go through excruciating pain and break His perfect fellowship between Himself and God the Father is no longer a sober reminder of our sinfulness, but just an extra 15 minutes of a Sunday “wasted.” In the coming weeks, we’re going to take a deeper look into the origins of the Lord’s Supper, its significance in the new covenant, and its implications for us as brothers and sisters in Christ. And hopefully next time we approach the table to celebrate Communion, we’ll be able to remember what it truly signifies for us Christians.

I know nomenclature can get a bit hairy; so, we’ll untangle the hairiness here. We usually call the ordinance “Communion” (Gr: “koinonia”) as it was called in 1 Corinthians 10:16. But in the coming weeks, we will see that communing is only part of the significance that makes up the “Lord’s Supper.” I don’t want to denigrate the usage of the word “Communion” at our church (or any other), but we should keep in mind the actual act and significance of the communion aspect is only part of what the Lord’s Supper denotes. From here on out, I will use the term “Lord’s Supper” to signify the entirety of the ordinance. Incidentally, it is called many other things in the Bible like “the Lord’s table” (1 Cor. 10:21), “the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42), and “Eucharist” (Matt. 26:27; 1 Cor. 11:24; in this case, the name was meant to express the most characteristic element of the Lord’s Supper: giving thanks).

The Lord’s Supper as an Ordinance

We recognize the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance, which basically means it was a ritual or ceremony instituted by Christ who commanded it be carried out by the local church (Luke 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 11:28-32). At Lighthouse, every first Sunday of the month (and on special occasions like Good Friday and Easter), we take time to have celebrate the Lord’s Supper. A pastor will give a short message from the Scriptures regarding the meaning, history, or significance of the Lord’s Supper, invariably tying it back to the cross. At this time, the families are encouraged to speak to their children regarding the gospel and the significance of the Lord’s Supper. After some time to reflect on the message, talk amongst the family, and resolve any conflicts in the body, we are asked to take a piece of cracker or Hawaiian bread (on special occasions)—representing the body of Christ—and a small cup of grape juice—representing the blood of Christ—and we are to eat and drink these items whenever we are ready to do so, remembering the cross and the fellowship we have with Christ and one another.

We do this as an ordinance because Christ commanded us to do so. We obey His commandments because we love Him (John 14:15) and His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). In the early church, the first Christians regularly “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Paul himself “received” instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper and “delivered” it back to His people, indicating that it was a direct revelation from our Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 11:23). Jesus Himself saw it important enough to teach Paul that this was an ordinance to be observed by the church on a regular basis.

There are many disagreements among the Church on exactly how to carry out this command. Some people think we need to do it on a daily basis; if not daily, weekly; if not weekly, monthly. Some have also argued that it has to be unleavened bread, much like it was during the Passover meal. Some say we must have one loaf, and actually take apart that one loaf, dipping it into one cup, symbolic of the oneness behind the Lord’s Supper. Some use real grape juice and some use wine, like Jesus did. Regardless of the physical differences, the important thing to remember as believers is that we are united as redeemed sinners who have been called according to His purpose. We are united because of our common bond with Christ, not because of the bread (or cracker) or wine (or grape juice).

In the coming weeks, we’ll look at how the Lord’s Supper acts as a sign that points us to the cross and to the kingdom, a proclamation of our faith in Christ and His victory over this world, and all of this culminating to our communion with Him and His people.