The pastor finishes preaching and stands behind a table to introduce what he calls a âmeal.â He indicates that the church âcelebrates this mealâ in remembrance of what Christ has done. He mentions Jesusâs body broken and his blood shed for sinners. He then gives instructions on who can and cannot participate. He prays, and a sense of solemnity fills the building as people pass around trays containing little wafers and doll-sized cups of juice. Finally, everybody eats their wafers, drinks their juice, and sings a hymn.
For the uninitiated, the Lordâs Supper can feel peculiar, even strange. What just happened? How is this a âmealâ? Why do Jesusâs people eat and drink this way, and how is it connected to their faith? These arenât just questions from unchurched Bob or non-Christian Ahmed visiting church on a Sunday morning. Theyâre questions many faithful Christians either are too embarrassed to ask, or sadly, have never given much thought.
Itâs easy to go through the motions during the Lordâs Supper. Itâs easy just to believe something special takes place without ever knowing why. Itâs easy to eat and drink and think that somehow Jesus is doing something for us in this moment even if weâre not sure what that something is.
But if we just go through the motions, then we reduce the Lordâs Supper to mere ritual and miss out on its main purpose. Jesus wants us to know what weâre doing and why we do it when we eat and drink at his Supper. In this beautiful and peculiar act of worship, Jesus wants to bless us. And that blessing comes to us only as we thoughtfully participate in this meaning-filled meal.
Why did you pick up this little book? Maybe youâve caught yourself taking the Lordâs Supper without thinking about whatâs actually happening. Maybe youâve wondered why churches even practice the Lordâs Supper. Or maybe youâve attended churches where the Lordâs Supper is left unexplained. And now you want someone to explain why itâs important and how itâs relevant for your Christian life.
I want to do just that. By thinking through what Scripture says about the Lordâs Supper, you will maximize your joy in this meal as you celebrate it with your church.
A Meal of Remembrance
Iâm what you might call a âfoodie.â Having lived in both the East and the West, I love food that introduces me to new tastes and smells. Iâm also fascinated by how culinary experiences can bring back memories of the past. While I lived in North America, Indian food reminded me of my momâs cooking and life back home in South India. As I now live in the Middle East, hamburgers remind me of my time in America. Food evokes feelings. Meals bring back memories. In the Lordâs Supper, Jesus gives us a meal to evoke memoriesâto remember what he has done for us.
Do you remember Jesusâs last night with his disciples? He shared one last Passover meal with his closest friends before he was betrayed, beaten, and crucified. In these final moments, Jesus gave them a meal to remember him as they celebrated Godâs rescue of his chosen people in the Passover. A quick flashback will help us understand.
In Genesis, God promised to bless Abraham and his family and all nations through them (Genesis 12; 15; 17; 22). Yet Exodus begins with this familyâthe people of Israelâliving under back-breaking slavery in Egypt.
The Israelites cried out to God, and he heard their cry. He sent nine plagues to show he was the one true God, and he then sent a tenth, climactic act of judgment. He would pass through the land of Egypt and judge the Egyptians by killing every firstborn. But he would protect the firstborn of the Israelites if each household sacrificed a lamb and spread its blood around the entrances of their homes (Ex. 12:12â13).
Inside the Israelite homes, families gathered for a meal. They ate the sacrificed lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, a meal that would be remembered for years to come as the Passover.
Passover became an annual event for the Israelites. God himself instituted it to remind them that he spared Israel not because they were without sin, but because of his mercy and the blood of the lamb (Ex. 12:23). Every year, generation after generation, the people of Israel remembered Godâs act of salvation by eating a meal (Ex. 12:24â27).
Now letâs return to Passover night with Jesus and his disciples. As they celebrated the Passover one last time, commemorating Godâs act of salvation in the past, Jesus gave his disciples a new meal to remember:
The next day, Jesus died on a cross as a substitute for his people, bearing Godâs wrath against sinners. God then raised Jesus from the dead in glory, and now he reigns in heaven, offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who trust in him. If you are reading this and havenât trusted in Jesus, this offer applies to you too! Turn from your sin, trust in Je...
