THE LORD'S SUPPER
"This do in remembrance of me....  "

INTRODUCTORY LESSON


"this is my body..."
 

"THIS IS MY BLOOD...

 

WHAT IS THE LORD'S SUPPER?
The Lord's Supper is an act of Christian worship instituted by Jesus during his Last Supper with his disciples at the Passover feast on the night of his betrayal and arrest.
It is sometimes called the Communion, the Eucharist, or the Holy Mass, depending on the religious persuasion of the believers.
The Lord's Supper is a celebration of man's deliverance from sin achieved by Jesus at his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.
We find the term "the Lord's Supper" in 1 Cor 11:20.
In the New Testament the Lord's Supper (referred to in Acts 2:42 as "the breaking of the bread" or in Acts 20:7 as "to break bread") was celebrated on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7 - Sunday - which was the day on which Jesus was raised from the dead).
The Lord's Supper involves eating a small portion of bread (in most cases unleavened bread) in remembrance of his body or life, and  drinking a small portion of grape juice (sometimes wine) in remembrance of his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins (see Matt 26:26-29, Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:19-24).

PREFACE
This lesson is designed to introduce the reader to the concept of the Lord's Supper by first discussing the terms commonly used to describe this significant act of worship, then to examine the origins of the Lord's Supper in the Passover and other early church practices.  Following this we will consider the role the Lord's Supper plays in the life of the Christian and the church.  The remaining lessons will be devoted to examining the words used by Jesus when instituting the Lord's Supper, and the theology of the Lord's Supper.  The closing point will be comprised of comments relating to the "practice" or conduct of the Lord's Supper in Christian worship.

Lesson Outline:
1. The Terms
2. The Passover
3. The Origins of the Lord's Supper
4. The Frequency of the Lord's Supper Celebration
5. The Meaning of The Lord's Supper
6. The Meaning of the Words Used by Jesus
7. The Theology of the Lord's Supper
8. The Celebration of the Lord's Supper
9. The Celebration itself


BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY
 "Lord’s Supper,” Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, 1983.
Everett Ferguson, The Church of Christ, W. B. Eerdmans, 1996.
Everett Ferguson, Early Christians Speak, ACU Press, 1999.
I. Howard Marshall, Last Supper and Lord's Supper, Eerdmans, 1980.
Martin E. Marty, The Lord's Supper, Augsburg, 1997.
William H. Willimon, Word, Water, Wine and Bread, Judson Press, 1980.
Ex 12, The Passover.
Matt26:26-29, The Lord’s Supper
Mk. 14:22-25, The Lord’s Supper.
Lk 22:19-24, The Lord’s Supper.
Acts 2:42, The Lord’s Supper (the breaking of bread).
Acts 20:7, The Lord’s Supper (the breaking of bread).
1 Cor 10:14-21, Discussion based on The Lord’s Supper.
1 Cor 11:17-34, The Lord’s Supper and possible Love Feast (Agape Feast).
Jude 12, The Love Feast (Agape Feast).


The Terms used for the Lord's Supper
 In the New Testament several terms are used to describe the Lord's Supper.
 

  1. The Lord's Supper
We find this expression in 1 Cor 11:20.
This is the first record in church history we have of this meal being referred to as the Lord's Supper.
There are two possible reasons for the origins of this term:
a. it was referred to as the Lord's Supper because Jesus instituted this Christian meal during the Passover just before his betrayal and arrest (Matt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:19-24)
b. It was celebrated on the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, which day honored Jesus' resurrection.
  2. Breaking Bread
This expression in various forms relating to the Lord's Supper is found in Acts 2:42; 46; and 20:7; 1 Cor 10:16; 1 Cor 11:23.
There is some question whether Acts 2:46 refers to the Lord's Supper or a common meal.
In regard to the Last Passover meal Jesus shared with his disciples it is found in Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19 where it refers to the bread of the Passover which prefigured the bread of the Lord's Supper.
It is generally agreed that Acts 20:7 refers to the Lord's Supper in which case "breaking bread" becomes a euphemism (saying) that refers to the Lord' Supper.
  3. Communion
We find this term in the King James Version and the American Standard Version as a translation of a Greek word koinonia (which primarily means fellowship) in 1 Cor 10:16.
In the RSV it is translated as sharing, and in the NIV as participation.
Based on common usage in the KJV and ASV the term became the common term used for the Lord's Supper in some churches where it was the practice to speak of the Communion Service.
  4. Eucharist
The term Eucharist derives from the Greek word eucharistia meaning thanksgiving or giving thanks.
Although the term Eucharist is not specifically used in the normal Lord's Supper texts it was a common term in the early second century church for designating the Lord's Supper, indicating that the ceremony of the Lord's Supper was an occasion of thanksgiving.  It is related to Jesus taking bread and giving thanks, and the practice of giving thanks for the bread during the communion service.  The term Eucharist is used in Roman Catholic theology as thanksgiving for the sacrifice of Jesus, which sacrifice was being repeated in the mass.  However Protestant theology rejects the concept that the Lord's Supper is a repetition of Jesus' sacrifice, placing emphasis on remembrance of the death of Jesus, or the presence of Jesus at the communion, with the Lord's Supper seen as a memorial.
The term Eucharist, used in the sense of giving thanks for the bread and cup as representing or symbolizing Jesus' death, is certainly in keeping with biblical theology.
  5. Mass
This term is derived from a Latin term missa and is the common term used in the Roman Catholic Church for the Lord's Supper or Communion.
It is not a biblical term.
The origin of the meaning of missa is somewhat obscure.  It was possibly derived from the expression "Ite missa est" that dismissed the deacon at the conclusion of the mass.
In the Mass it is believed that the bread and wine are literally transformed (transubstantiation) into the body and blood of Jesus, and that the act of eating the bread (wafer) is a repetition of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.  The sacrifice of Jesus is repeated and personalized in behalf of the participant in the celebration of the Mass.  (In the Catholic and other High churches the wine (cup) is drunk by the priest conducting the Mass.  This is done to safeguard against spilling the wine now transubstantiated into the blood of Jesus.)


The Passover
Since Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper with his disciples during the celebration of the Jewish Passover, understanding the dynamic and meaning of the Passover will enrich our understanding of what was going through the minds of Jesus and his disciples while Jesus celebrated the Passover with them.
We read of the institution of the Passover in Ex 12.
The Passover was an annual Jewish ceremony in which the Jews remembered and celebrated their deliverance form Egypt by God during the days of Moses.
The Passover ceremony was associated with a feast of Unleavened Bread that reminded the Jews of the bitterness of their captivity and hardship in the wilderness.  Bitter herbs were eaten with the bread, and several cups of wine were drunk as part of the ceremony.
The major emphasis of the Passover ceremony was thanksgiving to God for their deliverance from Egyptian slavery.
The connection between the Passover ceremony and the Lord's Supper is the eating of bread and drinking of grape juice (or wine) in memory of God's deliverance from sin.
As in the Passover celebration of deliverance, so in the Lord's Supper, God's deliverance from sin through the death of Jesus, is celebrated.
 

The Origins of The Lord's Supper
In 1 Cor 11:23 Paul writes that the Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus on the night of his betrayal (the Passover night) when he took bread, gave thanks for the bread, and broke it declaring that the bread was to be eaten in remembrance of him.   In the same manner Jesus took a cup of wine and said it represented the new covenant he was making with mankind.  The disciples were to use this eating and drinking as a proclamation of Jesus' second coming.
On this occasion (the Passover night) Jesus gave no indication as to the frequency of the Lord's Supper, nor does Paul reflect on this.  From the wording of Paul one gains the impression that this was to be celebrated often.  In Acts one gains the impression that it was the custom of the disciples to gather on the first day of the week to celebrate the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7).
The point  we are making here is that the Lord's Supper originated in Jesus' teaching and instruction at the Passover feast on the night in which he was betrayed.
All three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record Jesus words of institution, and likewise place this during the Passover feast on the night of Jesus betrayal.


The Frequency of the Lord's Supper Celebration
We noted above that neither Jesus nor Paul gave instructions regarding how often or when the Lord's Supper was to be celebrated.
There is an indication in Paul's accounting of Jesus' instruction that this should be frequently ("as often as you eat this bread..."), but no specifics are recorded by Paul or the Gospels.
In 1 Cor 11:17 Paul observes that the church in Corinth celebrated the Lord's Supper  when the church "came together" and when the "assembled as a church".
It is possible that 1 Cor 16:2 a weekly worship service is indicated.
Acts 2:42 also possibly indicates a regular practice of "breaking bread" or celebrating the Lord's Supper.
Acts 20:7, however, strongly indicates a regular weekly assembly in which the "breaking of bread" (Lord's Supper) featured prominently.  In fact, Luke indicates that the purpose of the first day of the week assembly was for "the breaking of bread" (Lord's Supper)!
Early second century church history (cf. Everett Ferguson, Early Christians Speak) clearly supports the weekly practice of assembling on the first day of the week to celebrate the Eucharist (Lord's Supper).
Scripture clearly indicates that the New Testament church assembled on the first day of the week (our Sunday) and on this occasion they celebrated the Lord's Supper.

As a side element of New Testament practice, we should emphasize that in Jewish circles or culture the first day of the week began at sunset on Saturday night and ended at sunset on Sunday.  In Gentile circles or culture the first day of the week began at midnight Saturday and ended at midnight Sunday.  One should be aware of this and not confuse the different time schedules.  In the Western world the first day of the week begins at midnight Saturday and ends at midnight Sunday.  In Palestine or Israel the Jews and Christians follow the Jewish timetable, not the Western timetable.  For this reason, Christians in the Western world do not celebrate the Lord's Supper on Saturday night, but do so on Sunday.  For Christians in the Western world the first day of the week begins at midnight on Saturday, and not at sunset on Saturday.  For this reason, Acts 20:7 set in Troas was not in a Jewish culture, but a Gentile culture.  In this case the first day of the week would have begun at midnight Saturday and ended midnight Sunday.  Luke tells us that the disciples met on the first day of the week and Paul continued his sermon until midnight of the first day of the week, namely Sunday midnight.


 The Meaning of The Lord's Supper
The first thing we notice about the meaning of the Lord's Supper is that it was to be an item of Christian worship in remembrance of Jesus!
The second thing was that it was to focus on eating a small piece of bread and drinking a small portion of wine or grape juice in memory of Jesus' body and shed blood.
The third thing was that it had to do with the meaning of his body and blood.
Jesus said that the bread would represent and remind the disciples of his body, meaning his life.
Jesus added that the "cup" or wine would represent and remind the disciples of his blood that involved a new covenant of forgiveness.

At the surface the Lord's Supper was to be a weekly memorial that would remind the disciples of what Jesus had done for them, and of the salvation they enjoyed in him, or in his church.

At a later point of the study we will address the theology of the Lord's supper.


The Meaning of the Words Used by Jesus
On the night of the Passover when Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper we find these words (we will refer here to the account in Matthew's Gospel - Matt 26:26 ff).
 

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom."

Jesus' first words Take, eat; this is my body refer to the bread which would represent or mean his body.  The word is does not mean that the bread becomes the body or flesh of Jesus as Catholic doctrine teaches, but simply means that the bread represents or means his body.  The bread reminds us of the body or life Jesus lived.

Jesus' next words related to the wine commonly drunk at the Passover, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins".  Again, Jesus indicated that each disciple should drink from the cup.  The cup. or more properly, the content of the cup, namely the wine, represented or meant his blood which was shed for many as a new covenant of forgiveness of sins.  The word is does not mean that the wine literally was transformed or became the blood of Jesus as in the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation.  The cup reminds us of Jesus' blood which he shed for the forgiveness of our sins.

The last words of Jesus are a little more difficult to understand but most likely mean that this, the Passover feast was the least one Jesus would celebrate with the disciples until he again communed with them in the Lord's Supper.


The Theology of the Lord's Supper
By theology we mean the deeper religious teaching involved in the Lord's Supper.  Theology addresses how something is impacted by God or interacts with God.
In 1 Cor 10:16-22 Paul was admonishing the Corinthians, warning them that they could not be Christians and still partake in pagan idol festivals.
 

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?


The Christians had in baptism been united with Jesus (Rom 6:1-11).  They could not also be united with pagan idols.  When they partook at the pagan festivities the participation united them with pagan worship.  But the Christians had been united with Christ and by eating the bread and drinking the cup of the Lord's Supper they were celebrating their union with Christ.
The point Paul is making was that partaking in the Lord's Supper kept Christians united with Christ.  They had become united with Christ in baptism, and the Lord's Supper symbolically kept them united with Christ.  By also participating at pagan idol ceremonies they were committing spiritual adultery with paganism.

Baptism meant entrance into the body of Christ, the Lord's Supper meant participating in or remaining in the body of Christ.

The theology of the Lord's Supper involves being reminded of the body and blood of Jesus which resulted in our salvation, and being reminded that Christians belong to Jesus, not to the world.

The Lord's Supper is a weekly reminder of the great blessings Christians enjoy in Christ, for that reason it was called in the early second century church The Eucharist.  It is a thanksgiving memorial, a celebration, for the salvation we enjoy in Christ.


The Celebration of the Lord's Supper
Remembering Jesus' life and shed blood is a sobering thought, for it reminds us of the price God was willing to pay for our salvation.
However, it is a joyous occasion because it reminds us of how much God loves us.
When Jesus took the bread and cup he blessed them and gave thanks over them.
The Lord's Supper is an occasion for his church to give thanks for his body and blood.

In many church traditions the dynamic is somber with much emphasis on the cruel suffering of Jesus on the cross.
Without wishing to demean or diminish the enormous tragedy and suffering of Jesus' death on the cross, this emphasis is not the biblical focus of the death of Jesus, nor of the Lord's Supper or Eucharist!
The Gospels simply state the facts without melodrama!
What is of importance to the Gospels are the results of Jesus' death; salvation and the forgiveness of sins!
Neither does Paul dramatize the suffering of Jesus!

The Biblical focus of the death of Jesus is meant to be a joyful celebration of redemption, deliverance, salvation, and victory!

Christians know they can never repay God for the loving gift of his son, nor can they repay Jesus for the agony of his death!
But in the Lord's Supper they celebrate and proclaim the death of Jesus and all that it provides in a joyful ceremony of thanksgiving, hence the Eucharist (Thanksgiving).

It is altogether inappropriate to use the Lord's Supper as a vehicle for motivating Christians to "come to the mourners bench"!

The Lord's Supper is an occasion of celebrating our relationship with Jesus and with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

The Lord's Supper is a communion with Jesus and one another in love (hence the early love feasts celebrated with the Lord's Supper).


The Celebration Itself
In this section we explore how the church should conduct a communion service!
 

  1. As indicated above under the Frequency of the Lord's Supper, we believe that the Lord's Supper should be celebrated in thanksgiving every first day of the week, that is, every Sunday. (If one lives in a Jewish culture where the first day begins on Saturday at sunset, then the Lord's Supper may be celebrated on Saturday night after sunset, or on Sunday before sunset.)
  2. It is our belief that the Lord's Supper, or breaking of bread, in New Testament times was the center or focal point of the assembly.
It is our opinion that the Lord's Supper would have far more meaning if it was made the focal point of Christian worship during the Lord's Day assembly.
The Lord's Supper should not be truncated to be completed in as short a time as possible!
  3. The Lord's Supper should be introduced and shaped by prayers of thanksgiving for the bread (body/life of Jesus) and the cup (wine/blood of Jesus).
[We speak of wine since this is apparently what was used in New Testament times, but in practice in modern times grape juice is used. The reason we do this is the serious problems experienced in modern culture with alcoholism.  When wine was used in the New Testament times, it was diluted with water as was the custom in Eastern and Jewish cultures.]
  4. Those leading in the ceremony and prayers should be well informed as to the nature and focus of the Lord's Supper; that is thanksgiving and rejoicing, not mourning!
  5. The congregation should be informed as to the meaning of the bread and wine.
This should involve more than merely mentioning that the bread represents the body [often prefaced by words such as broken body], and that the cup represents the shed blood of Jesus.
The congregation should be reminded that the bread represents the body or life that Jesus lived and was willing to give; the cup represents the new covenant of forgiveness we enjoy.
  6. It is often the practice to share the bread first followed by the cup.
It is also appropriate to offer the cup first and then the bread (see Luke's account of Jesus institution of the Lord's Supper."
The appropriate meaning or theology of the Lord's Supper is more important than the order of the elements or the doctrinal practice!
  7. In most congregations the individuals eat the bread and drink the cup as it is passed to them.
In some practices, which we prefer, the whole congregation eats together and drinks together as a symbol of unity.
(In most of Africa one cup is used rather than multiple cups.  The use of one cup or multiple cups should not be a divisive doctrinal issue, but one of congregational preference.) 
  8. In the New Testament the Lord's Supper was a congregational occasion, not a private occasion.  The assembly may have been in a small house church, but the ceremony was a group sharing experience.
  9. We know of no occasion in the New Testament when the Lord's Supper was celebrated on occasions other than during an assembly of the church on the Lord's Day!
(The Passover was celebrated as a Passover only on the days stipulated in Exodus and the Old Testament.  It was not an exercise for a special occasion other than the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.)
  10. The Lord's Supper is a community (church) celebration of the new covenant established by Jesus death (blood).  It is a joyous occasion of thanksgiving and Christian unity with Christ.  It celebrates the real presence of Jesus in the ceremony and the confidence of his coming again (second coming, parousia) to redeem his church for presence with God throughout eternity.

For in depth study of the Lord's Supper click here to go to the Advanced Study on the Lord's Supper.