“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” –Luke 22:19
On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus instituted an ordinance which we now call the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. In many churches and denominations, Communion is observed every Sunday; in others, it is taken on special occasions. Some use bread and wine, while others use crackers or wafers and grape juice. In all its forms, Communion reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation. The bread and the wine are symbols of His body and blood, broken and shed out of love for us.
Today, we continue to keep the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper to remember and honor this love, but in the early Church, the Lord’s Supper was a full meal, not just bread and wine. Ancient Christians worked and ate and worshiped together continually, living in community. Luke observes in Acts chapter 2 that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Gatherings of believers took place in homes and included generous meals. According to Jon Zens, “On a fixed day, generally the first day of the week, the Christians assembled, each bringing what he could as a contribution to the feast: fish, poultry, joints of meat, cheese, milk, honey, fruit, wine and bread.” This was Sunday Dinner, and all your friends, relatives and neighbors were invited.
Does that sound familiar? On Thanksgiving, many of us gather together with family and friends, each bringing a contribution to the feast. Even in gatherings of those who are non-religious, Thanksgiving is also a time when we reflect on the blessings and good things in our lives, expressing gratitude for what we have, and sometimes even providing gifts of food for those who are not as blessed as ourselves. This is the very essence of the Lord’s Supper!
When Jesus broke the bread and poured the wine on that last night before He died, He was offering us a tangible reminder of a spiritual Truth: His relentless, sacrificial love for us. The natural overflow of that love was in the unity of His followers, both in ancient times and today. He was also offering us a way to express that unity: the sharing of a meal and the company of our spiritual family.
This Thanksgiving, as we gather to the feast with those we love, let us acknowledge the One who gave His body for our bread, the One who deserves all our thanks, and the One who invites us to feast on His love.
Radiate. 