Jesus never asked His disciples to remember His birth, but He did instruct them to remember His death and resurrection. He gave the church two visible symbols (called “ordinances”) as reminders of His death. These two ordinances are: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper also referred to as Communion. The Lord’s Supper is an object lesson that represents a great spiritual truth for believers.
WHAT IS THE LORD’S SUPPER? (I Corinthians 11:23-26)
- It is a simple act. “The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread…” (vs. 23)
- It is a reminder. “…and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; eat it in remembrance of me.’” (vs. 24)
- It is a symbol. “In the same way, He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; drink it to remember me.’” (vs. 25)
- It is a statement of faith. “For whenever you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes back.” (vs. 26)
WHO SHOULD TAKE THE LORD’S SUPPER?
HOW DO I PREPARE MYSELF FOR THE LORD’S SUPPER?
“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A person ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” I Corinthians 11:27-28
- …Self-Examination. I Corinthians 11:27
- …Confessing My Sins. I John 1:9; John 13:10
- …Recommitment. Romans 12:1
- …Restoring Relationships. Matthew 5:23-24
WHEN AND HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE OBSERVE THE LORD’S SUPPER?
Jesus never said when or how often believers should observe The Lord’s Supper. At First Baptist Church of Honolulu we normally observe the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of the month during the worship service. However, communion may also be done at a special service, or in a Small Group of believers.