Holy Communion. The Lord’s Table. The Lord’s Supper. Various names depict the communal act when Christians partake of the bread and drink, remembering Christ’s giving of His life for us on the Cross of Calvary. Communion is rich in meaning and reflective in practice. Bible Teacher, Harry Ironside, interprets this event with this homey illustration: “It is as though a loved one were dying and before slipping away should call the children around the bed and handing each one of them a photograph would say, ‘Here are pictures of myself; I am going to leave you, you won’t see me again for a little while, but I would like each of you to take one of these pictures. I wish you would cherish it and from time to time take it out and look at it, and as you do, remember me.’”
When Jesus lived on earth, the feast of Passover in the spring of the year was the most attended of all the festivals. Pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem in groups, riding beasts of burden or simply walking on foot. Passover, a solemn yet a festive occasion, commemorated the Jew’s delivery from slavery. The name, Passover, came from God’s promise: “The blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13).
As Christians, we focus on Jesus Christ when we partake of the elements of Communion. Early believers met for fellowship and food (the agape feast), sometimes ending this gathering with the breaking of the bread and drinking of the cup. The final and sufficient sacrifice is now “Christ our Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The bread and wine are symbolic of the body and blood of our Lord. Having personally acknowledged that He died for me, I open the photo album of His life and in a way that I can touch and taste, I remember our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We commune together with our Lord and with each other around this table of remembrance.