The Understanding of Lord’s Supper

What exactly is the Lord’s Supper? Put very simply, it is an uncomplicated

ceremony in which bread and wine are taken by gathered worshipers in a sacred
act of communion, remembrance, and thanksgiving. This sacred act is rooted in the
words and actions of Jesus. There is no real doubt about this simple historical fact
—through the centuries this meal has been the central and characteristic action of
the church at worship. If the church is a community that remembers Jesus as Lord,
then the chief way this has been done in public worship has been through this
Supper. And this remembrance is not designed for sentimental reflection but as a
divinely invoked “recalling” of the historic event of Christ’s life and work,
particularly his passion, resurrection, and ascension.
The Origins of the Supper
Most scholars agree that the Lord’s Supper has its roots in the Jewish Passover
celebration. The Passover meal consisted of lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened
bread. It was instituted to celebrate and commemorate God’s liberation of the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The story is told in Exodus 28. The meal was
celebrated as a thanksgiving for the gifts of food, fellowship, and freedom. When
Israelite children would later ask their parents, “What does this ceremony mean to
you?” (Exod. 12:26), the parents were to refer them to these great events.

When Jesus instituted the meal that we call the Lord’s Supper, it was not a
Passover meal he celebrated but rather an entirely new ceremony within the
context of the Passover. It was not celebrated yearly, as the Passover, and it
involved only two simple elements — bread and wine. And though Jesus is “the
Lamb of God,” who sacrifices himself for our sins (John 1:29), a literal Passover
lamb was not involved in the Lord’s Supper, as in the Passover. The differences
between the two meals are important to note, but the parallels are also worth
careful consideration: During the Passover meal, someone, usually the youngest
son, was designated to ask the question, “Why is this night different from other
nights?” At this point the host would retell the story of Israel’s deliverance out of
Egypt and the meaning of the various elements of the meal. As the host of the Last
Supper, Jesus would have retold the story. Later, the parallels between the Passover
and the Last Supper which Jesus was establishing would be quite apparent.