Thursday 06 April 2023
- Bible Book:
- 1 Corinthians
For I received from the Lord, what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘this is my body that is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' (vs 23-24)
Background
Today is Maundy Thursday – the day on which Jesus ate his last meal with his disciples and washed their feet. It is helpful for us to remember that this passage in Corinthians is the earliest written account of what happened on the night Jesus was ‘handed over’ to his death. The gospel accounts were only written up later.
In using the words, "For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you" (v. 23) Paul is using the technical language for the transmission of a tradition.
That tradition itself consists of the simple words that connect the ordinary sharing of bread and wine with the death of Jesus and its significance for humankind. These are the words we have come to know so well as the ‘words of institution’. The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion is central to the Church’s memory of Jesus, for we do it in remembrance of him.
There are two additional important points in this short passage. Firstly, Paul asserts that the very act of celebrating this meal is an act of proclamation. There does not need to be a sermon or an address – the celebration of the meal alone is fully an act of proclamation.
The second point comes in the final words of this passage, "You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." (v. 26) In the celebration of the Last Supper the Church declares Jesus’ death with the confident expectation that he will return and God’s final victory will be achieved.
To Ponder:
- How do we make the centrality and importance of Holy Communion felt and understood: by celebrating it as frequently as possible or by making it a special, rare event?
- Why do you think the sharing of Holy Communion among Christians of different denominations has been such a contentious issue in the history of the Church?
Prayer
Almighty and all-knowing God, whose son took ordinary bread and wine and made them symbols of his body and blood, enable us to enter fully into the mystery of his life, death and resurrection and, as we eat and drink, may we do it in remembrance of his life laid down for us. Amen.