October 19

The Last Supper

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” — Matt 26:26 BSB

Every act in the Lord’s Supper holds deep meaning. The bread itself is a fitting symbol of Christ’s body. Just as bread is food for our physical bodies, Christ is food for our spirits. There is something to be learned even from the process of making bread. The wheat is crushed and broken, and then it is baked in the fire before it is ready to nourish us. In the same way, Christ’s body was bruised and broken, and He went through the fire of intense suffering before He could become the source of life and sustenance for our souls.

The breaking of the bread during the Supper is also significant, as it represents the breaking of Christ’s body on the cross. As we enjoy the blessings of grace, we should never forget the great cost at which they were provided. Each time we sit at the Lord’s table and witness the breaking of the bread, we should remember the suffering and agony our Savior endured to secure our salvation.

The act of giving the bread to the disciples also holds a profound meaning. It symbolizes Christ’s free offer of Himself to all humanity. He stands ever ready, extending His hands with the bread of life, urging people to take freely the blessings of salvation.

Taking the bread, as each communicant does, is symbolic of the act of faith by which we receive Christ. He offers Himself, and we must receive Him. It’s not enough that Christ died on the cross for sinners and now offers the blessings of redemption. These acts of grace alone will not save us. We must take action by reaching out in faith and accepting what He so graciously offers. Just as bread must be eaten to nourish the body, we must receive Christ into our lives as the sustenance for our souls, feeding on Him spiritually.