Why Do We Practice Communion?

The kids in our church get goodie bags as they attend worship. It typically has a fun little toy, a coloring page, and a few other trinkets to engage them. But their favorite — and mine when I raid them on a Thursday afternoon — are the Goldfish crackers or the fruit snacks. The kids are accustomed to a few little crackers on Sunday.

But there is this strange thing that adults do every so often — they eat a cracker (though not quite as tasty as Goldfish) and drink a little bit of juice. What are they doing? Why do we do this?

Kids will ask these questions, but sometimes adults are a little shy to ask. What is this practice that we do at church that we call “communion” or the “Lord’s Supper”? If you’ve asked that question, I hope it’s cleared up for you by the end of the article.

Where Did Communion Come From?

Simply put, it comes from Jesus. On the night when Jesus was betrayed, He gathered in a room with His disciples and celebrated a meal with them. That meal was Passover, a meal that was already rich with meaning. Every faithful Jewish person observed this meal to remember God’s deliverance in the Exodus.

But Jesus took the bread and wine and gave them a new significance. The bread would now represent His body, and the cup was to represent His blood and a new covenant. Jesus was connecting the redemption He was giving us with the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt.

That Passover meal involved a lamb. In the original Passover, the death angel “passed over” the Israelite’s house if it had lamb’s blood on the door posts. And so, every year they’d gather and remember how death passed over them because of the blood. Jesus was now telling His disciples that He was that lamb. And when Jesus observed this with His disciples He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

Christians have continued to take bread and a cup to remember the cross, to proclaim the Lord’s death, but also to anticipate His return.

What Does Communion Mean?

It’s a simple act, really, but it carries with it a ton of significance. We might think of the meaning of communion from four angles: remembrance, proclamation, participation, and anticipation.

Jesus told the disciples “Do this in remembrance of me.” He said that before He died. That indicates that He intended them to continue making this a part of their gathering. At the heart of communion is remembering Jesus. We remember His body and blood given for us. It’s not like remembering an intellectual fact, but more like going back to a vivid memory that defines your past, present, and future.

But communion is also about proclamation. In 1 Corinthians 11:26 Paul said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” It’s not just personal; it’s public. I like to tell our people that it is a way for all of us to proclaim the gospel. When we partake of the elements, we are showing our unity around Christ. We are obeying the “take and eat” of Jesus and turning from the grabby “take and eat” of the first couple. We’re proclaiming the gospel when we do this. The Table is a sermon.

It is also a participation. When Paul was trying to explain the significance of this meal to the Corinthians he said, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinth. 10:16). It’s not a mere symbol. (I don’t want to get too much into debates about the Lord’s Supper here). It is spiritual communion with Christ Himself. We’re nourished by Christ at the table. You’re doing something when you partake.

Lastly, it is an anticipation. Jesus said He wouldn’t drink of it again until He drank it new in the kingdom of God (Mark 14:25). And Paul also said that we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Every time we observe this in our church, I remind our people that this little line means that He isn’t still dead. Jesus is risen. And so we’re also partaking of this in anticipation that Christ will return. This little cracker and little shot of juice is but a foretaste of the full meal in the kingdom.

How Has the Church Practiced Communion in the Past?

I doubt I’d be able to solve thousands of years of debate on this topic in a short little article. That’s not even my intention. But I think it might be helpful to at least know some of the differences of opinion on how the church should obey the Lord’s command to observe this meal.

It’s clear from Acts 2:42-46 that they devoted themselves to “the breaking of bread.” Paul’s letter to the Corinthians shows that the early church practiced this remembrance. They ate together frequently and the remembrance of Christ was a key part of that gathering. The sacred meal was often the center of their large communal gatherings.

As the church grew, debates started happening. We started to see liturgy (how the church formally worships when they gather) take form. By the Middle Ages the Catholic Church had developed the doctrine of transubstantiation — the belief that the bread and wine literally became the body and blood of Christ. This elevation (you can tell I’m Protestant, probably) led to it being less accessible to the masses.

The Reformation brought a renewed focus. Luther emphasized Christ’s real presence (consubstantiation) and Calvin spoke of a spiritual presence — where believers are truly nourished by Christ. Zwingli, another reformer, emphasized the memorial nature of the meal — focusing on remembrance of Christ rather than presence.

This debate shapes how Christians observe the Lord’s Supper even today. Some churches will center the Table and others will center the Word. Some will say “why not both”? And all of this will lead to debates about frequency, who should partake, how it should be performed, etc. But at its core, the belief is really the same: we remember, proclaim, and receive Christ through the gospel made visible.

Why Does Communion Matter Today?

Regardless of where you land on these issues, all Christians believe that the Lord’s Supper is important and it still matters today. You can see this even in the debate on frequency of observance. For those who say we should do it less often, their argument is usually that they don’t want it to become something rote and unmeaningful. Do you hear the heart there? It’s an acknowledgment that it is special. And the other side of the debate would acknowledge that because it is so important we ought to do it weekly. Both agree that it matters deeply.

First, it matters because Jesus told us to do it. It’s an act of obedience. That is enough reason for us to continue observing. But there are other reasons.

Communion also re-centers us on the gospel. It’s a way to remember what Christ has done for us and not what we do. It is a reminder that we aren’t defined by what we produce or how well we’re doing. It’s simple with simple elements. It’s not about our worthiness or what we bring to the table. It’s all about what Christ has done for us. And so we come empty-handed, again and again, to receive from Christ.

It also is an act which unites the body of Christ. The Table is communal. It’s not something we are supposed to practice individually or outside the context of the local church. It binds us to the larger body of Christ. It’s a way of saying “we are one” united around this shared meal. And woven into it is a reminder that we are called to forgive, reconcile, and live as people marked by grace. To take of communion without being “in communion” with our brothers and sisters in Christ is to proclaim something that is untrue.

We are also called to “examine yourselves” (1 Corinthians 11:28). It’s not a way to push people away from Christ but rather to pull us humbly in. None of us are worthy. But the reminder of what communion represents is a way for us to lay down sin, confess, and receive grace. It’s not about being good enough but about coming as you are. Are you acknowledging the gospel? Then partake.

Conclusion

There are many other questions around communion. But the core of why we practice communion is the same. It’s about receiving Christ (whether symbolically or the actual presence). And it’s about testifying to our unity with others in Christ.

It is a small meal but a life-giving mystery. It isn’t about what we bring but about what Christ has done for us. Every time we gather for this meal we are saying “Jesus is enough.”

Photo credit: Unsplash/Priscilla du Preez