Pagan ideas also flowed into the celebration of the LORD’S Supper. So it is not surprising that recurring theological disputes about this subject arose already before, during, and even after the Reformation.

In order to understand the original meaning of the LORD’S Supper, one must read the corresponding Scriptures. The early Christians called the LORD’S Supper simply “the breaking of bread.” They also gathered for this purpose in each other’s homes (Acts 2:42-47; Acts 20:7). It was at the Feast of Passover when our Saviour introduced the LORD’S Supper (Jn 13; Mt 26; Mk 14). In Ex 12, when the LORD God gave the instructions for the first Passover, He called the people of Israel “Church” (Ecclesia = Called out Ones) for the first time. First, a lamb had to be sacrificed and the shed blood had to be applied to their door frames for their protection: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you …” (Ex 12:13). The meat of the lamb was prepared and eaten together with the unleavened bread. Paul referred to this in 1 Cor 5:7, when he wrote: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us …”

In Jn 6 we find the special parable where the LORD applied the symbol of the bread to Himself: “I am that bread of life … I am the living bread which came down from heaven (first He is the bread, then He gives it): if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. … Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. … he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”

In Mt 26 the disciples asked, “Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?” (vv. 17-19). “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (v. 26). Then comes verse 27: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it.” Only then He said, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (see also: Mk 14:24-25). The bread was eaten; the wine was drunk. In reference to the wine in the cup, our Redeemer said, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Mt 26:29).

The Redeemer has shed His blood and thus has given us the forgiveness of our sins and the reconciliation with God. Bread and wine cannot and need not be transformed; Christ cannot and need not be sacrificed again; He has done that once and for all. According to the divine Plan of Salvation, “… by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Heb 9:12). Amen.

The main principle is already written in Lev 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood …” In the blood of the Redeemer was the divine, eternal life. And in all those who were redeemed by the blood of the Son of God and born again through the Word and Spirit (Jn 3:3; Jas 1:18; 1Pt 1:23), in them is the same eternal life that was in the Son of God (1Jn 5:11-13). Paul wrote it in a manner that is easily understandable for everyone in 1 Cor 10:16-17: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”

In 1 Cor 11:23-34 the apostle wrote: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the LORD’S death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the LORD, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the LORD.” (vv. 26-27). The celebration of the LORD’S Supper is the culminating moment during a worship service. Everyone examines himself or herself before God and asks for forgiveness. In sincere prayer and reverence, the LORD’S Supper is celebrated in remembrance of the offering of His body as a sacrifice and of His holy blood, which He shed for us. The bread, which is baked without leaven, is blessed by prayer and broken before the congregation and distributed; the cup is likewise blessed by prayer and handed to everybody. That is how it was practiced by the first Christians, and that is how it was left unto the New Testament Church.

Pagan ideas also flowed into the celebration of the LORD’S Supper. So it is not surprising that recurring theological disputes about this subject arose already before, during, and even after the Reformation.

In order to understand the original meaning of the LORD’S Supper, one must read the corresponding Scriptures. The early Christians called the LORD’S Supper simply “the breaking of bread.” They also gathered for this purpose in each other’s homes (Acts 2:42-47; Acts 20:7). It was at the Feast of Passover when our Saviour introduced the LORD’S Supper (Jn 13; Mt 26; Mk 14). In Ex 12, when the LORD God gave the instructions for the first Passover, He called the people of Israel “Church” (Ecclesia = Called out Ones) for the first time. First, a lamb had to be sacrificed and the shed blood had to be applied to their door frames for their protection: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you …” (Ex 12:13). The meat of the lamb was prepared and eaten together with the unleavened bread. Paul referred to this in 1 Cor 5:7, when he wrote: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us …”

In Jn 6 we find the special parable where the LORD applied the symbol of the bread to Himself: “I am that bread of life … I am the living bread which came down from heaven (first He is the bread, then He gives it): if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. … Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. … he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”

In Mt 26 the disciples asked, “*Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?”* (vv. 17-19). “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (v. 26). Then comes verse 27: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it.” Only then He said, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (see also: Mk 14:24-25). The bread was eaten; the wine was drunk. In reference to the wine in the cup, our Redeemer said, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Mt 26:29).

The Redeemer has shed His blood and thus has given us the forgiveness of our sins and the reconciliation with God. Bread and wine cannot and need not be transformed; Christ cannot and need not be sacrificed again; He has done that once and for all. According to the divine Plan of Salvation, “… by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Heb 9:12). Amen.

The main principle is already written in Lev 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood …” In the blood of the Redeemer was the divine, eternal life. And in all those who were redeemed by the blood of the Son of God and born again through the Word and Spirit (Jn 3:3; Jas 1:18; 1Pt 1:23), in them is the same eternal life that was in the Son of God (1Jn 5:11-13). Paul wrote it in a manner that is easily understandable for everyone in 1 Cor 10:16-17: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.”

In 1 Cor 11:23-34 the apostle wrote: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the LORD’S death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the LORD, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the LORD.” (vv. 26-27). The celebration of the LORD’S Supper is the culminating moment during a worship service. Everyone examines himself or herself before God and asks for forgiveness. In sincere prayer and reverence, the LORD’S Supper is celebrated in remembrance of the offering of His body as a sacrifice and of His holy blood, which He shed for us. The bread, which is baked without leaven, is blessed by prayer and broken before the congregation and distributed; the cup is likewise blessed by prayer and handed to everybody. That is how it was practiced by the first Christians, and that is how it was left unto the New Testament Church.