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Lord's Supper Every Sunday?
The Lord’s Supper is a sacred commandment Jesus instituted for His people. It’s a time to reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. It’s a time to meditate on how His sacrifice and death gives us salvation and hope of eternal life with Him. The Bible gives us a pattern to follow based on what the early Christians in the New Testament did.
The Lord’s Supper involves partaking of unleavened bread and drinking of the fruit of the vine. The Gospel of Matthew (26:26-28) records Jesus’ words during the Last Supper, instituting the practice. Regarding the bread, he states, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then, referring to the cup, he says, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” It’s important to understand that these elements are symbolic. The bread and wine serve as a powerful reminder of His sacrifice – His broken body and blood shed – offered for humanity's redemption.
We see the first example set by the early church. Acts 2:42 illustrates the devotion the early believers had towards their newfound faith. Verse 42 reads, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Notice how every aspect of worship is described in this verse. Additionally, the verse says that they devoted themselves (gave over) to practicing spiritual growth in the Lord which included the Lord’s Supper (breaking of bread). The disciples witnessed Jesus institute the Lord’s Supper. In Luke 22:19 Jesus said, “this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” The disciples and the early Christians continued what Jesus commanded them to do in remembrance of Him.
In Acts 20:7, we find Paul and his companions together at Troas. The scripture reads, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued His message until midnight.” This verse gives an example for us as to when we should be observing the Lord’s Supper. Here, Luke connects the Lord’s Supper with Sundays, implying it was a key reason for their Sunday gathering.
Paul strengthens this connection. In 1 Corinthians 11, he admonished their behavior during the Lord's Supper five times using the phrase “when you come together” (11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34). This says that their gathering and the Lord’s Supper happened at the same time. When did they gather? 1 Corinthians 16:2 tells us Paul instructed them to “lay something aside... on the first day of every week.” Paul linked these instructions to Sundays because that’s when they assembled. Therefore, when Paul talks about “coming together” in 1 Corinthians 11 and the Lord's Supper, we can know he refers to their Sunday meetings since he mentions their gathering on “the first day of the week” (1 Cor. 16:2).
The New Testament lets us know that Jesus intended the Lord's Supper to be a weekly remembrance. We do not read that the Lord’s Supper was something that was observed occasionally. Early Christians observed it during their Sunday assemblies. In fact, these references and practices suggest the Lord's Supper was central to the early church's weekly gatherings.
Remember, Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). The Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ’s sacrifice, saving us. It is a commandment Jesus gave us to follow when we come together. It was not a suggestion or a tradition the early church followed. Moreover, I cannot think of a reason we should not celebrate His death every Sunday. His sacrifice was the whole point of His mission (John 10:9-10).
As we think about doing all in the name of the Lord, we must make sure the Lord’s Supper does not become a tradition or some sort of a “going through the motions” check the box routine. Sometimes I’ll ask myself before partaking, “Is my heart in the right place?” 1 Corinthians 11:28 says, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” I pray we maintain the right heart, attitude, and reverence this holy part of our worship service deserves. I pray we have the same devotion as the first Christians did in Acts 2:42. More importantly, I pray this precious act of worship does not lose its meaning as we celebrate the Lord’s death every first day of the week.
