Question
What is the Lord’s Supper?
Answer
Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourishing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father’s kingdom.
Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourishing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father’s kingdom.
Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him.
Scripture
—1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
—1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (NIV)The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
—1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (NLT)For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
Song
Video
Prayer
Adult
“To Thee, Lord. To Thee we commend our whole life and our hope, tender Lord, and invoke Thee, and pray Thee, and supplicate Thee: make us worthy to participate in…this…Table with a pure conscience, to remission of sins, to forgiveness of transgressions, to communion of the Holy Spirit, to inheritance of the kingdom of the heavens, to boldness toward Thee, not to judgment, nor to condemnation. And make us worthy, Lord, with boldness, to dare to call upon Thee, the heavenly God, as Father.”
Footnote
John Chrysostom (347–407). Archbishop of Constantinople, John was born in Antioch. He was given the title Chrysostom which means “golden mouth” because of his eloquent preaching. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and Doctor of the Church. Chrysostom is known for his Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (from which this prayer is taken), and his vast homiletical works including 67 homilies on Genesis, 90 on the Gospel of Matthew, and 88 on the Gospel of John.
Attribution
From The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople (London: Joseph Masters, 1866), 70–71.
Child
Lord, we look to you for life and hope. And we pray that you would make us ready to participate in the Lord’s Supper. We want to remember your Son, whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for us on the cross. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from John Chrysostom’s prayer in The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople (London: Joseph Masters, 1866), 70–71.
“To Thee, Lord. To Thee we commend our whole life and our hope, tender Lord, and invoke Thee, and pray Thee, and supplicate Thee: make us worthy to participate in…this…Table with a pure conscience, to remission of sins, to forgiveness of transgressions, to communion of the Holy Spirit, to inheritance of the kingdom of the heavens, to boldness toward Thee, not to judgment, nor to condemnation. And make us worthy, Lord, with boldness, to dare to call upon Thee, the heavenly God, as Father.”
Footnote
John Chrysostom (347–407). Archbishop of Constantinople, John was born in Antioch. He was given the title Chrysostom which means “golden mouth” because of his eloquent preaching. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and Doctor of the Church. Chrysostom is known for his Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (from which this prayer is taken), and his vast homiletical works including 67 homilies on Genesis, 90 on the Gospel of Matthew, and 88 on the Gospel of John.
Attribution
From The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople (London: Joseph Masters, 1866), 70–71.
Lord, we look to you for life and hope. And we pray that you would make us ready to participate in the Lord’s Supper. We want to remember your Son, whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for us on the cross. Amen.
Attribution
Derived and adapted from John Chrysostom’s prayer in The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople (London: Joseph Masters, 1866), 70–71.
Commentary
“The Lord’s supper…is purposely provided by the King of saints for…his family, for the refreshing of the weary, and the making glad the mournful soul. The night before his bitter death, he instituted this sacramental feast! He caused his disciples to sit down with him, and when they had partaken of the passover, the sacrament of promise, and had their taste of the old wine, he giveth them of the new, even the sacrament of the better covenant, and of the fuller Gospel grace. He teacheth them that his death is life to them; and that which is his bitterest suffering, is their feast; and his sorrows are their joys…. The slain Lamb of God our passover that was sacrificed for us, that taketh away the sins of the world, was the pleasant food which sacramentally he himself then delivered to them, and substantially the next day offered for them…. O what…treasures of mercy are here presented to us in a sacrament! Here we have communion with a reconciled God, and are brought into his presence by the great Reconciler. Here we have communion with our blessed Redeemer, as crucified, and glorified, and offered to us, as our quickening, preserving, strengthening Head. Here we have communion with the Holy Ghost, applying to our souls the benefits of redemption, drawing us to the Son, and communicating light, and life, and strength from him unto us; increasing and actuating his graces in us. Here we have communion with the body of Christ, his sanctified people, the heirs of life.… The sealed message of God’s reconciliation with us, and a sealed pardon of all our sins, and a sealed grant of everlasting life…the sacrament is sweet that doth convey them…. And though in this low communion of imperfect saints, we see but in a glass, and have but some small imperfect tastes of the glorious things which hope expecteth; yet this is more than all that earth and flesh can yield; and it is most pleasure that by these is revealed, sealed, and represented.”
Footnote
Richard Baxter (1615–1691). An English Puritan, Baxter served as a chaplain in the army of Oliver Cromwell and as a pastor in Kidderminster. When James II was overthrown, he was persecuted and imprisoned for 18 months. He continued to preach, writing at the time that: “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” As well as his theological works he was a poet and hymn-writer. He also wrote his own Family Catechism.
Attribution
From “A Saint or a Brute” in The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, Volume 10 (London: Paternoster, 1830), 316–320.
Further Reading
“The Lord’s Supper” in Concise Theology, by J. I. Packer.