What Is Communion?

Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist) is deeply meaningful for Christians, but why is that? Well, it’s a reminder of how God has worked over and over again to bring His people to Himself and how that work will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns. The first event that communion points to is Passover in the Old Testament. During the very first Passover thousands of years ago, God freed His people from slavery in Egypt so they could go out to the desert and worship Him. Through His miracles, He brought them to Himself, and He established Passover to be a yearly reminder of their freedom. In fact, the disciples were celebrating that freedom with Jesus when, during Passover, He established the first communion. Much like Passover, communion reminds us of the freedom and forgiveness we have in Jesus. It points us back to that day Jesus took our sins upon Himself, was crucified on the cross to satisfy God’s just wrath against us, and rose from the dead, securing our resurrection when He returns. He did all of this to remove the barrier (our sin) between us and God. Communion reminds us and proclaims that we are no longer defined by our sins—we are defined by Jesus, our Savior who has forgiven us. And because of that identity in Him, we get to dwell with God forever. Right now, as believers, Jesus is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit. He reigns on the throne in heaven, but His kingdom is not yet here in its fullness. When we take communion, we look forward to that day when Christ will return to resurrect His people from the dead and be reunited in perfect relationship with them. We anticipate the day when we will sit around the table with Him, feasting at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, fully enjoying the presence of God and each other for all of eternity. And that, my friends, is true communion. • Taylor Eising • Why do we need regular reminders about who Jesus is and what He has done for us? What happens when we forget these truths? • Different Christian churches practice communion in different ways, and that’s okay! Do you have questions about why your church practices communion the way it does? Who can you talk to about those questions? They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. Acts 2:46 (NLT)