Concerning The Holy Communion

Holy Communion is normally the principal service of Christian worship on the Lord’s Day, and on other appointed Feasts and Holy Days, and is commonly called the Lord’s Supper or the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharistic Rite is exclusively unique to Christianity being that it was first instituted by the words and actions of the Lord Jesus Christ some two-thousand years ago while leading his twelve disciples through the Jewish ritual of Passover. Jesus would use the occasion of the Passover to explain the reason for his coming to earth, his suffering on the Cross, death, and resurrection. Through this meal, the constructs of Old Testament worship (the sacrificial system, Temple, and Torah-keeping) would be transformed by the worship of the New Covenant, fulfilling the words of Jeremiah, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jer 31:31) would find its meaning. Both in word and action, Christ instituted a certain ceremonial Rite to forever be associated with true worship: worship no longer centered in temples but centered in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  Holy Communion is a means of grace given for the remission of sins, covenant renewal, and strengthening of the Christian life. In the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53)