Exploring the Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is the sacramental act of eating bread and drinking wine (or grape juice) in the same way that Jesus did with his disciples on his final night before his death. Luke 22:19-20 gives the account: 

Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” 

The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is fourfold:

Remembers and expresses gratitude for the death of Jesus Christ, his saving work on the cross, and the future hope that Christians have through his resurrection and coming kingdom (see Chapter 5 for more on the death and resurrection of Christ)

Enables the person taking the bread and wine to receive strength, nourishment, and empowerment from Christ

Reaffirms a commitment to Christ

Highlights the communion of believers with Christ himself and with each other

 

This sacrament is known by many names throughout the Christian Church (see Table 8-1), each of which signifies different aspects of its meaning.

 

Different Names for the Lord’s Supper

Name: Lord’s Supper

Biblical Reference: 1 Corinthians 11:20

Meaning: Remembering Christ’s Last Supper

 

Eucharist

1 Corinthians 11:24, Matthew 26:27

From the Greek word for “giving thanks,” emphasizing offering thanksgiving to God for Christ’s work that is being done in the life of a Christian.

 

Communion

1 Corinthians 10:16

Emphasizes the intimate bond between the Christian and God, as well as with the entire Body of Christ.

 

Lord’s Table

1 Corinthians 10:21

Remembering Christ’s Last Supper

 

Cup of Blessing

1 Corinthians 10:16

Similar to Eucharist

 

Breaking of Bread

Acts 2:42

Remembering Christ’s Last Supper

 

Wine? Grape juice? Snapple?

The Christian Church has historically varied on whether to use alcoholic wine or non-alcoholic grape juice as part of Communion. Catholics, Episcopalians, and some Lutherans use wine. Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, and most evangelical churches prefer to use grape juice. Orthodox Churches allow for either. 

Although, throughout history, the Church traditionally used wine for Communion, non-alcoholic grape juice became increasingly popular in Protestant churches in England during the temperance movement and in the U.S. in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. 

At the same time, the debate is over more than just whether or not to serve alcohol during the Lord’s Supper. Much of the issue concerns whether Jesus used fermented or unfermented wine during the Last Supper and whether Matthew 26:29 refers to grape juice or wine when Jesus refers to the “fruit of the vine.” 

Deciphering Jesus’ explanation of the elements

Surprise, surprise. Like they do with almost every other sacrament you’ve read about in this chapter, Christians debate on what exactly is the nature of the bread and wine, commonly known as the elements. Throughout Church history, Christians have speculated over what exactly Jesus’ words, “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” meant. The Church portrays four diverse interpretations of this statement: 

Elements are transformed into a real presence of Christ. The first perspective is that Jesus meant that when people participate in the Lord’s Supper, the bread and wine literally become transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ. The elements may still look, taste, smell, and feel like bread and wine, but their “inner reality” changes. 

Catholics hold this view and call it transubstantiation. In this case, because God actively transforms the elements into a bodily presence of Christ, the power of the Eucharist is not dependent on a person’s faith. Check out Catholicism For Dummies by Rev. John Trigilio, Jr. And Rev. Kenneth Brighenti (Wiley) to uncover more on transubstantiation. The Orthodox Church also believes Christ is really present in the Eucharist but tends to treat Christ’s presence as a mystery rather than explain it using the full Catholic teaching of transubstantiation. Anglicans (see Chapter 11) similarly believe that Christ is spiritually present in the Eucharist, but his presence is dependent on the faith of the person receiving the Communion. Therefore, from an Anglican perspective, Christ is in the elements if the receiver believes he is. 

Elements take on Christ’s nature. Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, which means that Christ’s body and blood are spiritually present in the Eucharist, but so too is the original nature of the bread and wine. In other words, the elements take on an additional nature, enabling Christ to be present in the elements. 

Elements are purely symbols of Christ’s body and blood. The Baptist denomination, along with many other Protestant churches, believes that you shouldn’t take Luke 22:19-20 literally because Jesus often used figurative language throughout his ministry to illustrate concepts. Instead, they believe that the elements are symbolic of Christ’s body and blood and serve as reminders of Christ’s work. This view holds less mystery of God and says that Communion is more of a remembrance than spiritual nourishment.

 

Elements are symbols of Christ’s body and blood, but Christ is present through the Holy Spirit. Presbyterian, Reformed, and other Protestant Churches also believe that the Lord’s Supper is symbolic and that the bread and wine don’t change in nature. However, they still account for the belief that the Lord’s Supper gives spiritual nourishment to Christians when they receive the elements.