Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend or mentor.
The ceremony of Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) is a celebration that Christians always and everywhere have done regularly, as Jesus taught. Let’s explore how we do Communion, and more importantly, why.
What Communion is.
Every Sunday in Sacrament Meeting, LDS wards practice “the sacrament” by passing around bread and water for those in attendance to eat and drink. Non-LDS churches also practice something similar, called Communion, also known as the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper. It’s a time when Christians give thanks to God together, remembering the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. As we remember, we also look forward to him coming again.
How Communion got started.
At the very end of his ministry, Jesus gathered his core group of followers to celebrate one last supper with them. This was related to the Jewish festival of the Passover, and the Passover meal. During that meal time together, Jesus compared the bread and wine eaten in the traditional Passover meal to his own body and blood, giving those two elements of the meal new meaning. This is described in Matthew 26:26-28.
Matthew 26:26-28 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.
Jesus would give his life on the cross the very next day. It was natural for him to connect the body and blood he would sacrifice on the cross to the elements of the Passover meal. But he also told his followers to keep sharing these elements together as a way to remember him and everything he had done. The apostle Paul plays that out more fully.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
So Communion started when Jesus practiced this ritual meal himself, and then commanded us to do it as well.
How Communion is practiced today.
Communion is actually practiced in many different ways, in different churches around the world. The Bible gives us the most basic instructions on this. It calls us to do it in remembrance of Jesus. But the details of how it happens are never spelled out. So different types of bread are used in different places. Grape juice and wine are both used in different settings.
There are different ways that the elements are received. In some churches, people are served the bread, and then drink from a shared cup. Others dip a piece of bread into the cup, then receive both elements together. These methods imply that people come to a common distribution point to receive the elements. For others, the elements are distributed on trays where the people are sitting. In some churches, the bread is already portioned out in individual wafers, while others take a piece from a common loaf.
Some churches practice Communion monthly, while others do it every week. Regardless, Communion is something we should do as often as we can in the life of the church because of what it represents. Some churches practice what is called an “open table”, meaning that everyone who professes to be a Christian is welcome to join in. The idea is that it’s just between you and God whether you participate. Other church practice a “closed table,” where only members of that church can participate. The purpose of this is to ensure that the people who take Communion in remembrance of Jesus are actually Christians who have experienced what Communion represents as biblically defined.
In some church settings, Communion must be led by some kind of authorized priest or pastor. I don’t believe this is appropriate, since 1 Peter 2:9 says that all followers of Jesus are priests, with the privilege of approaching God. This is why many home Bible study groups will practice Communion from time to time, or a family might practice Communion on certain meaningful occasions. But Communion is meant to be practiced by the church as a whole, so these more individual expressions are missing something important.
Why we do Communion.
Regardless of the method of Communion, the motivation is always the same. We do Communion to give thanks for all that God has done for us in Christ, including his death and resurrection. Jesus told us to do it in remembrance of him, so in Communion, we reenact those key events in Jesus’ life, and we participate vicariously in his death and resurrection. Even as we remember Jesus’ death – his broken body and shed blood – we also look forward to his return.
Key Points:
- What Communion Is
- How Communion God Started
- How Communion Is Practiced Today
- Why We Do Communion
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- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? What jumped out at you?
- Have you ever been unsure about taking Communion? Explain.
- What does the bread of Communion stand for? What about the wine?
- As you understand it, how is Communion different in meaning from LDS sacrament?
- Why do you suppose some churches use grape juice instead of wine?
- What methods of taking the elements have you been exposed to? What method do you prefer – and why?
- Why is it important to receive the elements of Communion with gratitude?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
