29/09/2009 13:51The Lord's Supper is the expression of church unityPage 1 of 2http://www.methodistmessage.com/oct2006/question.html
The Lord's Supper is the expression of church unity
Can you please explain the meaning of the Lord's Supper? I participate in it month after month but am not sure of its significance.
By ROLAND CHIA
M
OST theologians would agree that the institution of the Lord's Supper goes back to Jesus ChristHimself.In all three Synoptic Gospels we have the explicit words of Jesus recorded by the evangelists whichinaugurated the practice (Matt 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20). There is strong evidence tosuggest that the last meal that Jesus shared with His disciples was a Passover meal of Jewish tradition,although some scholars have disputed this conclusion.The oldest document regarding the practice of the Lord's Supper is found in Paul's first letter toCorinthians (chapter 11), where he included the narrative that was passed to him through oral tradition.In that passage, Paul also gave some specific instructions as to how the Supper should be conducted, andthe proper attitude needed to participate in it. This shows that the practice of the Lord's Supper in theChristian committee has already been in existence before the writing of the first Gospel, which wasprobably the Gospel by Mark.Although churches across the denominational divide celebrate the Lord's Supper, there are somesignificant disagreements between the different traditions regarding the significance and meaning of thepractice. For instance, there is a dispute about the way in which Christ is present in the elements of breadand wine used in the Lord's Supper. Some claim that at their consecration the bread and the wine aretransformed into the body and blood of Christ. Others maintain that the bread and the wine onlyrepresent the body and blood of Christ.The body of literature that has been produced by the different traditions on the theology of the Lord'sSupper or the Eucharist is daunting. It is impossible to even begin to discuss some of the finer points of the ongoing theological debate on this subject in the limited space allotted for this essay. What I proposeto do is to present, in the sketchiest outline, the meaning of the practice. It is hoped that this will helpreaders to grasp the significance of the Lord's Supper in the life of the Church and the individualChristian.The Lord's Supper is firstly a remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our salvation. The last meal that Jesus hadwith His disciples before His arrest and execution marks animportant point in the history of the world. It marks the point inwhich God will make His salvation available to His creatures
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