Every Christian church practices communion or the Lord’s Table. At our church, we share around the table most months on the first Sunday of the month. I do not have any hard evidence to back up my claim, but the anecdotes from other pastors seem to confirm my thought – many Christians do not give the attention our Lord commands to the ordinance of the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Most pastors tell me only a fraction of the church’s members regularly participate in the worship around the table. For some reason, many evangelicals do not recognize the importance of the event.
The night of his betrayal, Jesus instituted what we call communion or the Lord’s Table when he ate and drank with his disciples in the upper room. As Jesus held the cup and the bread before the men, he declared the New Covenant between God and man, a covenant of grace accomplished by his death on the cross. Later, the Apostle Paul would teach the Corinthian church that Jesus’s words, “Do this in remembrance of me,” applied to them as well since they too were disciples of Jesus.
As Baptists, we believe the Lord’s Table is a memorial service reminding us in symbols of the work done by Jesus on our behalf. The meaning of the table should call us together for a wonderful celebration. In fact, I would say, the Lord’s Table services of our church should be the highest attended worship events in the life of our church. There are several reasons to say so.
Because Jesus Commands It
We recognize two commands from our Lord. The Great Commission directs the church’s mission, “Go make disciples of all the nations.” The second command, to celebrate around the table, directs the church’s message - the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. When a local church calls its members to come to the table, every follower of Jesus should obey his command. The command, however, is not an empty rule.
Because Our Souls Need It
We do not believe the cup and the bread contain any grace when taken or become the blood and body of our Lord. Nowhere does the New Testament teach this. Our souls do not need the elements at the table to acquire more grace from God. Instead, our souls need the reminder of what the elements represent. Our Lord has given us in physical form a picture of a spiritual reality.
What happens at the table is a picture of the gospel. Our need for the gospel was not a one-time event met the day of our conversions. We need the gospel daily. Like the Galatian church, we are prone to return to our own efforts to gain God’s approval. The table reminds us that God’s forgiveness of our sins and God’s imputation of righteousness was secured by the life and death of Jesus. When you come to the table and take the bread and the cup, you remind yourself that what you are before God is because of what you have outside of yourself, the person and work of Jesus. The table humbles us as we consider our failings and Jesus’ sufficiency. To neglect the table is to work against your own your own soul.
Because the Church Benefits
The blessings of the table are not only personal, but they are also corporate. The table promotes the unity of the church like nothing else can.
A Sunday School campaign may bring a seasonal fellowship. A building program, a ministry launch, or a community event may help the church to feel connected among all its members. Nothing, however, unites the church like the table. Here, we all affirm our shared need for a savior. Here, we all declare our sinfulness. Here, no judgmental spirits exist because we all know, “It was my sin that held him there” not the sin of the others in the room. Here, we all look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. Here, we are one in Christ. Our ethnicities, social standing, age, and our sex fade as we all rest in the glory of Jesus Christ. No greater occasion exists to promote church unity than the gathering around the Lord’s Table.
Because the Gospel is Presented
There are many benefits to regular participation around the table. Have you considered the benefits to our children? Our curious children want to know what and why we do communion. The question most of them ask at some point is, “When can I take a cup or bread?” That question is invitation for you as a parent to preset the gospel to your son or daughter. When you expose them to the church’s practice of the Lord’s Table, you expose them to the gospel in a beautiful way imagined by our Lord. Should you neglect the table, you keep from your children a means of giving them the gospel. Just imagine the potential conversations with your child as you answer their questions about the Lord’s Table showing them Jesus in every response!
In addition to his wonderful commentary, Matthew Henry produced A Short Catechism about the Lord’s Supper. Question 31…
Q: What benefits do they receive by it?
A: Their faith is hereby strengthened, their resolutions are confirmed, their comforts increased, and they have an earnest of the everlasting feast
As always, thanks for reading, and I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.