The Lord’s Supper – Holy Communion – The Eucharist
Grace Communion International explains that there is a three-fold meaning of the Lord’s Supper: 1) A reminder of what Jesus did in the past. 2) A symbol of our present relationship with Him. 3) A promise of what He will do in the future.
Then in an article by John Piper, “How and Why we Eat the Lord’s Supper:” he writes: “The Passover is the most sacred feast of the Jewish religious year. It commemorates the final plague on Egypt when the firstborn of the Egyptians died and the Israelites were spared because the blood of a lamb was sprinkled on their doorposts. The lamb was then roasted and eaten with unleavened bread. God commanded that throughout the generations to come this feast is to be celebrated. (Exodus 12) During the Last Supper – a Passover celebration – Jesus took a loaf of bread and gave thanks to God. As He broke it and gave it to His disciples, He said: “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22: 19-21.) They concluded the feast by singing a hymn (Matthew 26:30) while going out into the night to the Mount of Olives. It was there that Jesus was betrayed, as predicted, by Judas. The following day He was crucified.
It is with all this in mind, that I would like to challenge us, as followers of Christ to take communion . Is it possible that we can take the Lord’s Supper every time we are together as a church community and/or family – at least once a week? Let’s take communion in our Bible classes and and times of worship. Let’s take the Lord’s Supper when we meet for our small group times. Let’s focus on Jesus’ commandment to “Do this in remembrance of me.” We often take the Lord’s supper lightly – something to get over with. But it is a precious gift that Christ gave his church. Let’s eat it together anytime we are together during the week…
– By Mendy McClure
