When you read the words “The Lord’s Supper” or “Holy Communion” what first comes to your mind? Do you think of Da Vinci’s painting in Milan with Jesus sitting at the centre of a busy table with a tired look in his eyes while his disciples appear to be arguing all around him? Perhaps you think of the local shops in Ireland with row after row of little white dresses that are on sale for upcoming events where kids take this meal for the first time. Or maybe you think of a simple loaf of bread and glass of wine that Jesus ate with his disciples before heading to the cross.
There is a huge amount that can be said about “The Lord’s Supper” after all it is one of the only traditions that Jesus instructed his disciples to practice. In the last two thousand years this meal has been taken by billions of people worldwide and is a meal that virtually every Christian denomination continues to perform among its people. In this article we certainly won’t touch on everything that can be said about the Lord’s Supper, however we would like to take some time to look at a few key questions.
- What is “The Lord’s Supper?”
- How should we take “The Lord’s Supper?”
- How can we teach our kids about “The Lord’s supper?”
1. What is “The Lord’s Supper?”
A simple definition of the Lord’s Supper is, “A tradition that Jesus himself established for the church to practice as a commemoration of his death.” If you would like to directly read several of the main New Testament Scriptures that refer to the Lord’s Supper check out these passages There are many nuances and opinions about what the Lord’s Supper is; I found the following six general distinctives[ii] of the Lord’s Supper very helpful in my understanding of this meal. In each of the gospel accounts we see that it was Jesus who established this meal at a small gathering with his disciples right before the most important moment in history, his death on the cross for mankind. In both Luke’s account of Jesus with his disciples and Paul’s discussion on the Lord’s Supper being taken in the young church in Corinth we see that this meal is to be taken “in remembrance of me [Jesus].” If only for the reason of Jesus specific instructions alone, every Christian should take the Lord’s Supper. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” In these words we see that when believers eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord’s Supper they are proclaiming not in word alone, but in action that Christ is their life, their very food and drink. His death on the cross for them was profound and effective for both their present and their future. This meal also proclaims their confident hope in Jesus return at his second coming, “…until he comes.” We take the Lord’s Supper out of obedience to Christ’s instruction, but another reason we take it is because we believe that there is a spiritual benefit to us when we celebrate the depth of this meal and remember the awesome work that Christ has done for us on the cross. Jesus did not share this meal with the crowds that gathered around him, many of whom would have just been there to observe out of curiosity. He shared it with his disciples, the ones who were committed to Him. The Lord’s Supper represents not only His body, but also His body, the Church. In 1 Corinthians 10:15-17 Paul speaks of those who partake of the one loaf are all one body. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of our unity as the body of Christ; it cannot be rightly celebrated when we are fighting, dividing and despising one another. See 1 Corinthians 11:17-22. First of all, we would like to emphasize that if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, have repented of your sins and trusted him for your salvation then The Lord’s Supper is for you. If you have not yet experienced this salvation then perhaps you would like to Learn How To Start A Relationship With God. For those who are believers, here are a few things to remember when preparing to take the Lord’s Supper. Take time to REMEMBER that Jesus died for you. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the most perfect representation we have of God. He is God come in the flesh. Jesus came with strong words for the proud and self-righteous, but with extreme mercy to the humble. He came healing the sick, setting people free from oppressions and bringing light to a dark world. Ultimately, he came to bring mankind back into relationship with their Creator through his suffering and death on the cross. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He will return again. His Kingdom has come and is coming. This meal must always begin with and centre on Jesus. Take time to REPENT (turn toward God). Sin is a very real thing that is ugly and destructive. It is so harmful that the Bible teaches that it was sin and rebellion that brought death into our world. It is so terrible and destructive that in God’s mercy and desire for only good, all those who sin, deserve justice, which is death and eternal separation from Him. Instead, as a demonstration of God the Father’s awesome mercy and love, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Repentance is about a change in our actions that originates in us no longer thinking wrong thoughts, but His thoughts. Our job is not to be good enough to take the Lord’s Supper, but as we receive the wonderful gift of a new Life in Christ, we are enabled to turn away from sin. There is a Repentance that is “once” and leads to Salvation in Jesus Christ, but continual repentance should be a way of life by which we grow in our relationship with Him and allow Him to readjust our thinking to His own. Take time to be in RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with other believers. When we take the Lord’s Supper while mistreating other believers we are disgracing one of the key values of this meal (1 Cor. 11:23-29). One of Jesus’ most repeated prayers was that his disciples would be one. His desire is for us to be united, to love one another, to consider one another better than ourselves, and to serve one another. He prayed that we would be one as He and his Father are one. Lastly, take time to REJOICE! Sometimes the Lord’s Supper is seen as only a solemn time of sorrow as we remember Christ’s death and repent of our sins, but this is only one side of the story. The second side is that we MUST remember that “for the joy set before Him Christ endured the cross.” The Lord’s Supper is a time of celebration knowing that our sins have been forgiven and we now have access to approach our Heavenly Father, our Daddy. In Christ we have been made God’s children and we have nothing to fear. At Life Church we constantly pray that each one of the children that attend would have a deep and meaningful relationship with God the Father and fully understand who He is and what Jesus has done for them. This is the best news we can offer our kids. Our prayer is also that the things the children experience in Life Church services would be understood properly . Without understanding the meaning behind what we do most practices in the church become empty rituals. That is why we believe hugely in the importance of parents teaching their kids about the things of God. It is in the home and in the day-to-day life where the reality of God is best seen and it is through parents that these things can often be best taught. In Life Church we regularly celebrate communion during our corporate worship services. The children are periodically taught about this in Sunday School classes upstairs. We like to encourage parents to think about how they can teach their kids about the Lord’s Supper. Listed below are a few ideas that may help spark your own ideas of how you can share with your kids the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and ultimately the Good News of Jesus Christ. We trust that God can show you other creative ways to teach your kids about Him as well. At Life Church we do not have a set age that we think kids need to reach before they can take communion, but we do believe that they should be mature enough to understand the meaning of the meal and have trusted in Jesus being “born-again.” We believe this is best recognised by watchful believing parents. If you feel your kids are ready to take part in communion services please feel welcome to guide them during our corporate celebrations. If you feel they are not ready or are too young please help them to refrain until they are ready. REMEMBER: [i] English Standard Version (ESV). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. [ii] Erickson, Millard J. “Christian Theology”. Baker Books. Grand Rapids, MI, USA. Sixth Printing. 2003.
2. How should we take “The Lord’s Supper?”
3. How can we teach our kids about “The Lord’s supper?”