The Lord’s Supper, as Paul calls it in 1 Corinthians 11, might seem strange to some, but it was never meant to be purely a religious ceremony. The Lord Jesus used the occasion of a meal to share something very special with His own, taking an activity as normal as eating bread and drinking wine and using it to draw them closer to Himself.

Symbolism can be challenging for us, but it is important to look beyond the symbol to the reality it represents. We are so prone to forget, so the Lord uses an everyday item to call to mind what we might otherwise neglect.

Early Christians would, at minimum, do this on the first day of the week, as it was the day the Lord rose from among the dead (Acts 20:7). As to the frequency, the instructions in 1 Corinthians 11 say, “as often,” and “till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26); and, as for how it is to be done, “together” (v. 20), as those linked with Him whose body was given for us and His blood shed for the remission of our sins.

The “why” is crucial if we are to avoid it becoming a rite or ritual: He asked us to remember Him. We cannot separate the work that was completed from the One who completed it; they come together in this memorial. The bread reminds us that He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God who was always the delight of God, and yet who bore our sins in His own body on the cross. The cup speaks of His atoning blood that has washed away our sins and satisfied the punishment from God.

The work was “once for all” (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 10:10), and at the start of each week, on the day that He triumphed over the grave, it is our privilege to respond to His request and announce His death by remembering Him in this fashion.