What Is the Significance Of The Lord’s Supper?

What major significance is there about the Lord’s Supper? What can the Christian learn from this special night?

The Old Testament Passover

The Passover has always been very significant for the nation of Israel because it pictured God’s “passing over” those who had blood on their doorposts and lentils. The blood had to be that of a lamb and prefigured the coming supreme, once-and-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ whose blood would be shed for the remission of sins. The was commanded to be taught to their children and to their children’s children so that they would remember how God rescued them from the bondage of the Egyptian slavery where they endured hundreds of years of forced labor.

The Coming Kingdom of God

Jesus took some of the things associated with Passover and incorporated them into a new and better covenant. He said that “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15-16). What Jesus was saying was that the next time He would sit down for a meal with the disciples would be when the kingdom of God would be fulfilled. That is, they consummation of the kingdom would come down from heaven in the City of God as the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:10-14) of which “the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed” (Rev 21:12b) “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev 21:14). Today, Christians look forward to this coming of the kingdom of God that will never end.

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Jesus had told Peter and John “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it” (Luke 22:8) and so “they prepared the Passover” (Luke 22:13b) “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:14-16). Then Jesus “took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:17-18) and after this “he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19) and likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). In Jesus’ breaking the unleavened bread, He symbolized His sinless-ness and the brokenness prefigured His body that was to broken for them (and for us who trust in Him). The cup pictured the very blood of the Lamb of God that was to be poured out for the forgiveness of sins. This was the new covenant…a covenant where His blood would be poured out as the ultimate sacrificial offering for all who believe in Him, covering all sins, and would be sufficient for all time.

Paul’s Instructions for the Lord’s Supper

Apparently, Paul received instructions directly from the Lord on the observance of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:23a) writing “that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor 11:23-25) because “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor 11:26). There are at least two things that are important here; for one thing, it is commanded that every believer partake in the Lord’s Supper because we’re told to “do this” in remembrance of Jesus Christ; secondly, as often as we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are actually proclaiming the Lord’s death for us and to do this “until he comes.” He gives a very serious warning that they must not partake of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner (1 Cor 11:27a) or in a careless, thoughtless way but instead, they are to discern the’ body of Christ and the meaning of the bread and the wine, otherwise they would actually “be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27b) which is why those who partake of it should “examine [themselves] then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:28-29). Some apparently had brought judgment on themselves without a self-examination and had died for this very reason (1 Cor 11:30).

Conclusion

Churches that do not partake of the Lord’s Supper on a consistent basis are not proclaiming Jesus’ death and His coming. They are being disobedient to Jesus’ command to “do this in remembrance” of Him (Luke 22:19). That’s why there are no lone ranger Christians in the New Testament church and there should not be today as the author of Hebrews warns us “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). Sadly, more are neglecting meeting together as the “Day” is drawing nearer and nearer.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.