The Lord’s Supper was a new practice instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ when He was with His Jewish kingdom apostles on the eve of His sacrifice on the Cross. In 1 Corinthians, Paul stated that he had “received of the Lord” instructions about likewise participating in this practice, and he told those at Corinth that he had “delivered [them] unto you” (1 Cor.11:23). The Lord instructed His apostles to “do” this observance after His death, and Paul’s repetition of these instructions to members of the Body of Christ teaches that we are to “do” likewise.

It is significant that this supper was not part of the Passover. The Jewish Passover feast involved eating a sacrificial lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs in haste (Ex. 12:8-11). The Lord’s Supper included only bread and the cup. Our Savior did eat the Passover with His apostles (Lk. 22:13-16). But it was “after” (Lk. 22:20) the Passover meal was finished that Christ Jesus gave new directions about the Lord’s Supper (Lk. 22:17). Moreover, the Passover was only celebrated once a year in Jerusalem, and it was only for Jews and not for Gentiles (Ex. 12:43). Paul’s instructions about practicing the Lord’s Supper are for Jews and Gentiles alike, and there is no restriction on how frequently to observe it (1 Cor. 11:26).

When partaking of the symbolic bread and wine, the Lord said, “this do in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24-25). The bread represents the broken body of the Lord Jesus, and the cup represents the precious life blood the Savior gave as the payment for our sins. Clearly, our Redeemer wants us to often remember the loving, highest of prices He paid to ransom us from eternal punishment. But surely, He also meant something deeper. When Israel possessed their Promised Land and enjoyed abundant prosperity, they were warned not to “forget the Lord” (Deut. 6:10-12). God’s message to them through Jeremiah was, “my people have forgotten me days without number” (Jer. 2:32). Surely the instruction in the Lord’s Supper is intended to remind us not to forget the Lord in our daily lives. He wants us to remember Him every day! He longs for us to come to Him often with loving affection for fellowship, praise, worship, and strength.

Our Lord taught that the wine was symbolic of “the new testament [covenant] in my blood” (1 Cor. 11:25). The new covenant was specified as future spiritual blessings for Israel (Jer. 31:31) that were secured on the Cross (Heb. 9:16,22,28; 10:10,14). It included promises about the Millennial Kingdom. It specified that the law would be written into the hearts of Israel, and their iniquities would be forgiven (Jer. 31:33-34). It is in this sense that believers today share in the spiritual blessings of the new covenant. We, too, are a new creation in Christ—all things become new the moment we believe, and our sins are forgiven (2 Cor. 5:17). Therefore, in this way, Paul stated that we are “able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit…” (2 Cor. 3:6).

Some people believe and teach things about the Lord’s Supper that are not true. When we observe the Lord’s Supper, the bread does not literally become the body of the Savior, nor does the wine literally become His blood. This false doctrine is called “transubstantiation.” It is true that the Savior referred to Himself as the “bread of life,” and that His followers were to eat this bread (Jn. 6:48-51). It is also true that Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you” (Jn. 6:53). Clearly these were metaphors, or symbolic words. None of His apostles literally ate His body or drank His blood. In fact, consuming blood was strictly forbidden (Gen 9:4; Lev. 3:17; 7:26-27). Our Lord’s point was that their faith had to be in Him. There is no merit in observing the Lord’s Supper connected with obtaining eternal life! Today, the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life are by grace through faith solely on the merits of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23; I Cor. 15:3-4; Eph. 2:8-9). There is no life-or-death punishment for observing the Lord’s Supper “unworthily” (1 Cor. 11:29). If that were true, many of the Corinthians, and many believers today, would die prematurely. The point of 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 is that participating in communion with a sinful life and hardened heart causes many to drift into a condition of spiritual unresponsiveness to the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives (1 Cor. 15:34; Eph. 4:17-21; 5:14; 1 Tim. 4:1-2). Instead, every participant should “examine himself” (1 Cor. 11:28) for opportunities to improve one’s walk with the Lord.

See also:
The Lord’s Supper (Part 1)
The Lord’s Supper (Part 2)
Why Celebrate The Lord’s Supper?