Every communion meal points us forward. We proclaim His death, but we also proclaim His return. The Lord’s Supper reminds us that God’s redemptive plan isn’t finished. Christ will return. Justice will be done. Sin and death will be no more. And we will feast with our Savior in glory.

Our world is full of traditions. Some are common, like celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, and others more personal or cultural. As Christians, we’re part of the family of God, and one of the most important traditions He gave us is the Lord’s Supper.

This sacred meal must never become a mere ritual. To appreciate it rightly, we need to understand its meaning power, and the privilege of participating.

Christ Commissioned the Supper

We observe the Lord’s Supper because Jesus instituted it on the night before His death. Along with Baptism, it is one of the Church’s two sacraments. Baptism is a one-time sign of entrance into the covenant family of God. The Lord’s Supper, on the other hand, is ongoing—a continual reminder of Christ’s death and our fellowship with Him.

John Calvin called a sacrament “an outward sign by which the Lord assures us inwardly of his loving promises.” In other words, a sacrament is a visible form of invisible grace.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines it this way:

92. 92. What is a sacrament?
    A. A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

J.I. Packer observed that the Lord’s Supper carries meaning on three levels: past, present, and future.

“It has a past reference to Christ’s death, which we remember. It has a present reference to our corporate feeding upon him by faith. And it has a future reference as we look ahead to Christ’s return.”
(Concise Theology, p. 219)

In this single ordinance, Christ reorients our hearts across time—back to the cross, into present communion, and forward to His return.

A Memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice

In 1 Corinthians 11:24–25, the apostle Paul quotes Jesus:

“This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me… This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this… in remembrance of me.”

Two elements are involved—bread and cup—representing Christ’s body and blood. Every time we partake, we remember Christ’s death and its benefits. Verse 26 says,

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

We are a forgetful people. Scripture regularly calls us to remember, especially the most important truths. The Supper memorializes what God did through Christ—His body broken, His shed blood, and His resurrection from the dead. These physical elements in our hands remind us of the gospel in the most tangible way.

Jesus declared in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” He is our sustenance. In John 14:6, He adds, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

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