We should understand its significance only from the fact that during His earthly ministry, Jesus established only two institutions for us to adhere to: the Lord’s Supper and baptism. The night before He was betrayed, Jesus shared the first Lord’s supper with His disciples (Luke 22:14–20, Matthew 26:26–30, Mark 14:22–26, 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Together, they were commemorating the feast of Passover.
Jews celebrating the feast of Passover
Every year, the Jews observed this feast as a way to commemorate the day that God delivered them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 11–13). When God killed all of the firstborn sons of Egypt, he saved them from slavery. As a sign to the angel of death that this was a house belonging to God’s people, the Israelites were instructed to kill a lamb, take some of the blood, and put it on the doorposts. The angel then passed over that house.
The fulfillment of this feast
Jesus declared that He was the fulfillment of this feast when He shared the final Passover meal with His disciples. He explained to them that since He was God’s lamb, anybody who sought refuge in Him would be delivered from death by the shed blood of Jesus. Jesus took the bread and compared it to His soon-to-be-broken, beaten, and slain body. He also compared the wine to His soon-to-be-shed blood. Jesus said that the cup they were sipping from represented the covenant He was creating with all those who sought refuge in His death, acknowledging that this is [the only] path to God, whereby we can approach Him, receive forgiveness, and be recognized as His people.
Remembering the death of Christ
Jesus instructed His disciples to celebrate this feast frequently in remembrance of Christ’s dying on our behalf until His second coming, when He will return and take us to be with Him eternally. The Lord’s supper, also referred to as the “breaking of bread,” was customarily observed by Christians in the New Testament, presumably each time they gathered together (Acts 2:42, 46).
Communion
Communion is another term for the Lord’s Supper, which is when we acknowledge God’s presence among us and partake in communion with Him. “The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a spiritual level” is what is meant by the definition of communion. When we gather with other Christians to pray, support one another, and [read and study God’s word] together, we should do so with open hearts, sharing candidly and thoroughly all that is going on in our lives so that we can support and uplift one another during difficult times.
