The Bible gives a short description of how Jesus did His last Passover feast with His disciples in the gospel of Mathew, Mark and Luke. This is a bit different from the Passover celebration mentioned in Exodus 12 for the Israelites. But the teachings about the breaking of bread, which the first century churches started and continue to practice (Acts 2:42) is given in 1 Cor. 11. The Second part of 1 Cor. 11 (v17-34) is the only place in the Bible that gives a clear teaching about the breaking of bread. The context in which Paul gives this teaching is – The Corinthian church was gripped by factionalism and many of them were not considering others when they eat and drink together as the Lord’s Supper or breaking of bread(1 Cor. 11:17-22). This is a very dangerous situation in the church and spoils the whole purpose of the church’s redemption. If breaking of bread is done in an unworthy manner, it also invites judgment (1 Cor. 11:27-32).
So, in this context, Paul explains the teaching about the breaking of bread as a cure for their grave sickness. Paul gives this teaching with a divine authority and quotes the same words which Jesus Christ spoke during His Last supper with His disciples. This teaching makes it very clear of our calling as a church to become a local expression of Christ’s body – Grow as the body of Jesus Christ locally (1 Cor. 10:16-17). This commandment is only for the disciples of Lord Jesus Christ and they have to obey this commandment meaningfully, without it becoming a ritual, till the second coming of Lord Jesus Christ…
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1 Corinthians 11:23-25 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
These verses have two parts 1. Break the bread. 2. Drink the cup. In both the parts, Jesus explains what it is and commands the disciples to “do this in remembrance of Me”. So we have to do it meaningfully, in remembrance of Jesus Christ, and with the same attitude of Jesus Christ in this context.
While Jesus broke bread, He said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Jesus by surrendering His self will completely, submitted Himself as a complete, perfect and everlasting sacrifice by doing the will of His father to redeem all mankind. This happened a few hours after He broke bread with His disciples. In other words, by breaking His own will and doing the Fathers will, (Luke 22:41-44) He surrendered His body as a sacrifice to redeem the Church- Body of Christ. Here Jesus commands the disciples to break the bread in remembrance of Him (His death for us) and do it with the same attitude how He did it. So when each disciple breaks bread, he is proclaiming the death of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:26)
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Jesus not only gave Himself completely to redeem the Church; but He established the New Covenant also through His blood. The New Covenant is established by the perfect Sacrifice of Lord Jesus. He is the guarantee (Heb. 7:22) and mediator (Heb. 8:6, 9:15, 12:24) of the New covenant. Out of mercy and without any contribution from the disciple’s side, Jesus made each disciple a partner of this covenant. In this verse, Jesus commands His disciples to drink the cup in His remembrance by proclaiming the death Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:26). Here Jesus is providing everything to the disciple’s to live by the standard of the New covenant (Heb. 8:10-12). Each disciple has to claim all the privileges of New Covenant by faith. By the faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross each disciple can live in the standard of New Covenant on this earth itself.
Today since God gave us the commandment and invitation to break and eat the bread and drink the Cup once again, let us do it meaningfully in a worthy manner, (1 Cor. 11:27) remembering Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, and with the same attitude of Lord Jesus Christ while He was breaking the bread.
Let us examine, judge ourselves, (1 Cor. 11:28) discern the body of Christ rightly, (1 Cor. 11:29) and participate in the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup.
May God bless all of us.
