The Lord’s Supper is one of the practices Jesus gave to His followers. Depending on the church, you may hear it called Communion, the Lord’s Supper, or the breaking of bread. Whatever name is used, the purpose is the same. Believers eat the bread and drink from the cup to remember what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
The Lord’s Supper began on the night before Jesus was crucified. Jesus was eating the Passover meal with His disciples when He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them.
Jesus said:
“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).
Then He took the cup and said:
“This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20).
The bread points us to the body of Christ that was given for us. The cup points us to His blood that was shed for our sins. Jesus was preparing His disciples for what would happen the next day when He would be crucified.
The Lord’s Supper is centered on Jesus Christ and His sacrifice.
Paul wrote:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Every time believers take the Lord’s Supper, they remember and proclaim that Christ died for sinners. It points backward to the cross, but it also points forward because we observe it “until He comes.”
The Jesus who died and rose again is coming again.
The bread and cup do not save us.
Taking Communion cannot forgive sin, give eternal life, or make a person right with God. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47).
A person is not saved because he takes the Lord’s Supper. A person who has trusted Christ takes the Lord’s Supper because he belongs to Christ and wants to remember what Christ has done.
The bread does not become the actual physical body of Jesus, and the cup does not become His actual blood. Jesus used the bread and cup to represent His body and blood and told His disciples to do this in remembrance of Him.
That word “remembrance” matters.
The Lord’s Supper is a time to deliberately remember the cross. We remember that Jesus willingly gave His body for us. We remember that His blood was shed for our sins. We remember that salvation cost us nothing, but it cost Him everything.
Peter wrote:
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
The Lord’s Supper should never become an empty routine. It is possible to eat the bread, drink from the cup, and never seriously think about what they mean.
Paul warned the church in Corinth about taking the Lord’s Supper carelessly.
“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27).
Paul was not saying that a person must be perfect before taking the Lord’s Supper. If perfection were required, no one could participate. He was warning against treating something sacred carelessly.
The Corinthians had serious problems. Some were selfish and divided. Some ate while others went hungry. Their gathering had become more about themselves than about Christ.
Paul told them:
“But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).
That is why the Lord’s Supper is also a time for self-examination.
Before participating, a believer should honestly look at his own life.
Is there known sin that I refuse to confess?
Am I holding bitterness against someone?
Am I living in open disobedience to God?
Am I treating the sacrifice of Christ lightly?
This does not mean we stay away until we have somehow made ourselves worthy. We come remembering that we are sinners who need the grace of God. If the Holy Spirit brings sin to mind, confess it and turn from it.
John wrote:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The Lord’s Supper is also something believers share together.
Paul wrote:
“Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Christians come from different backgrounds, families, cultures, and places, but everyone who truly belongs to Christ is part of His body.
The Lord’s Supper reminds us that we stand together at the foot of the same cross. None of us was saved because we were better than someone else.
The Bible does not tell us exactly how often the Lord’s Supper must be observed.
Some churches observe it every week. Others observe it once a month or at other times. Paul simply said:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
The important thing is not how often it is done, but that it is done with understanding, reverence, and remembrance.
The Lord’s Supper is for believers.
It is a remembrance of Christ’s death by those who belong to Him. Eating the bread and drinking from the cup cannot take the place of repentance and faith.
If you have never trusted Christ, your first need is not to take the Lord’s Supper.
Your first need is Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Supper should not become something mysterious or frightening for a new believer. You do not need years of Bible knowledge before you can understand what is happening.
When the bread is passed, remember the body of Christ given for you.
When the cup is passed, remember His blood shed for your sins.
Think about the cross.
Thank Him for His grace.
Examine your heart.
Remember that you belong to Christ.
And remember that He is coming again.
The Lord’s Supper is simple, but what it represents is beyond measure.
Jesus Christ gave Himself for us.
That is what we remember.