Ecclesiology (Doctrine of the Church): Sacraments / Ordinances (Lord’s Supper)
The Lord’s Supper—also called Communion or the Eucharist—stands at the heart of the church’s worship and witness. Instituted by Jesus on the night He was betrayed (Matthew 26:26–28), it is one of the two sacraments or ordinances recognized by most Protestant churches, alongside baptism. The Lord’s Supper is not merely a ritual but a visible proclamation of the Gospel. Through bread and wine, the church remembers Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, proclaims His death until He comes again, and participates together in the fellowship of His body and blood.
This sacred meal is both backward-looking, recalling the cross, and forward-looking, anticipating the marriage supper of the Lamb. It embodies the church’s identity as a redeemed people, united in Christ and awaiting His return.
1. Biblical Foundations of the Lord’s Supper
The institution of the Lord’s Supper is recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–20) and further explained by Paul (1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Each account emphasizes several key truths:
Remembrance: Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The Supper anchors the church in the saving work of Christ.
Proclamation: Paul explains that “as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Covenant renewal: Jesus identified the cup as “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), tying the meal to God’s promises of forgiveness and restoration.
The bread symbolizes Christ’s broken body, while the cup signifies His shed blood. Together, they communicate the fullness of the Gospel.
2. Sacrament or Ordinance?
Christian traditions use different language to describe the Lord’s Supper.
Sacrament: Many churches refer to it as a sacrament, emphasizing that it is a means by which God seals His promises and strengthens believers through visible signs.
Ordinance: Others prefer the word ordinance, highlighting obedience to Christ’s command and the symbolic nature of the meal.
Both perspectives agree on essential truths:
Christ is not sacrificed again in the Supper; His death was once for all (Hebrews 10:10–14).
The meal directs believers to the finished work of Christ and not to any inherent power in the elements themselves.
The bread and cup are ordinary elements set apart by Christ’s word and prayer, becoming extraordinary signs of His grace.
3. The Lord’s Supper as Communion with Christ and His Church
The Lord’s Supper is not a private act but a communal meal. Paul rebuked the Corinthians for divisions and selfishness at the table (1 Corinthians 11:17–22). True participation requires discernment of the body of Christ, both in remembering His sacrifice and in recognizing the unity of His people.
In this way, the Supper is both vertical and horizontal:
Vertical communion: Believers fellowship with Christ, receiving spiritual nourishment by faith.
Horizontal communion: Believers fellowship with one another as one body, bound together by the same Lord and the same salvation.
The Lord’s Supper thus reinforces both the unity of the church and its dependence on Christ.
4. The Role of Ministers and the Church
According to biblical and historic practice, the Supper is administered within the gathered community of believers, under the oversight of those called to minister the Word.
Declaration: Ministers proclaim the words of institution given by Christ.
Prayer and blessing: The elements are set apart by prayer.
Distribution: Bread and cup are shared among the people of God.
Private celebrations or denial of the cup are contrary to the nature of this ordinance. The Supper belongs to the whole body of Christ, not to a select group.
5. The Lord’s Supper and the Gospel
Anthony Delgado’s view of the Gospel emphasizes its breadth—it is not merely about personal forgiveness but about God’s kingdom breaking into the world. The Lord’s Supper embodies this “bigger Gospel” in several ways:
Proclamation of Christ’s death: The cross is central, reminding believers of the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus.
Participation in Christ’s kingdom: The meal is a foretaste of the eternal feast in the new creation (Revelation 19:9).
Empowerment for mission: Nourished by the Supper, the church is sent out to live as witnesses of Christ’s reign.
Thus, the Lord’s Supper connects past redemption, present fellowship, and future hope.
6. Eschatological Significance of the Supper
The Lord’s Supper does not only look backward to the cross but forward to Christ’s return. Jesus Himself promised, “I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29).
This points to three eschatological truths:
Anticipation of Christ’s return: Each celebration renews the church’s longing for the coming King.
Preview of the eternal feast: The Supper foreshadows the marriage supper of the Lamb, where God’s people will rejoice forever in His presence.
Assurance in present suffering: In times of persecution or trial, the Supper sustains believers with the promise that God’s kingdom will prevail.
The table thus ties the church’s worship to its ultimate destiny.
7. Guarding the Lord’s Table
Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 11:27–30 reminds believers that the Supper is holy. Participation requires self-examination, repentance, and faith in Christ. To partake unworthily is to treat the body and blood of Christ with contempt.
This does not mean that the weak or struggling are excluded—the table is for sinners who repent and believe. It does mean that the Supper calls for reverence, humility, and unity.
8. Living in Light of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper shapes Christian life beyond the gathered meal.
Remembrance: Believers live daily in gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice.
Communion: Unity in Christ compels love, forgiveness, and service toward one another.
Hope: The Supper directs believers to live in expectation of Christ’s return and the coming kingdom.
By regularly observing the Lord’s Supper, the church is continually reoriented to the heart of the Gospel and the hope of glory.
Conclusion
The Lord’s Supper is a profound gift of Christ to His church. It is both sacrament and ordinance, both remembrance and proclamation, both communion and anticipation. Through this meal, believers are strengthened in faith, reminded of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, united as His body, and pointed toward the eternal kingdom.
As the church continues to celebrate the Supper until Christ returns, it proclaims to the world that salvation belongs to the Lamb who was slain.
Bible Verses about the Lord’s Supper
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’” (Matthew 26:26)
“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:27–28)
“And he said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.’” (Mark 14:24)
“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.’” (Luke 22:19)
“And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” (Luke 22:20)
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16)
“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:17)
“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28)
“Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:9)
