WCF 29: Of the Lord’s Supper

After three years of walking with Jesus the disciples were about to face their greatest trial. God would strike the Shepherd and scatter his sheep (Matt. 26:31). Spiritual darkness would place the disciples under extreme pressure. They would not completely fail. But they would falter.

Knowing all this, how did Jesus prepare them for this dark hour? He instituted a special meal meant to remind them of who they were in him. This meal, called the Lord’s Supper, is also for us. The apostle Paul received from the Lord and delivered unto the church, the same institution that the first disciples received from Jesus shortly before his death (1 Cor. 11:23). Until he comes Jesus intends this meal to preserve our bodies and souls unto everlasting life.

What Is the Lord’s Supper?

The Lord’s Supper is “the sacrament of his body and blood.” “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace” (WCF 27.1). This sacrament reminds believers of Jesus’ shed blood, and assures them that they possess all the benefits which his sacrifice secures. The Supper takes the place of the Passover which confirmed to believing Israelites that God had graciously spared them from the angel of death (Ex. 12:7–13). Since we, like the disciples, often suffer from many doubts and weak faith, the Lord’s Supper must be a regular part of congregational life. John Calvin thought the Supper so important, much like ordinary eating, that it should be celebrated “very often, at least once a week.” He thought that “no meeting of the church should take place without” it. [i] His conviction is worth our consideration. But however frequently we celebrate the Supper in terms of the its role in the Christian life we should think of it less like a birthday celebration and more like a family meal.

Scripture teaches us how to observe this meal. First, the church must hear Jesus’ words of institution. About the bread and wine we hear, “This is my body, which is for you, do this in remembrance of me. …This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:23, 25).

Second, the minister follows Jesus’ example and prays for the Lord to “bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use.”

Third, the bread is broken and the wine poured, and both are distributed to the professing members of Christ’s church. The result is a congregational celebration of the real, gracious presence of Christ among his beloved people. The Supper is not a mark of our obedience or personal worthiness but a testimony to the inherited riches that believers have in Christ.

Because this meal is so sacred we must approach it with care.

How Might I Misuse the Supper?

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 11 to correct the church’s table manners. It is possible to eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord “in an unworthy manner” (1 Cor. 11:27). And the consequences are serious (29, 30). We must beware of these wrong ways to think about and receive the Supper.

The Supper Is Not a Sacrifice

The New Testament has no priests performing ritual sacrifices. Neither do the Supper’s participants perform a meritorious work. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of Christ’s one sacrifice (Heb. 9:25, 26, 28; 10:14, 18).We remember his sacrifice; we do not repeat it.

The Elements in the Supper Do Not Change

Roman Catholics and Lutherans propose unnecessary and unhelpful theories about Jesus’ physical presence in the Supper. But when Christ insisted that the bread “is my body” and the cup “is my blood” he is saying something like, “I am the true vine” (John 15:1). Those symbols tell us something meaningful, not literal, about him.

The Elements in the Supper May Not Be Worshiped

Because Jesus is truly in heaven (Luke 24:6) the bread is just bread and the wine is just wine. The minister may raise the bread and cup so that God’s people may see them and thereby to think about Christ, but not to adore them. After the celebration of the Supper the bread and wine may be used like any other food and drink.

The Supper Should Not Be Celebrated Privately

Private Masses, or even private celebrations of the Lord’s Supper contradict Jesus’ original institution, differ from the practice of the early church (Acts 20:7), and undermine the Supper’s role in bolstering the unity of the body.

The Supper Must Not Be Consumed Without Faith

The Eucharist is a true participation in Christ’s body and blood (1 Cor. 10:16). So to fake communion with Christ while having no saving interest in him is sacrilegious. We must examine and judge ourselves, respecting church leaders who either invite us to the Supper or insisting that, for now, we abstain (1 Cor. 11:28, 29, 31).

            Scripture requires us to heed warnings about the Lord’s Supper. But we mustn’t only focus on the negative. There are several things we must do to receive what Christ wants to give us in this meal.

How Can I Benefit from the Supper?

Outwardly Partake of the Visible Elements

Unnecessarily refusing the supper can make it work in reverse. Watching the elements pass you by can seem to suggest that you have no part in Christ, that he is not willing to nourish your hungry and thirsty soul, or that you must do better before God’s grace could be sufficient for you. It is good to be respectful of the Supper. But it is unwise to reject Christ’s gift for your “spiritual nourishment and growth.”

By Faith Spiritually Feed upon Christ Crucified

Believers truly eat and drink Christ (John 6:52–58). We don’t eat him physically; “We were all … made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). Still, we can commune with Christ as genuinely as the believing apostles at the Last Supper. Don’t be like Judas who received the Supper but refused to receive Christ.

Accept All the Benefits of Jesus’ Death

By eating ordinary food we acknowledge our hunger and our confidence that food will sustain us. In a similar way we come to the Supper confessing our need for Jesus’ forgiveness, righteousness, wisdom, and protection. In eating the bread and drinking the wine we believe we have all this and more.

Take Up All Duties Which You Owe Christ

True believers who take the Supper are reminded to be grateful for their Savior’s love. They are also made more willing and ready to express their gratitude in plain obedience.

Affirm Your Communion with Other Believers

The disciples still needed to learn this lesson; right after the Passover they argued about which of them was the best (Luke 22:24). We use the Supper properly when we humble ourselves and rejoice that “we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). Holy Communion is one way we renounce divisions and factions (1 Cor. 11:18, 19).

Like Jesus’ first disciples we too face great challenges and dark days. And Jesus gives us the same gift he gave them to help us remember his goodness and grace and assure us that by faith in him we too will gain the victory over darkness.