Why do we partake of the Lord’s Supper?
Why do we partake of the Lord’s Supper (communion)? Of course, it is because the Lord commanded us to. As Jesus and His apostles ate the Passover meal, Matthew tells us:
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, after a blessing, He broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.
But why? Jesus explains that the bread “is,” that is, stands for, His body – His body which was crucified on the Cross of Calvary. He says that the cup (the contents of the cup) “is,” that is, stands for his blood, which was poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:26-28). The Lord’s Supper commemorates the body and blood of Jesus given for our sins.
Paul writes, “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? (1 Cor. 10:16). The word translated "sharing" in the NASB (1995) is sometimes translated as "participation" or "communion." In partaking of the Lord’s Supper, we have fellowship with Jesus Christ.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
We partake of the Lord’s Supper to commemorate the Lord’s body and blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins, to have fellowship with the Lord’s body and blood, and to proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes back for us.