The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, can be a complicated subject. Many believers have different traditions for this meal. Catholics see the bread and wine as Jesus’ literal flesh and blood, while evangelical Christians see the bread and grape juice as symbolism for Jesus’ flesh and blood.
Many questions surround communion, but perhaps one is asked more than the rest: how often should it be observed? Once a year? Once a month? Once a week? Whenever we feel like it? Before we answer this question, we must answer others. We must find out if we need to take the Lord’s Supper together, what the purpose of communion is, and how this meal connects to the Passover. But first, we must know if there is a difference between the Lord’s Supper and communion.
How Does the Lord’s Supper Relate to Communion?
Communion is a recreation and remembrance of the original Lord’s Supper. In Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, and Luke 22:14-20, the Lord’s Supper is where Jesus had his 12 disciples eat bread (to remember Jesus’ body soon to be broken for them) and drink wine (to remember Jesus’ blood soon to be spilled for them). Paul also writes about this in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. The Lord’s Supper was a meal to remember Jesus’ death on the cross to bring them salvation. Communion is a continuation of this meal. In communion, we eat bread and drink wine (or grape juice) to remember Jesus’ sacrificial death to bring us salvation.
So, the only differences between the Lord’s Supper and communion have to do with the times. The Lord’s Supper was one meal with Jesus and his disciples just before Jesus’ death two thousand years ago. Communion is with Christians all over the world after Jesus’ resurrection.
How Does the Lord’s Supper Connect to Passover?
The Lord’s Supper was a Seder Passover meal (Matthew 26:18, Mark 14:16, Luke 22:14-16).
Passover is a holiday of remembrance from the time of Moses when the Jews were enslaved in Egypt. It is remembering the angel of death passing over the houses of the Jews who had the blood of spotless lambs on their doors. The angel of death spared killing the firstborn Jewish boys.
The Lord’s Supper has a similar meaning. The Lord’s Supper is remembering that Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, shed his blood for us. Because of this, God’s judgment “passed over” us. The blood of Jesus spares us and makes us innocent, letting us into heaven instead of hell.
What Is the Purpose of the Lord’s Supper?
The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to remember Jesus’s body broken for us and his blood spilled for us. It is to remember Jesus’s sacrifice for us. This sacrifice, breaking his body and spilling his blood, washes us clean from our sins. Jesus paid it all. It is the least we can do to partake in this ordinance to remember what he gave for us. In this way, the Lord’s Supper is a way to honor God. In high church traditions, communion is the most important of the seven sacraments because some believe that they receive the physical body, blood, soul, and holiness of Jesus when taking communion.
Others believe that the blood and body of Jesus are within the bread and wine. In this view, the takers of communion do not necessarily receive the physical body, blood, soul, and holiness of Jesus.
Obedience is another purpose of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus commands believers to have this meal consistently. When Jesus had the Lord’s Supper with his disciples, he told them, “This is my body; it is for you. Eat this to remember me” (1 Corinthians 11:24) and “Each one of you drink some of it” (Matthew 26:27). Jesus also commanded us to do this in remembrance of him. Since Jesus told us to do it, we should do it. In this way, obeying Jesus is the purpose of the Lord’s Supper.
Another purpose of the Lord’s Supper has to do with evangelism. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “This means that every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are telling others about the Lord’s death until he comes again.” Each time we take communion, we tell others about Jesus’ death.
The Lord’s Supper is also about self-reflection. According to 1 Corinthians 11:20-21, when one eats without waiting for others, and some do not get enough to eat or drink while others get drunk, these people are not actually taking communion. If we do not examine ourselves and self-reflect like we are supposed to when taking communion, then there is a chance we are not even really taking communion. Even if the elements are consumed, if communion is taken without remembering Jesus’ sacrifice, it is not true communion.
Paul states in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32:
“So if you eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in a way that does not fit its meaning, you are sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. Before you eat the bread and drink the cup, you should examine your own attitude. If you eat and drink without paying attention to those who are the Lord’s body, your eating and drinking will cause you to be judged guilty. That is why many in your group are sick and weak, and many have died. But if we judged ourselves in the right way, then God would not judge us.”
If we take communion in a way that does not fit its meaning, we sin against God. Before we take communion, we should examine our attitudes. We must confess our sins to God and remember the sacrifice he made for us.
Do We Need to Take the Lord’s Supper Together?
The Lord’s Supper is supposed to be taken with other Christians. Originally, Jesus had his disciples take it together. When Paul is writing about communion in 1 Corinthians 10, he states in verse 17, “There is one loaf of bread, so we who are many are one body, because we all share in that one loaf.” Communion is a unifying symbol. It is a meal to be shared. The bread eaten is one loaf shared amongst the Christians at this meal. Christians are one body, the body of Christ, and the bread represents Christ’s body broken for us, which is what communion is all about.
Also, the early Christians, who are an example for us, took the Lord’s Supper together. Acts 20:7 states, “On Sunday we all met together to eat the Lord’s Supper.” If the early Christians are an example for us, and they took the Lord’s Supper together, then so should we.
Paul also states in 1 Corinthians 11:33, “So, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for each other.” Paul commands Christians to eat together for the Lord’s Supper. So, taking the Lord’s Supper together is important.
However, in some cases, communion is not exclusively for multiple Christians. The Bible does not state anywhere that taking communion alone is a sin. Sometimes it may not be possible for one to take communion with others.
How Often Should We Observe the Lord’s Supper?
The Bible does not specify how often we should observe the Lord’s Supper. This is why many different churches have different frequencies for taking communion. Ultimately, the frequency is less important than the deliberate choice to do it regularly.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/JeffXD
Jared Salomon is a writer and editor, with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing from Taylor University. He is an associate product developer for Childress Ink. He writes Christian fiction, realistic fiction, and fantasy. In his free time, Jared enjoys hanging out with his friends and playing sports (especially tennis).
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