Breaking Bread: The Spiritual Significance of the Lord’s Supper

If you attend church regularly or semi-regularly, you have probably participated in The Lord's Supper, also known as Communion. In most churches it is an official ceremony where the "elements" are passed out to everyone. The pastor speaks to the congregation and everyone partakes of the "bread" (a tiny cracker) and "wine" (grape juice). Does this sound familiar to you? Most churches do this quarterly or every fifth Sunday. So what is Breaking Bread, and why should you do it? Are there any reasons you shouldn't do it?

The word Communion comes from the root word commune, which means to engage in deep communication or share thoughts and feelings, often in a spiritual or intimate sense. The Lords' Supper invites us to draw close to our Lord and share our thoughts and feelings of gratitude for what He did for us on the cross. Jesus himself initiated Breaking Bread with the disciples before he went to the cross. In Luke 22:19-20, Luke states, "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.'." Jesus was modeling for the disciples how they would be able to connect with Him after He was no longer on earth with them. At that time, they did not understand what He was saying because He was referencing things that had not yet happened. However, we can look back at His teaching and have a better understanding because we know what happened next.

Following the Lord's Supper, Jesus began his journey to the cross, which led to His death, and finally His resurrection. The bread represents the pain and suffering He endured in His physical body on our behalf. When you eat the bread, it is a time to think about the sin in your life that Jesus was beaten and crucified for. This should not be a time of shame, but of gratitude! Romans 5:8 states, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus endured intense suffering for us while we were still sinning, and are still sinning! Jesus took the punishment for an unrepentant people group because He loves us so much. When you eat the bread, be inspired to repent of the sin in your life and lean into Jesus and His love for you. Through this you will have a deeper connection with your Savior.

After you eat the bread, you drink the wine. The wine represents the blood that was shed on your behalf to cover your sins. God is Holy and cannot be in the presence of sin, so until Jesus' blood was shed, we had no way to have a relationship with the Father. Bloodshed is the only way to cover the penalty of sin. God commands the blood of a pure and perfect lamb to be shed in order for the sin to be wiped away. In the Old Testament, a priest was required to present sacrifices to the Lord for his sin. Then he was allowed into the Temple where the presence of God lived. The priest would enter the temple on behalf of God's people and ask God to forgive their sins. Here is a crazy fact for you, the priest entered the temple with a rope tied around his ankle because if he had hidden sin in his life that he had not repented from, God would strike him dead. Those outside the temple would pull the rope to remove his dead body! Sin is serious to God. Because He is Holy He cannot intermingle with sin. Instead of leaving us in our messy, sinful state, His plan was to save us! He sent His son to pay the price we could not pay. What an amazing testament to love!

The Lord's Supper is a time for believers to join in fellowship with God with a grateful heart for what He did for us! Communion is a time to assess your life and repent. It is a time to draw close to the One who loves you more than anyone. It is a time to remember how blessed we are to have a Savior who paid our debt. So, how often should you do communion? As often as you need to, in order to live in the grace bestowed upon you. Are you having a bad day? Take Communion and be grateful you are free from the bondage of sin. Do you feel like God is distant? Take Communion and draw close to Him.

In our Western church culture, we don't recognize the Lord's Supper as seriously as we should. For most Christians, it is something done infrequently at church. However, the Bible doesn't say it should be done at church. It also does not say how frequently to take Communion. 1 Corinthians 11:26 states, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Every time you take Communion, you are proclaiming the truth that Jesus will return! Our only true hope in this world is that Jesus is coming back to restore perfection to our world. The Lord's Supper is a way to remind ourselves what Jesus told his disciples, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33).

If you don't take Communion regularly, consider making it a practice in your life. For more reading on what the Bible teaches, read 1 Corinthians 10-11. If you have questions, contact us! We'd love to share what we have learned and help you draw closer to God. Check out our video for more teaching.

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