Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, is a central sacrament in Christian worship, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It serves as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice, a proclamation of faith, and a means of spiritual nourishment and unity among believers.
The following 30 Bible verses offer insights into the significance of communion, its theological foundation, and its implications for Christian life. Each verse is accompanied by a brief commentary to provide deeper understanding and reflection.
1. Luke 22:19-20
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'”
Jesus institutes the practice of communion, emphasizing its role in remembering His sacrifice. The bread and wine symbolize His body and blood, establishing a new covenant with His followers.
2. 1 Corinthians 11:23-24
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'”
Paul recounts the institution of communion, highlighting its importance and the need to remember Jesus’ sacrificial act. This passage reinforces the tradition and continuity of the practice among believers.
3. Matthew 26:26-28
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'”
Jesus’ words during the Last Supper underscore the significance of the bread and wine as representations of His body and blood, signifying the new covenant and the forgiveness of sins.
4. 1 Corinthians 10:16
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”
Paul explains that the elements of communion represent a sharing in the body and blood of Christ. This act of communion connects believers with Christ and with each other.
5. John 6:53-54
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.'”
Jesus speaks metaphorically about the necessity of partaking in His body and blood to receive eternal life. This teaching points to the spiritual sustenance and salvation found in Him.
6. Acts 2:42
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
The early church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. This verse shows that communion was a central and ongoing practice among the first Christians.
7. 1 Corinthians 11:26
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
Communion is a proclamation of Jesus’ death and a reminder of His return. This verse emphasizes the significance of the practice as both a memorial and a declaration of faith.
8. Mark 14:22-24
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.'”
This passage recounts the institution of communion, highlighting the symbolic nature of the bread and wine and their connection to the new covenant established by Jesus.
9. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”
Paul stresses the importance of self-examination before partaking in communion. This practice ensures that participants approach the sacrament with reverence and awareness of its significance.
10. Luke 24:30-31
“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”
After His resurrection, Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples through the breaking of bread. This moment underscores the continued presence of Christ in the act of communion.
11. John 6:35
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'”
Jesus identifies Himself as the bread of life, offering spiritual nourishment and satisfaction. This metaphor highlights the sustenance found in a relationship with Him, which is symbolized in communion.
12. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Paul connects the Passover with Christ’s sacrifice and the practice of communion. This verse emphasizes the need for purity and sincerity in celebrating the Lord’s Supper.
13. Hebrews 10:19-22
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
The author of Hebrews encourages believers to approach God with confidence through Jesus’ sacrifice. Communion symbolizes this access to God and the cleansing made possible by Christ’s blood.
14. Revelation 19:9
“Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!”‘ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.'”
The marriage supper of the Lamb represents the ultimate communion with Christ in eternity. This verse points to the future celebration and union with Christ that communion foreshadows.
15. 1 Corinthians 11:25
“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'”
Reiterating Jesus’ words, Paul emphasizes the memorial aspect of communion. The cup symbolizes the new covenant established by Jesus’ sacrifice, reminding believers of His atoning work.
16. Exodus 12:14
“So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.”
The Passover meal, instituted as a memorial, prefigures the Lord’s Supper. This verse underscores the importance of remembering God’s deliverance, a theme central to communion.
17. John 6:56
“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”
Jesus speaks of the intimate relationship symbolized by communion. Partaking in His body and blood signifies a deep, abiding connection with Him, essential for spiritual life.
18. Acts 20:7
“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”
The early church gathered regularly for communion, indicating its central role in Christian worship. This verse shows the practice of breaking bread as a key component of fellowship and teaching.
19. 1 Peter 2:24
“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”
Peter highlights Jesus’ sacrificial death, which communion commemorates. This verse underscores the healing and righteousness made possible through Christ’s atonement.
20. John 15:4
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
Communion symbolizes abiding in Christ, emphasizing the necessity of remaining connected to Him for spiritual vitality and fruitfulness.
21. Psalm 34:8
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
This psalm invites believers to experience God’s goodness. Communion is a tangible way to “taste and see” God’s grace and love through the symbols of bread and wine.
22. Hebrews 9:14
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
The cleansing power of Christ’s blood, commemorated in communion, purifies believers and enables them to serve God with a clear conscience.
23. Isaiah 53:5
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant points to Jesus’ sacrificial death. Communion remembers this sacrifice and the healing it brings to believers.
24. 1 John 1:7
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Walking in the light and participating in communion fosters fellowship among believers and continual cleansing through Jesus’ blood.
25. Mark 14:25
“Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus looks forward to the future fulfillment of the kingdom, where He will again share the cup with His followers. This verse points to the eschatological hope embodied in communion.
26. 1 Corinthians 11:30
“For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.”
Paul warns of the consequences of partaking in communion unworthily. This verse underscores the seriousness of approaching the Lord’s Supper with the right heart and attitude.
27. Hebrews 12:24
“To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
Jesus’ blood, symbolized in communion, establishes a new and better covenant. This verse highlights the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice and its ongoing significance.
28. Zechariah 9:11
“As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”
God’s promise to deliver His people through the blood of the covenant foreshadows the liberation found in Christ. This verse connects Old Testament prophecy with the fulfillment in Jesus’ sacrifice.
29. John 17:21
“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Jesus’ prayer for unity among believers is reflected in communion. The sacrament fosters unity and oneness, demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ to the world.
30. Revelation 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
Jesus’ invitation to fellowship is symbolized in communion. This verse highlights the personal relationship and intimate fellowship with Christ that believers experience through the Lord’s Supper.
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