Hiram Kemp

Few things are more important and central to the Christian life than the Lord’s Supper. Here are some things to keep in mind as you prepare to partake at the Lord’s table.

1. The supper is taken in view of Jesus’ return (I Corinthians 11:26).

2. If we partake of the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner we bring judgement on ourselves (I Corinthians 11:27)—No one is “worthy” to take the Lord’s Supper but we can take it in a worthy manner (i.e., with the right focus and intent).

3. The Lord’s supper is designed to be taken in a congregational setting with other Christians and not in isolation (I Corinthians 11:17, 20, 30-34—notice the “when you come together” statements).

4. The Lord’s Supper was only taken on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

5. The early church took the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week (Acts 2:42, 20:7).

6. The bread represents Jesus’ body which he gave for us (Matthew 26:26).

7. The cup (i.e., its contents) represents the blood Jesus shed for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:28).

8. Jesus promised to partake of the supper with us in God’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29)—He’s present when we take it today.

9. We should be thinking of Jesus and remembering His sacrifice as we partake of the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19).

10. We should examine ourselves as we eat and drink (I Corinthians 11:28). We are examining ourselves not to see if we are perfect, but to be sure our hearts and minds are in the right place as we take it (cf. I Corinthians 11:27-32).

11. We should wait for each other and be considerate of one another during the partaking of the Lord’s Supper (I Corinthians 11:33).

12. The Lord’s Supper is not a meal to satisfy our hunger. The focus is Jesus’ sacrifice for our souls (I Corinthians 11:34).

13. The background of the Lord’s Supper is Israel’s Passover meal to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Mark 14:12-16, 22-25; Luke 22:15; see Exodus 12:14-26).

14. Christ is our Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed for us (John 1:29; I Corinthians 5:7).

15. The bread is unleavened because no leaven was allowed in the homes of the Jews during the Passover, so the bread would have been unleavened when Jesus instituted the meal (Exodus 12:14-20).

16. Remember Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and unworthy of His love (Romans 5:6-8).

17. Communion means to share or have fellowship (joint participation). The Lord’s Supper is referred to as communion because as we do it we share the body and blood of Jesus (I Corinthians 10:16-17).

18. Jesus instituted the meal on the night he was betrayed but He remained faithful to us in dying for our sins (I Corinthians 11:23).

19. The Lord’s Supper foreshadows the meal we will eat together in the heavenly kingdom of God (Isaiah 25:6-12; Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:29; Revelation 19:9).

20. We proclaim or announce the death of Jesus and our faith in what it accomplished every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper (I Corinthians 1:26).

—Christian Messenger, March 30, 2023

Vol. XLIV, No. 13