What is the purpose of communion?

Mark 14:22-23As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Luke 22:19[Jesus] took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:24-25[Jesus] said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” . . . In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

Remember, reflect, and give thanks! Celebrating communion helps you pause and remember. Communion is a way to remember what Jesus did for you when he died on the cross. When a loved one passes away, you might remember them by looking at their picture. Communion is picturing Christ’s death to remind you of his sacrifice so that you could be forgiven. This is something we never want to take for granted. Communion is also a time to reflect and meditate on the truth that it was your sin that caused Jesus to die. This sobering fact should remind you that this is not about a religious ritual but about a relationship with the One who died for you and rose again. Jesus’ death extends many benefits to you as a believer—forgiveness of sins, hope in his return, and eternal salvation. As you participate in communion, thank God for these wonderful blessings that he has provided for you through his Son, Jesus.

Acts 2:42All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Acts 2:46-47They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

Acts 20:11Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together.

Another purpose of communion is fellowship. Communion is meant to be shared with other believers as together we celebrate what believers have in common—salvation from the consequences of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus. By engaging in this common act together, the body of Christ is unified in the memory of what Christ has done and in the hope of Christ’s return and a glorious eternal future.

Jeremiah 31:31, 33“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.” . . . “this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Luke 22:20After supper [Jesus] took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”

2 Corinthians 3:6He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

Hebrews 9:15That is why [Jesus Christ] is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Hebrews 12:24You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

Communion is about your new covenant relationship with God through his Son, Jesus. God’s people had broken the old covenant, and it could not effectively sustain their relationship with God. The result of the old covenant was ultimately condemnation and exile. But by his perfect life and atoning death, Jesus ushered in God’s new covenant with all those who believe in him. In the new covenant, Jesus is both the sacrifice and the high priest, and he brings eternal forgiveness so that those who believe can have an unbroken, unending relationship with God. Communion recognizes the establishment of that relationship, thanks to God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice.