The Lord’s Table (Holy Communion)
The Lord’s Table, also known as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, is one of the most significant practices instituted by Jesus Christ for His Church. It is a sacred moment of remembrance, fellowship, proclamation and spiritual reflection in which believers remember the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, celebrate the new covenant established through His blood, and look forward to His return.
The Lord’s Table is deeply connected to the biblical account of the Passover. During the final Passover meal Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion, He transformed the meaning of the bread and the cup, directing His followers to remember Him through these elements.
“And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.” – Luke 22:15 (KJV)
The Communion therefore points both backwards and forwards: backwards to Christ’s death on the cross and forwards to the fulfilment of God’s kingdom and the return of Christ.
What Is the Lord’s Table?
The Lord’s Table, commonly called Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, is the Christian observance instituted by Jesus Christ on the night before His crucifixion.
According to Luke 22:14–20, Jesus gathered with His disciples and shared the Passover meal with them. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying:
“This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” – Luke 22:19
He then took the cup and said:
“This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” – Luke 22:20
Matthew 26:26–28 gives a parallel account. Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He then took the cup, gave thanks and gave it to them, saying:
“Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
The Lord’s Supper is therefore not merely an ordinary meal or religious ceremony. It is a Christ-centred act of remembrance and proclamation. Through it, believers reflect upon the cross, the sacrifice of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, the new covenant, and the hope of His return.
Paul explains this clearly:
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26
The Connection Between the Passover and the Lord’s Supper
To understand Holy Communion properly, it is important to understand its connection with the Passover.
The Passover was established by God in the Old Testament as a memorial of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Exodus 12, the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and place its blood upon the doorposts of their houses. The blood became a sign of protection as God judged Egypt and delivered His people.
The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the ultimate fulfilment of the Passover imagery.
John the Baptist declared concerning Jesus:
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29
Paul also writes:
“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” – 1 Corinthians 5:7
The Passover pointed towards deliverance from physical bondage, while Christ’s sacrifice provides redemption from the bondage and penalty of sin. The blood of the Passover lamb pointed prophetically towards the redemptive work of Christ.
This gives the Lord’s Table profound significance. Whenever Christians participate in Communion, they remember the Lamb who was sacrificed for humanity and celebrate the new covenant established through His blood.
Why Do Christians Partake of the Lord’s Table?
It Is a Memorial of Christ’s Sacrifice
One of the clearest purposes of Communion is remembrance.
Jesus said:
“This do in remembrance of me.” – Luke 22:19
Human beings easily forget. We can become distracted by life’s challenges, achievements, failures and responsibilities. The Lord’s Table brings the believer back to the centre of the Christian faith: Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
Communion reminds us that salvation was not purchased by human achievement. It was purchased through the sacrificial death of Christ.
It Proclaims the Death of Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s Table is also a proclamation.
Paul says:
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26
Every celebration of Communion declares that Christ died, that His death has redemptive significance and that believers continue to await His coming.
The bread and the cup, therefore, become visible reminders of the Gospel.
It Celebrates the New Covenant
Jesus described the cup as:
“The new testament in my blood.” – Luke 22:20
The new covenant represents God’s redemptive relationship with humanity established through Jesus Christ. The believer’s confidence is not ultimately rooted in personal merit but in the grace and redemptive work of Christ.
It Encourages Christian Fellowship
The Lord’s Supper is also an expression of Christian fellowship.
Paul addresses the Corinthian church concerning their conduct when they gathered together and instructs them:
“Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.” – 1 Corinthians 11:33
Communion is therefore not merely an individual experience. It has a corporate dimension. Believers gather around Christ and recognise that they belong to one spiritual family.
It Calls the Church to Unity
The Lord’s Table confronts selfishness, division and discrimination within the Christian community.
The Corinthian believers were gathering for what should have been a sacred fellowship, yet divisions and selfish behaviour had developed among them. Paul therefore corrected their understanding of the Supper.
This teaches an important principle: we cannot celebrate Christ’s sacrificial love while deliberately cultivating hatred, bitterness, oppression or division towards His people.
Communion should encourage reconciliation, love and genuine Christian fellowship.
It Directs Our Attention to Forgiveness
Jesus connected His blood with the forgiveness of sins:
“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” – Matthew 26:28
The Lord’s Table therefore points believers to the central message of the Gospel: forgiveness is available through Christ.
This does not mean that the Communion elements themselves mechanically remove sin. Rather, they point the believer to the sacrifice of Christ through which forgiveness and reconciliation with God are made possible.
It Calls Us to Spiritual Reflection
The Lord’s Table creates an opportunity to pause and examine our walk with God.
In a world filled with noise, pressure and distraction, Communion provides a sacred moment to remember Christ, reflect on His sacrifice and consider the condition of our spiritual lives.
It asks profound questions:
How am I walking with God?
Is my life consistent with the Gospel I profess?
Is there bitterness in my heart?
Am I walking in repentance and faith?
How am I treating other believers?
Does my private life agree with my public confession of Christ?
Conditions for Partaking in the Lord’s Table
The Bible gives serious instructions concerning the manner in which believers should approach the Lord’s Supper.
Paul writes:
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” – 1 Corinthians 11:28
The emphasis here is self-examination.
Self-examination involves honestly considering one’s relationship with God, one’s conduct towards others, one’s attitudes, motives and participation in the life of the Christian community.
It includes examining one’s:
- Faith in Christ
- Relationship with God
- Character
- Motives
- Attitudes
- Treatment of others
- Repentance and obedience
- Participation in Christian fellowship
- Private and public conduct
Self-examination does not mean that a believer must achieve sinless perfection before coming to Christ. If perfect human performance were the qualification, no one could approach God. Rather, believers are called to approach the Lord’s Table with reverence, repentance, faith and a sincere recognition of what Christ’s sacrifice means.
What Does It Mean to Eat and Drink “Unworthily”?
Paul gives a serious warning:
“Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 11:27
The context of 1 Corinthians 11 is particularly important. The Corinthian believers were abusing the communal gathering. Some were eating selfishly while others were being neglected. Their behaviour contradicted the meaning of the fellowship they were supposedly celebrating.
Therefore, eating “unworthily” should not simply be reduced to the idea that a person must become morally perfect before taking Communion. The immediate context concerns approaching the Lord’s Supper irreverently and failing to recognise the significance of Christ’s body and the unity of His people.
Paul continues:
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.” – 1 Corinthians 11:28
The appropriate response to conviction is therefore not necessarily to run away from Christ but to examine oneself, repent and approach the Lord with sincerity and reverence.
Dangers of Partaking of the Lord’s Supper Unworthily
Paul describes serious consequences associated with the Corinthian abuse of the Lord’s Supper.
He writes:
“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” – 1 Corinthians 11:30
1. Guilt
A person who treats the Lord’s Table with contempt becomes guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
2. Divine Discipline
Paul speaks of God’s judgement and discipline within the Christian community.
3. Weakness and Sickness
The Corinthian passage associates their misconduct with weakness and sickness among them.
4. Death
Paul uses the expression “many sleep”, referring to death. The passage presents this as part of God’s disciplinary dealings with the Corinthian church.
These verses should not be used carelessly to claim that every illness, weakness or death experienced by a Christian is caused by taking Communion improperly. The passage specifically addresses the Corinthian situation and should be interpreted within its immediate context.
The Lord’s Table and Holiness
The Lord’s Table should inspire reverence.
Communion is not a casual religious routine. It points directly to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
When believers remember His broken body and shed blood, they should also remember the call to live as people who have been redeemed.
Peter writes:
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” – 1 Peter 1:15
The Communion therefore should not merely move our emotions; it should challenge our lifestyles.
It should move us from remembrance to repentance, from repentance to transformation, and from transformation to faithful Christian living.
Communion Is More Than Eating and Drinking
The Lord’s Supper contains physical elements, but its significance reaches beyond physical consumption.
The bread and cup point believers towards spiritual realities:
The bread reminds us of Christ’s body.
The cup reminds us of His blood and the new covenant.
The table reminds us of fellowship.
The remembrance points us to Calvary.
The proclamation points us towards Christ’s return.
The examination calls us to repentance and sincerity.
The power of communion is therefore not found in treating the physical elements as magical objects. Its meaning is rooted in Christ, His sacrifice and the covenant He established.
A Personal Reflection: Growing Up with the Lord’s Table
I grew up in a church where the Lord’s Table was deeply cherished. Communion was not treated as something ordinary that could simply be ignored. It was a sacred gathering that encouraged believers to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
There was something deeply moving about those moments.
The hymns would rise from the congregation, and the atmosphere would become reflective. Songs about Calvary, the blood of Jesus and His broken body would draw the mind back to the cross.
The congregation would sing about Christ’s body being broken, His journey to Calvary and the blood that was shed for humanity.
Those songs carried a message that transcended music: Jesus paid a price.
The Communion service became a moment to remember that Christianity is built around a Person and His sacrifice—not merely around religious activities.
The Lord’s Table and the Believer’s Daily Life
The true impact of Communion should extend beyond the church service.
If we remember Christ’s sacrifice at the table but return to unforgiveness, hatred, dishonesty, pride and deliberate disobedience, we have missed an important dimension of what the table represents.
The remembrance of Christ should influence our conduct.
The believer should leave the table with a renewed commitment to:
Walk in love.
Pursue holiness.
Forgive others.
Practise righteousness.
Serve God faithfully.
Honour fellow believers.
Live according to the Word of God.
Proclaim the Gospel.
Communion should not merely produce a moment of emotion; it should produce a life of transformation.
Should a Person Eat Before Communion?
The Corinthian church also provides an important practical lesson concerning hunger and the communal meal.
Paul writes:
“And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation.” – 1 Corinthians 11:34
The immediate context indicates that some Corinthian believers were treating the gathering as an ordinary meal in a selfish and disorderly manner.
The principle is that the Lord’s Supper should not become an occasion for gluttony, selfishness or social inequality.
In contemporary Christian practice, the practical arrangement of Communion may differ among churches and traditions. The central biblical concern remains reverence, order, self-examination, fellowship and recognition of Christ’s sacrifice.
Important Lessons from the Lord’s Table
The Lord’s Table teaches the Church several enduring lessons.
Christ is at the centre of Christianity.
Communion continually redirects our attention to Jesus Christ.
The cross must never be forgotten.
The Christian faith is inseparable from the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ.
Grace should produce gratitude.
Remembering what Christ has done should produce thanksgiving rather than spiritual pride.
Christian fellowship matters.
Believers are members of one spiritual family and should treat one another with love and dignity.
Self-examination is necessary.
We should regularly examine our lives, motives and relationships.
Holiness matters.
The grace of Christ does not provide permission for deliberate, unrepentant sin.
Forgiveness matters.
Those who have experienced God’s grace are called to extend grace to others.
The Gospel must be proclaimed.
Every Communion service points back to Christ’s death and forward to His coming.
The Lord’s Table Points to the Return of Christ
One of the most beautiful dimensions of Communion is that it is not only about the past.
Paul says:
“Ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” – 1 Corinthians 11:26
The words “till he comes” give Communion an eschatological dimension.
The Church remembers what Christ has done while anticipating what Christ will do.
We remember His death.
We celebrate His resurrection.
We proclaim His Gospel.
We await His return.
The table therefore becomes a bridge between Calvary and the coming Kingdom.
Conclusion: Approach the Lord’s Table with Reverence
The Lord’s Table is a sacred remembrance of Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death and the new covenant established through His blood. It is a moment of fellowship, proclamation, reflection and spiritual examination.
The message of Communion is not simply, “Come and eat.”
It is:
Remember Christ.
Recognise His sacrifice.
Examine yourself.
Repent where necessary.
Walk in love.
Pursue holiness.
Fellowship with God’s people.
Proclaim His death.
And live with the expectation of His return.
The Lord’s Table brings the believer back to the heart of the Gospel: Jesus Christ gave Himself for us.
Therefore, whenever we partake of the bread and the cup, may we never lose sight of Calvary.
May the table remind us of His love.
May the bread remind us of His body.
May the cup remind us of His blood.
May the fellowship remind us that we are one body in Christ.
May the remembrance inspire holy living.
And may the proclamation keep our eyes fixed on the glorious promise:
“Till He comes.”
Scripture Focus: Luke 22:14–20; Matthew 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 1 Corinthians 11:23–34; Exodus 12:1–32; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29.