But it would be possible to make a case that it is not good or wise to wait a whole month or more between meals. We live in a complex system in which everything we have comes from beyond us. And it should be a weekly part of our worship today. After the meal, Jesus also gave core principles for His disciples to live by. His passion is to serve the global Church and bring people of diverse backgrounds together to learn & grow. For a new Christian, or even someone who has followed the Lord for years, the Lord's Supper can feel somewhat mysterious. And he is the focus and content of it. Why is Eucharist observed in Catholic parishes every Sunday? So today we will put the message first and then lead into the Lords Supper with the sermon. Every Sunday, we take a few minutes to partake of the Lord's Supper and some don't even know why. The Lords Supper showcases the spiritual nourishment of believers. . Someone might argue, These are just examples, they arent commands. And that is true. He was our Passover, sacrificed for us (I Corinthians 5:7). First held when Jesus kept the Passover feast with His disciples on the evening before He was betrayed, the Lord's Supper, or Christian Communion, looks back to the death of our Lord and ahead to His victory over death at the resurrection, as well as His coming again to earth at the end of the age. On those Sundays, we will make other accommodations for service. What is the importance of the Lord's supper / Christian Communion? The "Lord's supper" or New Testament Passover should be observed after sunset on the evening before the Jewish people of today celebrate their feast. This sacrament is a public banquet first told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This bread-breaking was not the Lord's supper, but eating a plain meal. Nothing is specified about the kind of bread or the way it is broken. Our first brethren devoted themselves to the Breaking of Bread from the very beginning (Acts 2:42). Do they observe on other days too? message. Observance of the Lord's Supper on Sunday reflects the general practice of both the first-century churches as well as post-first-century churches. . Here are five brief biblical and theological reasons for this . Some will say circumcision was not done away, but was changedtoday it is in the heart (Romans 2:29). We are not saying that it is sinful to take the Lords Supper less frequently than every week. Now, having fellowship with the body and the blood of Jesus . Jesus commands us to serve one another, to love without asking for anything. The sacrament infuses Gods grace upon everyone who participates in the meal. It is a holy rite rooted in the Old Testament tradition of Passover. Powered by Congregate, SPRINGVILLE CHURCH OF CHRIST When we participate in the Lord's Supper, we each eat a small piece of bread in remembrance of Jesus. We should act righteously towards all we encounter, no matter their background. 11:26). Some Protestant denominations let laypeople lead the Communion. Eucharist | Definition, Symbols, Meaning, Significance, & Facts 2. ." Heres a popular Catholic hymn before communion: Lord, I may feel unworthy that you enter under my roof, but only say the word and I shall be healed.. They believe that Acts 20:7 reveals that the early church took communion every Sunday. Every time we participate in the sacrament of Communion, we offer up our sinfulness to God. During the meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it and gave it to His disciples, and said, This is my body. Then He took the chalice, giving thanks, and gave the wine to His disciples and said, This is my blood. In this gesture, Jesus offered His flesh and blood as the ultimate sacrifice for human salvation. "Break bread" does not necessarily refer to the "Lord's supper," as some have carelessly assumed. The Days of Unleavened Bread were still being observed. In Pauls discussion of the Lords Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, he made the point that the way we participate matters. The bread and the cup remind us of the one time sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. On the 10th day of the first month (the Hebrew, or sacred year, began with the new moon in the spring, near the equinox, not midwinter), they were told to take a young lamb without spot or blemish, a type of Christ, the Lamb of God. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. We do this in remembrance of the Lord, and thus proclaim His death until He comes. In this way, weekly communion is not just possible, but it is prudential, for it preaches the gospel to us and calls us to respond in faith. The bread and the cup point to his broken body and shed blood and are the definitive symbols of the New Covenant in Christ. 67), circa A.D. 152, of Christians meeting on Sunday and partaking of the communion (ch. How Often Should Communion Or The Lord's Supper Be Taken? Some churches take this "supper" every Sunday morning. Why Christians Should Take The Lord's Supper Every Sunday In the Eucharist, the tangible signs are the bread and cup whilst the spiritual reality is Jesus presence during the service. So we see that it was the night of the final and last Passover supper that Jesus introduced the New Testament "Lord's supper." For seven days they ate only unleavened bread. The Lords Supper, traditionally celebrated every Maundy Thursday, celebrates the communion of God and man through the offering of Jesus flesh and blood. The church needs to guard the sacred rite only from those who do not live in faith, love, and kind harmony with God and His people. The Lords Supper is a sacrament honored by all Christians. The focus is Jesus. We observe to commemorate a past event, to anticipate a future event, and to participate in the celebration of life between the two. The Passover was instituted by God to be a memorial of His deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Why and How We Celebrate the Lord's Supper | Desiring God Jesus set us an example (I Peter 2:21), observing it at this set time once a year (Luke 2:42). More than a time of passive and individual reflection, to the observe of the Lords Supper is to participate in a congregational act by which we corporately affirm our faith, celebrate the completed work of Christ, focus on our unity, and visibly proclaim to the world that Jesus is the only way of salvation. 11:28). So it is called the fruit of the vine. I dont think we should make a big deal over whether simple grape juice or wine is used. We cannot save ourselves. Scripture teaches us that life is a vapor (James 4:14). What Does God say about Communion? Indeed, one way our services are designed to provide freshness, as opposed to mere repetition, is to let the sermon text shape the themes, songs, Scripture readings, and prayers of the day. As I read it, ask, What does participation mean?. While I give very little weight to my personal experience, it is valuable for answering those who fear that taking the Lords Supper weekly will cause it to lose its significance. One church claims the bread and wine literally is transferred into the actual body and blood of Christ. May 30, 2023 The Lord's Supper, Communion, and the Eucharist are all names for the same thing. You will find the events recorded in the 12th chapter of Exodus. When it came to the salvation of mankind, God was in complete control. VALLEY BIBLE CHURCH JOIN US ON SUNDAYS IN PLEASANTON & LIVERMORE | CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO What is the spiritual presence view of the Lords Supper. Or it misses how much we need to hear the gospel, in every form prescribed by God. Jesus lived. Yet, later, as He sat "at meat," eating a meal, He broke bread and blessed it (Luke 24:30). In every sacrament, there is a tangible sign and an invisible spiritual reality. Notice, it was "when the hour was come," that Jesus first introduced the bread and the wine. This is not speaking about a Christian being worthy or unworthy to take it. They are equally agreed that the Lords Supper was observed weekly, on the first day of the week (1891, 1:505, emp. Jesus was very aware of this. "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you'" (verse 20). December 11, 2017 Why is communion so important? It was during the age-old celebration of the Passover on the eve of His death that Jesus instituted a significant new fellowship meal that we observe to this day. But they will admit it was a command to them. Some churches call it Communion, or the Eucharist, or the Breaking of Bread. Indeed, it is a practice that is commonplace among many Bible-believing churches. So, "as often as" means "upon the first day of the week . God saves us from our sinful selves. We can add to Justins testimony, the testimony of men like Eusebius, Pliny, Ignatius, Origen and many others to show conclusively that Christians have historically regarded Sunday as the day set aside by the Lords apostles as the day on which the church is to assemble and break bread together. That could not have been written had these days been done away and kept only by Christ-rejecting Jews. He had a body and a heart that pumped blood and skin that bled. Why I Believe in Taking the Lord's Supper Every Sunday In Matthew's account, we read, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread" (Matthew 26:26). The Gospels of Matthew (26:26ff), Mark (14:22ff), and Luke (22:14ff) all report the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died. Let me give four reasons, as we prepare for the Lords Table again this Sunday. They spent time togetherdaily, but Sunday was the day of their assembly, because it was the day of Jesus resurrection (see Luke 24). For Baptists, the Lords Supper is a church ordinance. In the Lords Supper, we commemorate Jesus death on the cross. Lastly, participation involves personal examination. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen. Consider three effects ofnottaking the Lords Supper each week. For when taking the Lords table is possible, the Lord has taught us through COVID-19 that we should. Here are believersthose who trust and treasure Jesus Christand Paul says that they are participating in the body and blood of Christ. The Lords Supper inspires us to live in Christ. The word for church,ekklesia,means assembly or gathering, and therefore, the church cant be the church when it doesnt meet. Some take it once a month, in the morning. We eat and drinkthat is, we take into our liveswhat happened on the cross. The Lords Supper reminds us that man lives not on bread alone (Matthew 4:4). . Those who eat and drink in a worthy manner partake of Christs body and blood, not physically, but spiritually, in that, by faith, they are nourished with the benefits He obtained through His death, and thus grow in grace., Where does this idea of partaking of Christs body and blood . Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. It was between sunset, when the first day of the week commenced, and midnight (verse 7) and there were many lights burning (verse 8). Many evangelicals who visit our church are caught off guard when, every Sunday, we say that you have to be baptized to take the Lord's Supper. Jesus elevated the meaning of the Passover meal. Every time you participate in the Lords Supper, always remember to thank God for His unconditional love for us. Some churches take the Lords Supper once a year, or a few times a year. The lamb was killed as the sun was going down (Deuteronomy 16:6), yet it was eaten in the 14th day (Leviticus 23:5, 6), not after it was passed.